Looking for an oil reminder device - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 07:12:39 am
content: Hello every one.I have been driving my motorcycle for a long time,But it doesn't have a regular oil reminder device,I consulted the manufacturer's manual and it is generally recommended to change the engine oil after 800 to 1500 kilometers.But without a reminder device, I often forget.So I'm looking for a simple device to remind me.I have searched for Honda motorcycles,They have a mechanical gear device that displays reminders by counting the rotation of the front wheels.This is a design plan from the 1990s.My motorcycle is shown in the following picture, and it does not have an oil expiration reminder.If you have better suggestions or similar ideas with me, look forward to exchanging ideas. Thank you

author: Andy Chee
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 09:07:05 am
content: Might be easier to change oil according to date (instead of distance) and just set an appropriate scheduling interval on your iPhone calendar.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 09:18:08 am
content: I would install an hour meter.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 10:03:30 am
content: Wont help. If the O.P. cant remember to do an oil change when the 1000 km digit of the odometer 'ticks over', they wont remember to do it on running hours.

author: nali
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 10:12:19 am
content: This was recently discussed inthisthread. Personally I'd go KISS with the phone option, it's not as if we're talking a lot of oil here.

author: Scrts
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 01:31:56 pm
content: Just buy a label/sticker maker and put a sticker on your dash: NEXT OIL CHANGE: XXXXX kmThis is what US car service providers do:

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 04:09:40 pm
content: I always kept a logbook in my vehicles and was anal about oil and filter changes. Had a good deal of money invested in a '70 383 Magnum Road Runner that was rebuilt with forged parts and good oil is the life blood!! I keep a Supercharged Chevy 350 (Mild 6PSI boost) in my toybox now (1948 pickup truck) and I can tell you the mileage on it and the next oil change without even walking to the garage to look at it! I run full synthetic in my 2008 Prius and change it every 3000 miles. Sounds wasteful, but I never scattered any pieces even on my race engines. I did spin rod bearings on two different Chevy 350's, one running Pennzoil and one running Quaker State regular Dino oil. Both had Fram filters!! I'll never buy Fram again and I haven't used Pennzoil or Quaker State in at least 30 years. Both of those engines were in company vehicles and both blew while driving on the highway at 65 m.p.h. Both showed a sudden drop in oil pressure and when I lifted off the gas they blew.

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 04:34:51 pm
content: OP, you seem to have a mechanical speedometer. There is no reluctance sensor or something you could take speed signal from. You would have to add a sensor/pickup somewhere.The only other option I can think of is to count engine revolutions using ignition pulses. It's going to be a very big number with no idea if it is idling or the motor is under load.Took my Toyota instrument cluster apart and had to laugh, it has a change oil annunciator- but no LED populated on the board. Excellent!Toyota had the piston ring/oil burning problem for at least 15 years now Camry/RAV/Corolla, so I use full synthetic and change every 3,000mi/5,000km hopefully that prevents the rings from gumming up. Trying Castrol instead of Mobil 1 this winter, see how it does.Volkwagen ECU's are quite sophisticated and base the oil change (lamp) interval on engine load, speed, cold starts, time etc. where they model the factors for oil dirt buildup and wear. So the oil change interval is not fixed.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 06:50:52 pm
content: You can measure milage using a small gps module.Unless you carry the bike on your truck.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2023, 07:20:43 pm
content: Buy an old british classic bike ,they come with an automatic oil changer,also known as a leak that has you checking and topping up the oil daily

author: floobydust
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 08:42:28 pm
content: I thought the old oil went out the exhaust pipe lol.I rely on eye-balling the oil (dipstick) to see if it's dirty or lost it's surface tension. I thought there are optical probes available.Big V8 run hard in summer heat will break it down, as well as winter cold starts are terrible- the worst for engine oil (unless direct injected) due to cold-start enrichment (choke) dirties the oil a lot.

author: CaptDon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2023, 09:24:03 pm
content: Seriously, keep a logbook, each oil change and the amount of gas and mileage at each fill up. You can then calculate the MPG each time you change oil. Perhaps one brand of oil will work better for you and your logbook will be the proof. I always ran Valvoline in my race engines and Castrol in my bikes. The bikes seemed to kill Valvoline quicker than expected and my race engines killed the viscosity of Castrol. The Castrol would run out like water at 3000 miles. Your logbook could help with dialing in things like a wider or narrower spark gap and little things like indexing your plugs which may gain .5 to 1hp on your bike at Wide Open Throttle. If your bike is carbureted you may gain a tiny amount of horsepower by running a 200:1 oil mix in the fuel using non-detergent straight 30 weight. I don't know why it works but it does and at 200:1 it won't foul plugs or coke up the rings. I'm not sure if oil in the top end reduces friction or helps seal worn rings for better compression?

author: daisizhou
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 29, 2023, 04:28:55 am
content: I disassembled the Honda SPACE125 instrument. It has an oil reminder device inside. It is mechanical.