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"OIL MAINTENANCE REQUIRED" warning on dash...why?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by CanyonKid, Feb 9, 2013.

  1. CanyonKid

    CanyonKid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2012
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    I bought a 2010 Prius in November with 32,600 miles. The car is absolutely wonderful and runs perfectly...I love this car almost as much as my all time fave car I've owned, a Saab 900 Turbo SPG. When I bought it ,it just came off lease, and had perfect Carfax.

    I registered online at Toyota.com and the car had every single service required, right up to 0W-20 oil change at 29,815 miles. Bought from Rusnak in Pasadena, a high end dealer with as far as I know an immaculate reputation, and was told by the salesman that they change the oil of every car they sell, so it would have also gotten the oil changed again 2800 miles after the Toyota dealer did it. I bought it on Thanksgiving weekend, so just to be sure, I went back and talked to the head mechanic, who confirmed they put in fresh 0W-20.
    Last week, I started getting a warning "oil maintenance needed soon" on the dashboard when I started the car...it now has 36,500 miles on it. Only either just over 6000 miles or less than 4000 miles after one or the other recent oil changes. Yesterday a warning popped up: OIL MAINTENANCE REQUIRED, which covers the entire area where the display is that shows the mpg, and assorted "modes" the car is running in. The warning only goes away if I click the display mode button on the steering wheel.

    So...is this normal? Seems like I don't need to change the oil until 39,000 to 42,000 miles,depending on if I believe the Rusnak mechaninc. Or is this like a "low oil" warning or something? Haven't checked the oil level because it was storming down rain here in LA and I have to park outside.

    Thanks in advance for any help!
     
    #1 CanyonKid, Feb 9, 2013
  2. peterjmc

    peterjmc Ping pong in Ding Dang...

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    The oil change light comes on every 5,000 miles. Toyota has officially changed the oil change interval (OCI) to every 10,000 miles. You should change your oil more frequently if the driving conditions and driving environment would require it. See the vehicle maintenance schedule to read how Toyota defines these conditions.

    It is normal for the oil change light to come on every 5,000 miles. All you need to do is clear the message. It's a pain and unfortunately Toyota or the dealer can't change the setting.

    Off the top of my head I don't recall the exact combination of buttons to press to reset it. It involves you pushing the power button and the Kmph/Mph buttons at the same time. You can find the proper procedure in the vehicle user manual.
     
    #2 peterjmc, Feb 9, 2013
  3. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Put the car odometer on the main setting (total miles on vehicle) Turn off car... Now while holding down Miles/Kilometer switch down start your car (can't remember if you keep your foot on the brake when you start or not? Maybe it works both ways?). What you will see is your main odometer will go blank for a moment on start up and then the oil service light will go out. Now restart you car and you're good to go!

    Also here's the same process written here: HOWTO: Resetting the Oil Maintenance Required indicator | PriusChat
     
    #3 PriusCamper, Feb 9, 2013
  4. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    Vehicle:
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    Plug-in Base
    Even if you don't need to change the oil. Tha owner's manual recommends inspections and tire rotations every 5k miles.
     
    #4 mmmodem, Feb 9, 2013
  5. CanyonKid

    CanyonKid Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Thanks guys! Dealer put new or near new tires on the car when I bought it, although they're not all the same, Sumitomos up front and Yokohama Avids on rear. But tons of tread on them.
     
    #5 CanyonKid, Feb 9, 2013
  6. rico567

    rico567 Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
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    N/A
    Extended OCIs are becoming more common in a lot of vehicles because modern engines and lubricants will do fine with that. I grew up watching people have to change the non-detergent oil in their 1938 Pontiacs every thousand miles. Much of the anecdotal material on car forums harks back to such "legacy" machinery and lubricants.
    The ONLY way to determine how long an oil will last in an engine is a UOA (used oil analysis), not how often someone "feels" it should be done. And if you want to do it every 3K "to be on the safe side," well, it's your money.
    The best place to learn about OCIs is BITOG (Bob Is The Oil Guy). You will find UOAs there on all sorts of vehicle / engine combinations- including Prius. Toyota recommends a 10K OCI because, well, it'll go that far.
     
    #6 rico567, Feb 9, 2013
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