That annoying good beep

The information center on my Jeep Grand Cherokee includes a "Miles to Service" feature. I have it set for the number of miles I want between oil changes. When I get my oil changed, I reset the "Miles to Service" feature and it begins counting down. When it reaches zero, it begins to beep. There are three beeps, a slight pause, then three more beeps. The display on the Information Center then reads, "Perform Service." If I don't get the oil changed immediately, it goes through the beeping sequence each time I start the engine. After about three days of "Yeah, yeah, I know" I finally get tired of hearing it and get the oil changed. Then I reset it, and the countdown begins again.

This is a good feature. I used to simply go by the odometer reading - knowing which mile marker it was time to change oil. I don't like the little stickers that are put on my windshield when I get my oil changed. It clutters up my windshield. So I take them off. Besides, I don't change every three months or three thousand miles like they suggest. It seems like I would be changing oil all the time. I change oil every five thousand miles. I've had five vehicles that I've run well over 100,000 miles and have never had a problem with an engine starting to use enough oil that I had to add any between oil changes. One was close to 150,000 miles. So I continue that 5,000 mile practice. At the end of the 5,000 miles, that annoying beep begins to remind me it is time. It is an annoying beep, but it is a good beep, a helpful beep, a welcome beep.

There are other good features included with the information center. I'll do more posts on them in the future.