Question about clearing maintenance light

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(elmofongo @ Jan 10 2007, 10:43 AM) [snapback]373563[/snapback]</div>

It doesn't seem to, at least in my '05. I change oil approx. every 5K myself, and go through the reset procedure when I start the car, and still eventually the maint light comes on. Then I can do the reset and have it "take."

 

Howdy elmofongo

Sounds like your Dealer is not resetting the "MAINT REQD" light. It's a simple procedure - you can do it yourself. My Dealer's Service Writer always reset it when he wrote up the order for periodic maintenance.

Pages 130-131 tell me how in my 2007 Owner's Manual - probably near the same pages for the 2006.

 

they don't know that you're using the maitenance schedule. Just let them know you use the car's maitenance calender. You have to reset the schedule by hand. If clearing the light were to reset everything.. you wouldn't be able to do oil and tires at different times than spark plugs.. or readiator fluid.

So... the light does not reset the calender.. it just clears the light... Imagine the preseduer as a hidden switch to the dash light.

I just woke up.. excuse the typos... who needs spellchedk anyways... oh.. yeah.. me..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(V8Cobrakid @ Jan 10 2007, 02:12 PM) [snapback]373711[/snapback]</div>

Let's say I have two cars, a 94 Volvo and an 05 Prius. No maintenance lights are on, but both cars are 30 miles away from needing an oil change. Since it's a nice 75 degree day in January, I decide to do it now. I change oil and follow the maintenance light reset procedure on each car. 30 miles later, the light comes on in the Prius, where it won't the Volvo. Seems like a step backwards to me. The procedure should reset the interval, as it seemed to in the Volvo, not just turn the light off, as it does with the Prius. A minor complaint, to be sure. Or is the light not supposed to come on with the Prius and I am doing something wrong? I'm pretty sure I'm clearing it the right way, as I can turn it off when it does appear. ODO/TRIP set to ODO, then start car holding the ODO button.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Beryl Octet @ Jan 10 2007, 11:23 AM) [snapback]373723[/snapback]</div>

How does the Volvo light know the oil was changed? Do you have to reset it manually? Maybe I missed something. From what I can see, the Prius Maint. reqd light comes on at 5000 miles from whenever it was reset, and doesn't know if the car was serviced or not. My car's never seen a dealer (too far away) for 25,000 miles, and I do the oil, etc. and reset the light myself. Its no big deal.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(subarutoo @ Jan 11 2007, 03:58 PM) [snapback]374321[/snapback]</div>

The Volvo doesn't know the oil's changed unless you use the button under the hood. The difference is, though, that with the Volvo, pushing the button turns the light off, and resets the 5000 mile counter, even if the light wasn't on, and in our Prius, going through the ODO thing seems to either turn the light off if it was on or do nothing if the light wasn't on. It's a small nuisance, at most, I change my oil myself, too, but I could see where it could be annoying or alarming to people who hadn't read the manual.

If you take your car in at 14,500 miles for the 15,000 mile oil change because you are getting ready to go on vacation and drive 1200 miles, the light on the Prius is still gonna come on at 15,000, even if the ODO reset procedure is done by the dealer, right? Or am I doing something wrong?