The ‘Maint Reqd’ light on a Lexus or Toyota is an indication of an engine oil and filter change becoming due. It’s aimed to remind you to change your engine oil and oil filter.
Requiring only a reset, the maintenance required indication, illuminating your instrument cluster is not an indication of a fault; rather, it simply means you need to service your vehicle.
But, what happens if after servicing your vehicle, the reminder pops up or it pops up and even after servicing, the light refuses to go off?
You manually reset it: most vehicles aren’t equipped to differentiate fresh engine oil from used one so how this works is strictly by mileage.
For instance, for a 2006 ES330 (which is my daily driver), the recommended oil change interval is 5,000 miles or 6 months, whichever is first.
The service reminder light is silent about the months…but once you clock 5,000 miles since the last reset, it’s going to show up.
So, how do you reset this reminder on a Lexus or Toyota?
It’s simple and takes less than a minute.
Table of Contents
How to Reset the Maintenance Required Light on a Lexus or Toyota
- Make sure that the total mileage displays on the cluster, not the ‘Trip A’ or ‘Trip B’ reading.
- With the ignition set to the ‘Off’ position, depress the button protruding from the instrument cluster where the ‘ODO’ reading is displayed.
- With your finger still depressing the knob, turn the ignition key to the ‘ON’ position (do not start the car).
- The display will flash diminishing dashes.
- At the end of the diminishing dashes, ‘000000’ will display, shortly, followed by the original odometer reading of the vehicle.
- At this point, the service reminder light will go off and it will be safe to take off your hand from the knob and key.
- It will also be safe to power off the ignition at this point and completely remove the key, waiting for the next cycle.
To get accurate results, you need to follow the instructions in this guide in the exact order laid out here.
What Happens if You Decide to Leave the Service Reminder Light Illuminated?
Nothing. The service reminder light will not affect normal vehicle operation or cause drivability challenges.
However, it’s a vital light that needs a reset as soon as you service your vehicle, whether it displays or not.
This way, you’ll be reminded of your service schedule even if you forget to remember when you clock the recommended mileage set by your manufacturer.
Does the Service Reminder Light Give Any Warning Before Coming On?
Yes, it does.
If you’re paying attention, a few hundred miles before the maximum mark set, the service reminder light takes some time before it goes off after you crank your engine.
This is a reminder that you need to start planning an oil change.
For the ES330 which is my daily driver, this longer flashing light will start around the 4,500 mile mark (after the last reset), running into 5,000 miles at which point the illumination will be steady.