"Maint Req'd Light"

2008 Sport that I've noticed when I first start the truck the "maint req'd light" flashes like four times then goes out. Is this a signal to change the oil by chance or is there another problem?

 

it is a signal that you are within 500 miles of the light going solid, and then will be 5000 miles since it was reset

yes it is the oil change/tire rotate reminder

 

After you get to the 5,000 mile mark, it will be on all the time.

 

i took it as an indirect reminder to read the owner's manual the first time i saw it on my truck. i remember it clearly. i sat in my truck and read it cover to cover. good stuff in there.

 

After it comes on solid, here's how to reset it.

1. Turn the ignition key to the "OFF" position with the odometer reading shown.
2. Turn the ignition key to the "ON" position while holding down the trip meter knob.

Hold the knob for at least 5 seconds. The odometer indicates "000000" and the light goes off.


Sent from Rick's iPhone

 

Mine hase never lit up.

 

Is it any way tied to how dirty your oil is? I had one truck that it would come on 3-4K and I switched to Amzoil and it never came back on...

 

No

 

Pretty sure it's on 5,000 mile increments. Not sure how it could "test" your oil.

 

Yep, 5000 miles. Not like some vehicles that supposedly measure oil quality

 

Patbegley, Mine lit up at 5,10 and 15K and didn't at 20 and now 25. Not a big deal, but I do wonder why

 

I have to set mine to Trip A to reset. Not the odometer. Took me a week to figure that out...

 

Seems I've read that on different year models the procedure is slightly different for resetting.

 

it's a great reminder, when it first starts coming on it reminds me to stop by Wally World sometime in the next few weeks and get Mobil 1 and also order a OEM filter off Ebay.

I drive about 50 miles a day so that gives me about 10 days before the light stays on for good

 

I have never seen any vehicle claim to measure "oil quality"...all of them i've seen are either based on mileage increments or based on conditions the engine goes (heavy acceleration, high rpms, etc) through and the computer determines that the oil needs to be changed

 

This light got me when I was a new Tacoma owner. It came on when I was driving home form work and I immediately assumed it was a check engine light. I was mad because I had just bought the truck so I pulled right off the freeway and found the first Autozone I could and bought a code reader to get to the bottom of it. Was confused for quite awhile when the reader kept saying no codes.

At least it gave me an excuse to buy the reader, no excuse not to have that anyway.

 

My truck has 24k on it and recently came on for the second time since new. Not sure they are that trustworthy, haha.

 

Are you doing all your own maintenance? If not some mechanic could be resetting it.

 

How often are you changing oil? I run full synthetic dealer say 10,000 miles.

 

My 08 came on every 5k like it was supposed to as does my 15.