Maintenance required

Hi Dave and :welcome:to Priuschat. Yes you're correct - based on when the maintenance required light was reset light was reset last time it is time for you next maintenance. If you look it your maintenance manual the recommended service interval is every 5K miles. The maintenance manual will spell out what is required or you can check on-line by going to Toyota / dealership's web-site ....maintenance schedule ... follow instructions on the screen:
Toyota Parts and Service
Not sure if you're late for your 45K or early for 50K (likely the former), but your dealer should be able to tell you from their on-line records (assuming service was done at one of the Toyota dealers).

Enjoy your Prius experience,

 

Hi -

I'm new to Prius and new to being a car owner in general. My "Maintenance Req" light came on today. Does that just mean I'm approaching a pre-set mileage milestone at which it's recommended to get maintenance - or does it mean that something is actually wrong with the car? I'm approaching 28,000 miles, and there is a convenient sticker on my windshield telling me to get an oil change at 28k....

Thanks!

Caroline

 

The Maintenance Required light comes on approximately every 5000 miles. It doesn't mean anything is wrong with your car. Just means that you're approaching the mileage mark for when some maintenance (usually it's an oil change, some visual inspections, tire rotation) is required according to your maintenance manual/schedule. Check your maintenance manual/schedule for details. If you don't have a maintenance manual, you can get the maintenance schedule for your car from edmunds.com (among other places) or by registering your car with ToyotaOwnersOnline.com http://www.toyotaownersonline.com/

Note that if you do your own service, you can shut off the Maintenance Required light. Instructions are in the Owner's Manual.

 

It's just a mileage meter. It doesn't know anything about what the car needs.

A more direct link to Toyota's service schedules is
Toyota Parts and Service
Note what is listed there and when it says to do it (miles or months, whichever comes first). Print out the appropriate list and hand it to the service writer at a dealer. Tell them to do that stuff and nothing else. *Don't* let a dealer sell you their own "X months/Y miles service package". They are always packed with overpriced unnecessary stuff.

The 28,000 miles sticker was almost certainly placed there 3,000 miles ago, but the car only needs oil every 5,000 miles or six months. For Toyota's (not a dealer's!) recommended 30K miles service you should pay not much more than $100. You can save money by buying and installing new cabin air filter and engine air filter yourself. They're easy to do. Just don't put them in backwards/upside down. We can also talk about tire rotation... but those are finer points that you don't have to worry about if you don't want to.

If you don't have the correct Owner's Manual, buy one, either online or from a dealer. It's filled with info you need to know.

 

I'm 250mi short of oil change interval, the light came on 100mi ago. I can't not look at it!!

Gonna wait till I get the 400mi back to SoCal to do the oil change. #yolo hahah

 

The only thing I would ADD to Toyota's recommended services is a Transaxle ATF (with Toyota ATF WS) fluid change.
Once at 30,000 miles, then every 60,000 miles (should be near $100 at a dealer, about $40 in parts if you DIY)

 

Just got an oil change on my prius and maint. Required light is still on.

 

welcome!
the directions for turning it off are in the owners manual.

 

Whomever changed the oil should have also reset the light for you.
The process is in the book but it is a bit tricky.