If you own a Toyota Sienna, you probably have a new issue that needs to be resolved every other week. And the maintenance light is no different. When this happens, you are bound to think something is wrong with your car. Keep reading to learn what the maintenance light means and how to turn it off.
What is the maintenance light?
The maintenance required light is a warning service engine light that reminds drivers that their car needs a service. It activates in 5,000-mile intervals since carmakers normally recommend basic servicing oil change, filter replacement, and inspection every 5,000 miles. This light is turned on automatically every 5,000 miles as a warning sign, so you don’t forget to change the oil in your car.
The light blinks for a few seconds every time you start your car after 4,500 miles. The light will remain on if left unchecked for another 500 miles, indicating you’ve traveled 5,000 miles.
The maintenance light will remain active permanently, to let you know that you need to go for an oil change in a certified auto shop. Changing the oil in your Toyota can improve fuel efficiency and make your vehicle run as smooth as silk. It will also reduce wear and tear on components, so you end up saving a lot of money in the future.
The Toyota maintenance light relies entirely on the odometer counting those 5,000 miles, so it has no way of detecting if you changed the oil in the meantime. That’s why this light can become annoying if you just changed your oil and it flashes on your dashboard reminding you to do it.
What does it mean when it comes on?
The flashing maintenance required light is simply notifying you that your vehicle is due for maintenance. The light will illuminate after a certain amount of time has passed since your car last had maintenance or in accordance with how far the car has been driven.
In most instances, this light signal that your car is in need of an oil change. After your car has been brought in for maintenance, the maintenance data will be reset for you.
However, the maintenance required light can turn on at different mileage points depending on your car. For instance, the light will sometimes illuminate every few thousand miles to alert you that it’s time for an oil change. On the other hand, in some cars, the light may appear once every 60,000 miles or every other significant number to alert the necessity for a major tune-up.
Note: The maintenance light never indicates a problem with your car. If your car has an issue, your check engine light will come on instead. The check engine illuminates when your engine or car is facing a major problem. If the light appears, take your car to a repair immediately for a diagnosis. The mechanic will plug in a reader to determine why the light is on.
Can I drive with the maintenance required light on?
Yes. You can drive your car with the light turned on. But, be aware that you’re driving at your own risk without doing the recommended or scheduled service. For these reasons, keeping your car up-to-date with all planned and suggested maintenance is critical to avoid the many untimely, inconvenient, and costly repairs that occur with neglect.
Note: Though it is safe to travel with the light turned on, the car may have adverse effects if you ignore the warning for longer. In addition, driving with maintenance required light on can damage your car’s engine or even worsen. It can even lead to an accident, or you may get stranded on the road.
What should you do when the maintenance light comes on?
It isn’t necessary to take your car to a mechanic when the maintenance required light turns on. The light turns on to remind you to do the car service on time. Also, you needn’t worry much about the light if you’re changing the car’s oil and oil filter based on the owner’s manual.
That said, scheduling regular service appointments and keeping Toyota service intervals to a minimum help maintain the longevity of your vehicle and can also help prevent maintenance issues down the road. Toyota recommends getting your car serviced after every 5,000 miles.
A typical Toyota Sienna maintenance schedule includes an engine oil and filter change, tire rotation, multi-point inspection, and an inspection and adjustment of all fluids. But for best results, you should follow Toyota’s maintenance schedule.
In most cases, Toyota recommends that Toyota owners schedule a service appointment every six months or 5000 miles, whichever comes first. The maintenance performed during each service appointment varies by vehicle model and year, driving conditions and other factors that our trained technicians evaluate.
However, recommended maintenance often includes services such as tire rotation, oil change and inspection of wiper blades, brake pads and fluid levels.
It should also include an oil change and oil filter replacement. Since Toyota Sienna uses synthetic oil, always schedule an oil change at 12 months or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Your mechanic should also check and adjust your vehicle’s fluid levels and inspect your brake components.
Below is a comprehensive list of maintenance steps for key mileage milestones for your Toyota Sienna;
5,000 miles Basic Service
- Add Toyota EFI Tank Additive or equivalent (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and American Samoa only)
- Check installation of driver’s floor mat
- Inspect and adjust all fluid levels
- Inspect wiper blades
- Rotate tires
- Visually inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions
- Driving on dirt roads or dusty roads:
- Inspect ball joints and dust covers
- Inspect drive shaft boots
- Inspect engine air filter
- Inspect steering linkage and boots
- Re-torque drive shaft bolt (4WD)
- Re-torque propeller shaft bolt (4WD)
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
- Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body
- Driving while towing, using a car-top carrier, or heavy vehicle loading:
- Re-torque propeller shaft bolt (4WD)
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
- Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
15,000 Miles Service
- Add Toyota EFI Tank Additive or equivalent (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and American Samoa only)
- Check installation of driver’s floor mat
- Inspect and adjust all fluid levels
- Inspect wiper blades
- Re-torque drive shaft bolt (4WD)
- Re-torque propeller shaft bolt (4WD)
- Rotate tires
- Visually inspect brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
NOTE: If 0W-20 oil WAS NOT used at the last oil change, replace engine oil and oil filter.
