Oil air filter remaining life indicators

Drove my truck to church yesterday cause my wife couldn’t get ready on time.[don’t get me started on that]and I noticed that the oil life remaining was down to 25%. Just the week before it had been in the 40% range. Now I did make a 350 mile trip pulling an empty trailer but didn’t think it would make that much of a difference. So I changed it and where I keep my records I have only gone 3,100 miles on that oil change I did in Dec.. I almost always get between 6,000 and 7,000 miles by the indicator between changes. We had a very harsh winter like everybody else. Would that effect oil life? The other factor was I noticed while hauling my H Saturday the truck didn’t seem to have the same zip I am used too. So while doing the oil change I looked that the air filter life indicator and it was in the green. But I thought what the heck I will pull it out and look at it. It was the dirtiest air filter I have ever seen. When I tapped on it about a cup of what looked like quick Crete fell out of it. {we live on a gravel road}.Man the truck runs like a bat of Joplin now. What a difference. Would the plugged air filter affect oil life? Do any of you guys put any stock in these indicators? By the way the truck is a 2008 duramax.
Thanks,
Paul

that should say Paul Shuler. Not Paul Shulert

i don't know. but, when my neighbor let me borrow his backhoe, he told me a story of how he let a friend use his other tractor and the guy didn't keep the filter clean and it trashed the motor. he said it was a newer New Holland.

the oil life indicators work off of several inputs, but engine temp is the main one, so the cold temps in winter made it go off sooner because it took longer for the engine to reach operating temp each time you drove it , now that it has warmed up it should take longer for it to go off again after reset.

Bottom line is that the actual oil is NOT monitored or tested. The "puter makes an informed GUESS as to when it needs to be changed based on fuel use, miles, temperature, etc..

It doesn"t have a CLUE if the truck was operated on the highway or in dusty conditions, for example.

I don't think air filter would have much effect on oil but would effect the performance and fuel consumption.

After all of that and he is still loaning out equipment ????????????

People put way to much faith in those air filter minders when Cummins starts buying my fuel and engine parts I'll start go:ing buy the minder until then I'm goina check my filter every oil change I've seen filter plugged solid and the minder still says the filter is clean

I was told oil life indicators measure cold starts, rpm vs speed and other data that effects oil life, I believe in them.

Engine load does play a factor in the oil life monitor, if the air filter was restricted enough to cause higher engine loads or demand then its possible it could be related to shorter life span.

Winter time is always going to negatively affect the oil life monitor, mostly due to outside temp, engine temp and idle/warm up time. From what I've seen winter intervals can be around 3-5k and summer time usually around 7-9k

As stated there is no measure of actual quality, condition of the oil or level, just a good guess when its due. The OLM has no way to identify if using conventional, full synthetic or anything between.

(quoted from post at 18:01:06 04/21/14) I was told oil life indicators measure cold starts, rpm vs speed and other data that effects oil life, I believe in them.

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Designed and installed by a company that make's it's money selling new vehicles and parts. Sorry, I'll stick with mileage based changes. Just my 2cents worth.

Rick