Why does my car say maintenance required after oil change

Most modern-day vehicles have two different lights within the dash: a maintenance required light, and a check engine light. Some drivers assume they are the same, believing their car needs servicing when either of these lights activates. However, the maintenance required light is entirely different than the check engine light. To learn more about these two lights and what they mean, keep reading.

The maintenance required light, also known as service required light, is triggered strictly by mileage. Different automakers have different standards for when this light activates. A car's maintenance required light, for instance, may activate once every 10,000 lights, at which point it will remain on until it's been manually deactivated.

The purpose of the maintenance required light is to encourage drivers to take their vehicle in for regular scheduled maintenance, such as oil changes, spark plugs, new tires, etc. 

Normally, automotive specialists will reset the maintenance required light when servicing your vehicle. If they don't, however, you can reset it yourself, though the steps to resetting the maintenance required light varies depending on the make and model vehicle.

Check Engine Light

The check engine light, also known as the service engine soon light, is different in several ways. First, it does not activate based on mileage, but rather it activates when a specific fault is identified somewhere in the vehicle. If your car begins to overheat, for instance, the check engine light may activate, indicating that you should pull over immediately.

If your check engine light activates, you'll need to use a special "code reader" to identify the underlying problem. Most auto parts stores carry these code readers, which they'll use free of charge to find out what triggered the check engine light in your vehicle.

Alternatively, you can buy a coder reader instead of borrowing one from the local auto parts store. Code readers have become pretty cheap over the years, with many drivers viewing them as a smart investment, especially if you own multiple vehicles in your family. With a code reader, you can quickly and easily identify the cause of your check engine light.

Common causes of the check engine light include:

• Faulty gas cap
• Bad catalytic converter
• Overheating engine
• Low oil pressure
• Bad oxygen sensor
• Bad mass airflow sensor
• Worn spark plugs or wires
• and more...

By Tsukasa Azuma

Last updated Feb 04, 2021

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The maintenance lights in Toyota cars indicate the type of service your car needs. Most Toyota models these days have an electronic computer system that has a connection to the ‘Maintenance Required’ lights on the dashboard along with many other components. Whenever the computer detects a malfunction or a problem in the engine, it will set off the related service light. But, some car owners do not know how to reset maintenance light Toyota after the service is done.

What Should You Do When the Maintenance Light Comes On?

The maintenance reminder system in a Toyota car does only one thing – giving a warning when it’s time for an oil change. The computer system starts tracking the mileage after every reset and the light will come on after you drive 5,000 miles.

When you change the oil or have the vehicle serviced, you will need to turn off maintenance light Toyota so that it can again start counting for 5,000 miles. Toyota recommends not to ignore the light and doing a series of inspections to prevent damages to the engine.

How to Reset Maintenance Light Toyota

You take the service of a Toyota dealership for the oil change, they will reset maintenance light Toyota for yourself. But, using a third-party oil change service may not come with the same privilege.

If you want to know how to turn off maintenance light on Toyota to perform the process by yourself, here are the resetting procedures for two popular models – Camry and Prius.

Resetting Maintenance Light on Toyota Camry

You will find the maintenance required light on the dashboard of the Toyota Camry. Labeled as MAINT REQD, the light reminds the driver about the due time of an oil change. Remember that the indicator does not have any connection to any sensor or signal any internal malfunction and failure of components.

The light works as a mileage counter that warns drivers that the vehicle has crossed more than 5,000 miles since the last reset. If you perform the oil change by yourself, learn how to reset maintenance light Toyota Camry.

Follow these steps to turn off the light manually:

• Start the car and then press and hold the button that changes the odometer reading.
• While you are holding the button, turn the ignition key just slightly so that the vehicle starts without kicking the engine off. It will turn the dashboard lights on. The odometer will begin blinking before all of its digits turning to zeros.
• Release the button and turn off the ignition key. The MAINT REQD light is likely to be off next time you start the car.

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How to Reset Prius Maintenance Light

The light does not indicate any serious problem but it’s annoying when it’s turned on and does not go off. It’s actually quite easy to reset maintenance light Toyota Prius.

Follow these steps to get it done without any hassle:

• Press the car’s Power button, not once but twice, with your foot off of the brake.
• The odometer (ODO) button is located below the multi-function display. Press to stop the ODO reading instead of the Trip A or Trip B. Then, power down the car by pushing the Power button once.
• Push and hold down the ODO button and push the Power button twice with your foot off the brake. The flashing dashboard light will go off and the reading on the odometer will reset.

This is how you turn off the maintenance light on a Prius. Some models don’t have the ODO/Trip button. In that case, push the km/hour MPH button to get the desired result.

How to Reset Maintenance Light In Other Toyota Models?

You must be wondering what the resetting process would be for a different Toyota model. Well, it’s nothing complicated.

Follow these few simple steps to reset maintenance light Toyota that is not a Camry or Prius:

• Put the ignition key into the slot and turn on the car without kicking off the engine.
• The odometer should read ‘Trip A’. If it does not, press down the ‘Reset’ or ‘Trip’ button until the reading on the odometer displays ‘Trip A’. At the time of pressing the button, turn off the car and then put it back to the ‘ON’. You should not depress the button during the whole time.
• The display of the odometer will show a string of dashes followed by a series of zeros. After that, the display will again show the ‘Trip A’ reading. At this point, you can depress the button.

This is the process to turn off the MAINT REQD light in a Toyota car. The next time you start the vehicle, the computer system will start counting the miles from zero. The light will come on again once the mileage reaches 5,000 miles. The, you have to change the oil and reset the maintenance light by following these steps.

Why is the maintenance required light still on after oil change?

Why does my car say change oil soon when I just changed it?

Can you drive when it says maintenance required?