"MAINT" Light Came On

Jeff Kleb

Jeff Kleb

New member

I drove my V-6 4Runner to Michigan and back - within one week - and it performed admirably. My mileage was about 21 mpg in mostly high-speed driving.

Anyway, as I drove down I-95 and was close to home, my "MAINT" light came on. When I read the owner's guide, it said that I was supposed to change the oil. WTF?? I changed the oil and filter last Saturday before I left.

The truck has 7000 miles on it, and I changed the oil just before 2,000 miles and again at 5100 miles. Of course, I used Mobil-1 synthetic 5w30 and a Toyota filter.

The oil (checked with the dipstick) still looks brand new and the level is a nick below the full mark......so I do not know what is causing this condition. BTW, the truck runs just fine.

 
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The car doesn't know you've changed the oil. It starts flashing at 5000 miles when you first start it up and turns on solid at 7500 miles. There are directions on how to reset it around here, do a search.
 

Okay, thanks. I'll have to check back in here tomorrow......or maybe call the stealership tomorrow - as they're open half the day Saturday for service.

What a crock! Fresh synthetic oil and it tells me to change it. Sheesh! This is something that GM might do, but not Toyota.
:bash:
 

Yes, SatMan.....I saw it in the Owner's Guide. It says the light means that I need to change the oil. However, I just did it last Saturday (before my trip) and the oil still looks virtually new.

Of course, I did use Mobil-1 and the trip was 1500 miles -- most of which was open highway driving. No way the oil "went bad" on this trip, sir.

I guess I will have to call the stealership and find out how to reset it without having to waste my time (and costly fuel) driving my 4Runner to them.

Anyway, thanks for the replies.
:awais:


 
On some vehicles there is an oil sensor. I do not know how the sensor works but it is not based on mileage but on contamination. It might be a particulate sensor? But 95 % of the vehicles out there, including ours, have a mileage counter. So every 5000 miles it will trigger the maintenance light. Since I do not change my oil at 5000 miles intervals, I use the trip odometer. Get it? Follow the instructions in the manual and to turn off the light.
 
The same thing happened to me too. The light went on at 5000 miles on the odometer but I had just had my oil changed at the dealer at 3000 miles. I was a little surprised that it went on , I just changed my oil and it looked dirty as hell!! it makes me wonder if they changed it...


But it was the easist oil change I ever did.
 

You da man, Sharp!! I knew it (the way to reset it) wasn't shown in the owner's guide. Of course, the stealership wants you to bring it to them so that they can do it and charge you for it.

Anyway, I tried your aforementioned fix this evening -- and it worked!! I guess it was the same for the '05 as for the '03.
:awais:

Too bad they don't do it by the level of contaminates in the oil. That would make more sense, huh? My stepmom has a 1994 Cadillac and it always tells you the 'percentage' of life that your oil has remaining before it needs changed.

If GM could do this on a car twelve years ago, I know that Toyota should be able to set up an '05 to do the same thing.
:bash:


Anyway.....Thanx again, sir!!
 
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Hey......I looked in the owner's guide and it did explaine what the "MAINT" light meant. However, I did not see any instructions on how to reset it. But, thanks to this forum and Sharp4runr's link, I was easily able to find out how to fix it. It worked on the first attempt!

I think they should give the URL to this web page as part of the new vehicle delivery process.
:awais:

Anyway, my 4Runner will be in "dry dock" for awhile. I filled it up at $3.25 a gallon on Friday and that was depressing. It appears as though I'll be using my little Sentra a little more often, unless I need the space or 4x4 of the 4Runner.
:(

I am thankful that I at least have another car to drive that is more economical. I feel for these folks who have a V-8 SUV as their only vehicle and have to commute 30 or 40 miles to work. Ouch!!


cbcb700e.jpg~original
 
Today, upon ignition, I noticed MAINT flashed 4 -5 times then went away. Tested a few times, startng the engine, did it each time then disappered. Just went over 4500 miles.

Going to try the reset routine as posted here.

Thanks all!

Steve
 
05ToyRunner said:
Today, upon ignition, I noticed MAINT flashed 4 -5 times then went away. Tested a few times, startng the engine, did it each time then disappered. Just went over 4500 miles.

Going to try the reset routine as posted here.

Thanks all!

Steve
Click to expand...

I noticed this too at 4500. I'm at about 4770 now. I'm gonna have to do the 5k maintenance soon. I might go full synthetic with Mobil 1 but not sure yet.
 
tkr128 said:
It starts flashing at 5000 miles when you first start it up and turns on solid at 7500 miles. There are directions on how to reset it around here, do a search.
Click to expand...

I Believe that may not be correct.

I have a 4Runner and 05 Camry, both Maint lights come on solid with in 100miles of 5000. I used the second trip meter and reset it at each oil change just as a second method of watching it. I believe it is mileage based.

I found instructions in my owners manual. I can not quote the page since the wife drove the Runner today. You should find it in the section on "Operations of instrument and controls". After a explaination of the light is a procedure for resetting it.

I think GM uses a system that monitors the oil and is not mileage based. Not 100% sure since Thank God I don't own a GM product anymore.:bouncy:

I am forced to drive GM Crap at work and that is bad enough. 2003 S-10 4x4 that runs and rides rough as hell. POS 4.3L V-6. :cursin:
 
Is there any way to make this worthless light stay off permenantly?
 
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