How To Reset Oil Life On New Ford Explorer (2011-2023)
Last Updated on December 7, 2023 by Nick
The Ford Explorer is an American manufacturer Ford SUV launched for the first time in 1990. Have you changed your engine oil and now want to reset the oil life light on your Ford Explorer? If so, you’re on the right site! We will guide you on how to do it.
When it gets close to time to change the engine oil, it’ll bring up this message saying change engine oil soon. And after that, it’ll go oil change required when it’s time to change it. So let’s get to do that.
Table of Contents
2011-2019 Ford Explorer Oil Life Reset Procedure
Time needed: 3 minutes
Today we have a 2014 Ford Explorer, I’m going to be showing you how to reset your oil maintenance light on this vehicle. So the first thing we’re gonna have to do is:
- Switch the ignition over to the on position
If your vehicle has an ignition button, press the ENGINE START/STOP button without pressing the brake
- Go to the SETTINGS menu
Next, we’re going to be paying attention to the display on the left-hand side and we’re gonna need the button on the left-hand side of your steering wheel. Find and select the SETTINGS menu from there.
- Scroll and select VEHICLE
On some models, you must choose the CONVENIENCE menu
- Scroll down to OIL LIFE RESET
Press OK or the ► button to enter the sub-menu
- Press and hold the OK button
Just hold the OK button and you have successfully reset your oil life
- Restart your car
Shut the vehicle off and then start it back up and check the oil change light should be gone
Resetting Oil Light in New Ford Explorer (2020-2024)
In this section, I’m going to show you real quick how to reset the oil life light indicator on a 2020 Ford Explorer. So here’s what we’re gonna do:
- Turn on the car without getting started
- Hit the ☰ MENU button on the steering wheel and it will pull up a list of the main menu
- Then you’re gonna scroll down until you get to SETTINGS
- Press the OK button to select the menu
- Find and select OIL LIFE in this menu
- To reset it, you’re just gonna press and hold the OK button until it changes to 100%
Alternate Method
This method is intended for Ford Explorers with interceptor packages that do not have the menus required to perform the oil life reset as the manual shows. So if yours looks like this, this is the right way to do it:
- Turn on the car with the engine not running
- Push the ☰ MENU button on the steering wheel
- Go to INFORMATION
- Select OIL LIFE
- Now you’re gonna need to hold the Accelerator and the Brake pedals all the way to the floor for a while until oil life changes to 100%
For your info, this operation work for the fifth and sixth generations of the Ford Explorer (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 model years). For the old ones, you can reach them here.
Can I Trust My Oil Life Monitor?
Almost every Ford has had an intelligent oil life monitoring system for the last several years. Now, suppose you come for service here like most of our customers. In that case, you’ll know we’ll put a reminder tag on the windshield to let you know when the average customer should probably have their oil change.
Our usual recommendation is six months or five thousand miles for how we think most people use their vehicle. However, maybe you’re not an average driver. Maybe you tow, drive in extreme temperatures, or take a lot of short trips in town and don’t get on the highway much.
You may not change your oil at the same interval as the average driver, but thanks to the oil life system, that is how you can know it. It’s going to show you the percentage of oil life based on some factors such as the miles driven. Also, what temperature do you drive the vehicle in, and under what conditions, such as if it’s been under a heavy load, towing, or hauling a heavy payload. Short trips are notoriously tough on an engine versus highway driving.
So those things are all considered to come up with this oil life percentage. So whether or not it coincides with our reminder tag, you can trust your vehicle to keep track of your oil life and let you know when it’s ready for an oil change. Even if you’re a do-it-yourselfer and like to change your oil yourself, you can still trust your Ford to help you monitor your oil and make sure you’re changing it when appropriate.
FAQ – Ford Explorer Service
How long a Ford Explorer will survive depends on how well the vehicle is cared for and, at times, sheer chance. You may get 200,000 to 400,000 miles out of a car that has been adequately cared for.
A broken alternator, a bad battery, a loose belt, or a loose wire might cause the check charging system alert in your Ford Explorer. So you need to check it up.
There are two possibilities if your Ford Explorer displays a “coolant over temperature” alert. In either case, the coolant (far too hot!) has to be replaced. Otherwise, your coolant temperature sensor may be malfunctioning.
So that’s all it takes. If this was helpful, give us a like if you have any comments leave them in the comments section, we appreciate your reading. Please share to help us make more content just like this. Thanks for checking it out and have a great week.
About The Author
jacob
Hi, I'm Jacob, and I have been passionate about automobiles since I was a child. I have spent countless hours assisting my father in his garage, learning everything there is to know about car maintenance and repair. For ten years, I ran a successful repair business, where I gained hands-on experience working with a variety of vehicles. As a result, I have developed a deep understanding of the mechanics of the car and have become an expert in maintaining and repairing any vehicle.