hey so i know nothing about cars, help me out.

a few months ago, seconds after i got an oil change my "maintenance required" light started coming on for a few seconds when i would first start up the car. no worries, i figured that the oil change guys just didn't know how to reset the light.

Then, about a month later, the light is steady on. Could this have anything to do with the fact that i never reset the light initially? should i even bother taking in it? (don't want to spend the cash)

ps. it has 30k miles on it.

thanks.

 

This happened to me a while ago after an oil change too. I figured the guys had forgotten to reset the light but it turned out that the car was throwing the light cause the gas-cap hadn't been tightened enough.

If you're under warranty and/or it's your first time taking it in for the light, just go to the dealer. It'll take them 5 minutes and they probably won't charge you.

 

The "maintenance required" indicates that you need an oil change. How it works is that when you are approaching the time that you need an oil change(4500 miles from last change) it will flash for 10 sec and then turn off when you start your car. This is to give you some advanced warning. After 5000 miles from the last oil change it will stay on meaning that you now NEED to get the oil change. You can take it back and have them remove the light(they should do it for free) or you can do it your self.

If you want to do it yourself do this:
1) Turn the ignition key to OFF with the odometer reading shown.
2) Turn the ignition key to ON WHILE holding down the trip meter reset **** for 5 sec.

If you need more info on this look on page 86 of your owners manual, if you don't have one I have it in PDF format, I can send to you if you would like. hope it works.

 

Just to add, above is correct, but you have to have your cars odometer showing when you hold it down, if you have it on one of the trip meters, it will not work.