Inspect the following:
- Ball joints and dust covers
- Brake lines and hoses
- Cabin air filter
- Drive shaft boots
- Engine coolant5
- Exhaust pipes and mountings
- Radiator and condenser
- Rear differential oil (4WD)
- Steering gear
- Steering linkage and boots
- Transfer case oil (4WD)
NOTE: Driving in heavy traffic, on dirt roads or in urban, dusty or desert areas may shorten the life of the cabin air filter. Replacement may be needed if you notice reduced air flow from the air conditioner and heater or if the windows fog easily when you use the “Fresh” mode. Consult your dealer if any of these conditions occur.
Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions
Driving on dirt roads or dusty roads:
- Inspect engine air filter
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
- Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body
Driving while towing, using a car-top carrier, or heavy vehicle loading:
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
- Replace rear differential oil (4WD)
- Replace transfer case oil (4WD)
- Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body
Repeated trips of less than five miles in temperatures below 32°F / 0°C:
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
- Extensive idling and/or low speed driving for a long distance such as police, taxi or door-to-door delivery use:
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
30,000 miles service
- Add Toyota EFI Tank Additive or equivalent (Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and American Samoa only)
- Check installation of driver’s floor mat
- Inspect and adjust all fluid levels
- Inspect wiper blades
- Re-torque drive shaft bolt (4WD)
- Re-torque propeller shaft bolt (4WD)
- Replace cabin air filter
- Replace engine air filter
- Replace engine oil and oil filter
- Rotate tires
Inspect the following:
- Automatic transmission fluid cooler hoses and connections
- Automatic transmission for signs of leakage
- Ball joints and dust covers
- Brake lines and hoses
- Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
- Drive shaft boots
- Engine coolant
- Exhaust pipes and mountings
- Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses
- Fuel tank cap gasket
- Radiator and condenser
- Rear differential oil (4WD)
- Steering gear
- Steering linkage and boots
- Transfer case oil (4WD)
Additional Maintenance Items for Special Operating Conditions
- Driving on dirt roads or dusty roads:
- Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body
- Driving while towing, using a car-top carrier, or heavy vehicle loading:
- Replace rear differential oil (4WD)
- Replace transfer case oil (4WD)
- Tighten nuts and bolts on chassis and body
How to reset the maintenance light after maintenance
Unfortunately, the Toyota maintenance light doesn’t go away on its own. And sometimes the technicians who change the oil in your Toyota vehicle forget to reset the maintenance required light. Not to worry the process is very easy and barely takes any time.
Toyota tends to have a general procedure for resolving issues in its models. To reset the Toyota Sienna maintenance light on your Toyota Sienna, follow these quick and easy instructions:
- Turn your key in the ignition to accessory mode. Your engine should not be on.
- Locate and press the ODO/TRIP button until ODO comes up on the display.
- Turn off your Sienna.
- Hold down the ODO/TRIP button and start your engine while continuing to hold.
- When your odometer display reads all zeros, you have reset the maintenance light.
- Turn your car off again.
Follow the steps below to reset the maintenance light in 2006 Toyota Sienna
Turn Your Vehicle on
Your key should be switched to the on position and look on your dashboard. The odometer should display the miles, not the trip meter.
Turn the Vehicle Off and Press the Trip Meter Reset Button
Once you have turned the key back off, make sure that you press the trip meter reset button to reset the maintenance required light. Hold this button for a while. For some models, this is the button used to switch from the odometer reading to the other two trip meters.
Turn the Vehicle Back on
Keep the reset button pressed and gently turn the key to the “on” position. Make sure it’s in this position and not the “start” one which turns on the engine. Now pay close attention to the odometer.
Keep the Reset Button Pressed
As you look at the odometer, make sure that the trip meter reset button is still pressed. The odometer will start to display a series of dashes on the screen. After a while, a series of zeros will appear. Keep the button pressed until the normal odometer reading returns on the screen.
Release the Reset Button
Once the regular odometer readings are back on the screen, you can release the reset button and turn your car on. The maintenance required light should not appear on your dashboard anymore. If the light still appears, repeat the procedure again until the maintenance light goes away from your dashboard.
Since you manually reset the required light, its counter is back to zero. It will continue to count miles from the odometer until the 5,000 miles mark is reached. Once this happens, the light will again appear on your dashboard. If the technicians at your auto shop don’t reset this light, you have to do it again by following the steps above.
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The maintenance required light should begin flashing on your dashboard. Continue to keep the button pressed until the light goes away from your dashboard. Pressing the reset button for more than 20 seconds is necessary for this technique to be successful.
Alternative Reset Method
It this general procedure does not work, try the method below;
- Put the ignition key into the slot and turn on the car without kicking off the engine.
- The odometer should read ‘Trip A’. If it does not, press down the ‘Reset’ or ‘Trip’ button until the reading on the odometer displays ‘Trip A’.
- At the time of pressing the button, turn off the car and then put it back to the ‘ON’. You should not depress the button during the whole time.
- The display of the odometer will show a string of dashes followed by a series of zeros.
- After that, the display will again show the ‘Trip A’ reading. At this point, you can depress the button.
This is the process to turn off the MAINT REQD light in a Toyota car. The next time you start the vehicle, the computer system will start counting the miles from zero. The light will come on again once the mileage reaches 5,000 miles. The, you have to change the oil and reset the maintenance light by following these steps.