What really is the Maintenance Req message

Sorry I am new with my first Taco '15 and I want to know exactly what that message means. I figure it's just another way to get you to take your car in, maybe you will get charged for something, there always seems to be.

Thx's

 

Maintenance Required on Toyotas is a 5,000 mile interval indicator, just means you need an oil change or that someone forgot to reset it last oil change.

 

Hold your trip button down with the key in the off position. While still holding the button down, turn the ignition to the on position without starting the truck. You will see some dashes appear and flash in the mileage section. They will flash and disappear one by one until there are none left. You have now rest the maintenance required light.

 

It is linked to absolutely nothing. It is ONLY a 5000 mile timer. It's typically reset each oil change so you have a reminder each time.

 

Didn't you get an owners manual with that thing?

Read it. Yes, it contains a lot of 'fluff' for making lawyers happy, but it also answers this and many other basic questions.

I mean being a '15 Taco has nothing to do with it. I have the same light in an '04 Highlander. Not a new feature.

 

^Only in 'Mericuh. (Canadian Tacos don't have it. Not sure about those sold in Mexico.)

 

Huh. More evidence of the 'dumbing down'. Goes along with the low fuel light I guess.

 

I really like the maintenance required indicator actually. It reminds me to change the oil . Definitely just something to reset yourself though like 4Walker said. I called the dealer before I figured out how to reset it, and they wanted $80 to do it. 5 minutes of googling, 30 seconds of walking out to my truck and resetting it, and wa-lah! Screw that dealership.

 

It is basically an alarm clock based on mileage. It means nothing if you do not have it serviced at the time it displays.

 

That explains why my truck does not have it. Many dealers are bringing in trucks from Canada. My truck was originally from Canada. They swapped out the clusters and my main interval light has never lit up. Even with the key in the on position. Good to know. One less thing to worry about it.

 

Interestingly, Canadian Tacos still come with a TPMS system, even though the Canadian regs don't require it. With all the "decontenting" and cost-cutting Toyota does, the TPMS sensors seem like a juicy target (probably would save Toyota $100 per vehicle).

 

Yeah it's just like they say its just a 5000 mi warning light to change your oil, but funny to me why Toyota puts this on their vehicles for that but when they offer you free oil changes for 2 yrs or 25,000mi For buying a new vehicle, they don't want to change the oil at 5000 mi. They say they do it at 10,000 mi.

 

just ignore it

 

Just had mine turn on in a 2009 TRD-0R for about 4 blinks then maintenance required light shut off so here iam thanks for the info, makes sense cause i bought from the dealership just about 5k ago

 

The display needs to be showing the odometer (not trip meter) before you hold down the button and turn on the ignition. If you hold down the button while one of the trip meters is displaying, you will reset that trip meter.

EDIT: Mine is a 2006 and I guess the process is different for the 2015 models. Thanks 3coma

The MAINT REQD light reminds me to rotate the tires every 5k miles.

 

At 4500 miles it begins giving a few flashes upon startup. Letting you know that you are approaching the 5k mark. When you hit 5k it will come on solid.

I reset mine at that point and the next light up is my 10k OCI.

 

I went ahead and reset when I read up on the indicated light on here. Do you think it will come back on solid in 500 mi even though I already reset it?

 

Nope. It will start flashing at 4.5k and solid at 5k from when you reset it.

 

Good to know....I love TW!!! So much info on almost everything you come across, thanks broseph!

 

On the 2015 you turn on the truck and set your trip meter to trip A and shut off. Then hold down the trip reset button and turn the key on and hold it until it reads 000000. Shut it off and restart, you should not lose your trip a number but your maintenance light will reset. I use trip B to track my oil mileage so I always know how far along I am before It comes on.