Question regarding the Maint Requd light

First, I know that this light is your primary indicator light reminding you to change your oil. I've read the stickies, I've been on the web searching this out long enough that my eyes are about to bleed. I know I can, and I know how to, reset the light myself but prior to doing so I wanted to pick your brains.

It's been several months since my last oil change. Prior to that change the light was on and the light was properly reset when I left the shop as it has been each time I've changed the oil. The indicator light had not been previously blinking at start up. At all. Ever. However, the light did come on mid-drive into work this morning and stay on.

I'd like to know if you guys might have a reasonable explanation for this. Perhaps it is in need of an oil change and for whatever reason decided to skip the whole blinking thing it does 500 miles prior to staying on. Stranger things have happened. I have a hypothesis that it might be a factory default for the light to come on as your approach 80k miles, which I'm very close to tripping. Any clues?

 

You must have just missed the blinking. I doubt 80k specifically would have anything to do with it. Unless of course the last reset was approaching 75k...

 

Thanks! I suppose it's possible that I missed the light blinking...through countless start ups...even still I suppose that could have been the case. The light coming on and staying on after being driven 10 miles down the road though seemed a little strange to me.

 

When it hits the 5k mile mark it lights up and stays lit. If that 5k mile mark is somewhere during your drive, then so be it.

 

I have 90k on my truck and have yet to see it blink. it just stays on for me...unless I have missed it 18 times

 

Thanks guys, this makes me feel a little more warm and fuzzy. I was so certain it was supposed to blink first. I know my wife's Rav4 does. Perhaps it really hasn't been blinking all along, I need to get my head checked.

Thanks again.