A window assembly for a vehicle includes a glass window panel and a display device disposed at an interior surface of the glass window panel. The display device is operable to backlight or illuminate at least one icon or alphanumeric character. With the window assembly mounted at a vehicle, and when the at least one icon or alphanumeric character is backlit or illuminated, the at least one icon or alphanumeric character is viewable through the glass window panel by a person exterior the vehicle. With the window assembly mounted at a vehicle, the display device is activated to display an icon responsive to determination that an in-cabin temperature of the vehicle is above a threshold level.

Apparatuses are disclosed including an apparatus for machine fluid monitoring or sampling comprising a transparent sight glass attachable to a machine such that machine fluid is transferable to the sight glass. The sight glass may have one or more ports, an open first end, a closed second end, and a cavity for the machine fluid. A grommet may be positioned in a first port of the sight glass and may have a sealable access pathway through the grommet to the cavity within the sight glass through which a probe may be extended. A magnetic plug may be positioned in the second port of the sight glass extending into the cavity within the sight glass such that the magnetic plug is positionable for contact with the machine fluid. A sample port assembly may be connected to the sight glass whereby samples of the machine fluid are accessible.

Various embodiments of the invention include a system having: at least one computing device at least one computing device configured to monitor a lubrication oil by performing actions including: determining an initial ideal remaining life for the lubrication oil; determining a temperature-based remaining life for the lubrication oil based upon a temperature measurement of the lubrication oil; calculating a contamination factor of the lubrication oil based upon a non-particle count sample of the lubrication oil; determining an updated ideal life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the contamination factor, the initial ideal remaining life, and the temperature-based remaining life; and determining an actual life remaining for the lubrication oil based upon the updated ideal life remaining and an actual life lost for the lubrication oil.

Systems and methods for capturing fluid change history in a vehicle are provided. A method includes: detecting, by a computer device, a fill cap is removed from an inlet port of a fluid reservoir or a drain plug is removed from an outlet port of the fluid reservoir; activating, by the computer device and based on the detecting, one of a fill sensor and a drain sensor; obtaining, by the computer device, fluid characteristics data from one of the fill sensor and the drain sensor; determining, by the computer device, at least one fluid parameter based on the fluid characteristics data; and transmitting, by the computer device, the determined at least one fluid parameter to a remote system via a communication network that is external to the vehicle.

A tube assembly for monitoring a fluid dispensed into a fluid fill port is disclosed. The tube assembly may include a tube body disposed between a first and second open end. A locking portion including a circumferential groove may be defined adjacent to the first open end and a fill portion may be defined at the second open end of the tube body. An aperture may extend through an outer surface of the tube body and a sensor may be inserted into the aperture such that at least a portion of the sensor is positioned within the interior portion of the tube body. The sensor may be configured to monitor at least one fluid characteristic of the fluid that is dispensed into the tube assembly and flows into the fluid fill port.

Method for monitoring a lubricant of a combustion engine, wherein measured numerical values are acquired with at least one sensor over a running time of a combustion engine, wherein the measured numerical values are representative of an oil quality of an engine oil of the combustion engine, wherein an oil sampling interval is adapted depending on at least one measured numerical value and/or a variable derived therefrom.

Provided as display portions configured to display maintenance related information pieces about a plurality of maintenance items of a vehicle are: a first display portion configured to, when at least one of the plurality of maintenance items is in a predetermined maintenance period, display the maintenance related information piece about the maintenance item that is in the predetermined maintenance period, the predetermined maintenance period including a predetermined maintenance timing and periods before and after the predetermined maintenance timing; and a second display portion configured to, when none of the plurality of maintenance items is in the maintenance period, display only the information piece about a nearest one of the maintenance timings of the plurality of maintenance items.

A system and method for monitoring a service life of lubricant that is applied to vehicle components is disclosed. The method includes receiving at least one input parameter. The input parameter relates to the vehicle's operation. The method also includes determining a remaining service life of a lubricant. The lubricant is applied to a driveline component of the vehicle. The determination of the remaining service life of the lubricant is based on the receiving of at least one input parameter.

A method and system that monitors various functions and criteria within a standard vehicle platform (SVP) or a small engine platform (SEP). The SVP uses an OBD-II adapter as a central controller to collect the information and communicate with a mobile communication device or a cloud based application to monitor the health of in-vehicle systems within the SVP and determine if maintenance is required. The SEP utilizes a run hour meter to collect information and communicates with a mobile communication device, an OBD-II adapter, or a cloud based application to monitor the health of an engine within the SEP and determine if maintenance is required. The method and system can automatically dispatch maintenance resources if maintenance is deemed necessary, thereby providing a managed maintenance solution for either a SVP or SEP.

A lubrication system for an internal combustion engine and a method of monitoring the lubrication system are described. The lubrication system generally circulates lubricant from a sump (i.e., a reservoir), through a filtration system, to the internal combustion engine, and back to the sump. The lubrication system includes a controller that monitors a dielectric constant of the lubricant and a viscosity of the lubricant. Based on the dielectric constant, the controller can determine whether the lubricant flowing through the lubrication system is new lubricant (e.g., recently replaced lubricant) or old lubricant (e.g., lubricant that has degraded enough to be distinguished from new lubricant). If old lubricant is identified, the viscosity of the lubricant is compared against threshold viscosities to dynamically determine when the lubricant requires replacement.