[jimclark]

Hi-tech is nice when it works right, but it sure is exasperating when it acts up. Sometimes I want to do as Harvey Keitel did in the 1992 movie "Bad Lieutenant", where he furiously pumped six rounds into the radio with his service revolver when he heard that he lost a bet on a baseball game.

Maybe if you just hold the revolver up, pointed right at the SYNC screen as you go through the process, it'll cooperate?

 

[jimclark]

You might have hit on it, as I do have an Ultragauge plugged into the OBD port. I'll try it again later.

I still like the Dirty Harry approach better.

 

[jimclark]

Remember the Ford reps that (used to?) hang out on here, with lots of assurances, tips, and so forth? Where are they now--now that we need them? I've always loathed maintenance check lights, service due lights, etc. that required reset by a mechanic or dealer. There is no good reason it should be this hard and/or unreliable and/or difficult. I have a "trip computer" that tells me seven more things than I ever wanted to know and can be reset by a dodo bird. This should be no different.

 

[jimclark]

So if we change our oil before the light comes, we have to wait until the light comes on to reset it?! That has got to be the most ridiculous design decision I have heard in a very long time. What's the point of an oil life monitor system that can't really keep track of when the oil was actually changed? I think we need to start a letter writing campaign. Not that that will change anything. Extremely disappointing...

Yeah, what he said. Mind-bogglingly stupid, if this is accurate. The good news is that this sort of thing should be susceptible to a software change/update. That said, if they only sell, say, 6000 FiSTs in the US/Canada, Ford may not give a rat's patootie about our complaints--the numbers are too small. Now, if the same thing also holds true on the regular Fiesta, and/or the FoST or entire Focus line, or even more, then we've got some leverage.

Apparently, for now, the only thing to be done is keep a log of when oil changes are done and plan/work accordingly, turning the light off and "resetting" oil life when the dang light finally comes on.

Makes the light into a true idiot light--an idiot must've thought this was a good plan.

 

[jimclark]

We have already proved that is the same setup on the 2014 non-ST Fiesta.

Dave

Well, there ya go. Now we might start have to numbers on our side.