How to Reset the Maintenance Light on a Toyota Prius: 5 Easy Steps
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Shea Cummings
- Last updated:
There was a time when a vehicle needed to be brought to a dealer or other qualified professional to reset the maintenance light (if it even had one). Fortunately, as vehicle technology has improved, so have quality-of-life improvements like being able to reset your own oil change light.
Most vehicles have a similar process to reset the light, even between brands. This article looks at the latest three generations of Prius dating back to the early 2000s. Each of them is more or less the same, with a few small differences and different places to look for the buttons.
The 5 Steps on How to Reset the Maintenance Light on a Toyota Prius
2016 to Current
- Turn the car to its accessory mode by pushing the start button without your foot on the brake. Select the settings icon (little gear) by scrolling through the on-screen menu.
- Navigate to the vehicle settings button (depicted by a car and gear) and press the enter on your steering wheel controls.
- Navigate to the maintenance system button and select it with the enter button on the steering wheel controls.
- Navigate to the oil maintenance button and select it in the same way as the others.
- The on-screen prompt will ask if you want to reset it. Select yes with the steering wheel controls, and the alert will reset to its factory setting
2010 to 2015
- Turn your vehicle to its accessory mode by pressing the start button twice without applying the brake.
- Press the trip button on your steering wheel until the screen in the dash shows trip A. You’ll likely have to cycle through several trips to get there.
- Turn the car off by pressing the start button once.
- Hold down the km/h MPH button and turn on its accessory mode, as you did in step one.
- Keep holding that button down until the system resets. The maintenance light goes out after approximately three long beeps.
2004 to 2009
- Put your car in accessory mode by pressing the power button without pushing the brake down.
- Cycle through trips and mileage by pushing the ODO/Trip button near the center of your dash.
- Once your dash reads mileage (not trip A or B), turn your car off by pressing the start button once.
- Press and hold the ODO/Trip button again (do not let go), then turn the vehicle to its accessory mode, like in step one.
- Hold the ODO/Trip button until the dash reads “000000” for the mileage. The maintenance light is reset.
Performing Oil Changes When it’s Necessary
It’s a good idea to reset the light as soon as you get the oil changed. The technician performing your oil change will do it for you in many cases. But even if you change the oil yourself, you should reset the light.
Oil quality has improved greatly over the years, and it’s typically not a big deal if you go a little longer than the factory recommendations, provided you’re using high-quality motor oil. However, it’s good to stick to the recommended schedule as closely as possible. This is especially true if you have warranty coverage on the car. Some manufacturers might not honor certain warranties if the recommended services were not performed.
Conclusion
Leaving the maintenance light on your vehicle’s dash won’t hurt your vehicle. However, if it is not reset, it’s much easier to forget when your vehicle is due for its next service. In some cases, the dealer or oil change place will put a sticker on your window, but not always. So, it is best not to rely on that when your Toyota Prius has a built-in way to let you know it is time for an oil change.
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Featured Image Credit: Photoman, Pixabay
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