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Use these quick and easy steps to get rid of that pesky oil light
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With your oil freshly changed, you excitedly get in your car to take it for a spin. But when you turn your car on, the change oil light is still beaming up at you from the dashboard. You might think that resetting the light is a difficult process, but for most cars it’s super easy and takes just a couple seconds! In this article, we’ll go over the steps you need to take to get rid of your change oil light for the most common car makes and models. These methods are split between cars that have a Vehicle Information Center (VIC) display, and those that don’t. Cars with a VIC have an interactive, electronic display on their dashboard or center console that is controlled by arrow buttons on the steering wheel or center console.
Things You Should Know
- When resetting your oil light, turn your keys over in the ignition twice so your car has power and is in the “Run” or “II” position. Do not start your car’s engine.
- If your car has an electronic VIC display on the dashboard, use the center console or wheel buttons to reset the oil light on the dashboard.
- For Chevys and GMCs without a VIC, press the gas pedal down 3 times to reset the light. For Fords, hold both the gas and brake pedals down.
- For Hondas and Toyotas without a VIC, press and hold the “Trip” button on the dashboard.
Steps
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Start your car so the power comes on, but do not turn on the engine. Turn your keys in the ignition twice, or press the “Start/Stop” button twice, so the power and dashboard lights come on. When your car is in this position, its engine is completely off. [1] X Research source
- This method works for most Chevys and GMCs built after 2006 that also have a VIC.
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Use the center console to change the dashboard to “Remaining Oil Life.” Find your car’s “Vehicle Info” buttons on the center console. This is where your radio display screen and temperature dials are located. Simply press the “Menu” button until your dashboard reads “Remaining Oil Life.” [2] X Research source
- Your car’s button titles and dashboard dialogue might be slightly different.
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Press “Set/Clr” and select “Yes” to reset the oil light. When you push the “Set/Clr” button on the center console, the dashboard should display a message asking you if you want to reset the oil life. Just use the arrow keys to select “Yes.” Your oil life should be set back to 100%! [3] X Research source
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Turn on your car’s power without starting the engine. Whether you’re turning the key in the ignition or pressing the “Start/Stop button,” make sure that only your car’s power is turned on. To do this, turn your ignition to “Run” or “II.” [4] X Research source
- This reset method generally works for Hondas built after 2007.
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Push “Settings,” “Vehicle,” then “Maintenance Info” on your center console. With this method, you simply have to use your car’s display to reset your oil. Just select “Home” on your center console and find the “Settings” option. Press “Vehicle” and scroll down to “Maintenance Info.” [5] X Research source
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Select “Reset Items,” find “Engine Oil,” and click “Reset.” Finishing up the reset process is just as easy. Press “Reset Items” and scroll until you see “Engine Oil.” Simply click “Reset” and your car will update your oil life to 100%. [6] X Research source
- For models like the Accord, use the buttons on the wheel to navigate a similar process. Press “Home” on the wheel and scroll until you see “Maintenance” on the dashboard. Press the scroll button to see “Oil Life.” Then, press the button again and scroll to “Item A Only.” Press the button and your car is reset back to 100%. [7] X Research source
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Start up your car’s power, but do not start the engine. Turn your car on so its running power, but make sure the engine doesn’t start. This is usually when you turn the key in the ignition twice, or press the “Start/Stop” button twice with your feet off the brake. [8] X Research source
- This reset method typically works for Fords built in 2014 and after, Jeeps made in 2018 and after, and Dodges built in 2015 and after.
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Using the wheel buttons, find “Settings” then “Vehicle” on the dashboard. On your wheel are arrows and an “OK” button. Use the arrows to scroll and find “Settings” on your dashboard. Then, select “Vehicle.” [9] X Research source
- For Jeep and Dodge vehicles, simply scroll down to “Vehicle Info.”
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Scroll to “Oil Life” then hold “OK” to reset the oil light. Use the arrow buttons to find the “Oil Life” tab on the dashboard. Then, simply push and hold the “OK” button. After a second, your car should change your oil life back to 100% and reset the warning light. [10] X Research source
- For Dodge vehicles, press and hold the right arrow button.
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Turn your car’s power on, but do not start the car. Put your key in the ignition and turn it twice. This starts your car so the electricity is on, but the engine is not running. You should see the lights on your dashboard light up and your car radio turn on. [11] X Research source
- This method generally works for Chevy and GMC cars made between 1999 to 2006, Chevy 2500s built between 2006 and 2013, Dodge’s from 2008 to 2019, and Jeeps’ built between 2007 to 2017.
- For cars with a “Start/Stop” button, keep your foot off the brake pedal and press the button twice.
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Press the gas pedal down 3 times. To reset your oil light, simply pump your gas pedal down to the floor 3 times, pausing briefly between each pump. Depending on your car’s model and year, you might see a message on your dash telling you the light is reset. [12] X Research source
- For Dodge and Jeep vehicles, make sure to pump the gas pedal within 10 seconds of starting the car. [13] X Research source
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Turn your car off then all the way on, starting the engine. To make sure your oil light is fully reset, turn your keys all the way over to start your car. After a few seconds, your reset oil light should turn off. [14] X Research source
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Turn your car’s power on without starting the engine. Put your keys into the ignition and turn them over twice so your car’s power starts. If you have a “Start/Stop” button, just press it twice while leaving your foot off the brake. Do not turn your car keys all the way over to turn the engine on. [15] X Research source
- This method works for most Honda models that don’t have a VIC.
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Press the “Trip” button on the dashboard to toggle to “Oil Life.” Find the long “Trip” button emerging from the dashboard; depending on your car, it might be towards the left or right. Press the button until the message on your dashboard reads “Oil Life.” [16] X Research source
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Hold the “Trip” button down until “Oil Life” starts blinking. To get the reset process initiated, simply press down on the “Trip” knob and hold. Keep holding the button until the “Oil Life” message starts flashing. [17] X Research source
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Release the button, then press it down again until the percentage resets. When the “Oil Life” message starts blinking, take your finger off the button. Then, quickly press it down again. Hold it until the “Oil Life” message stops blinking and reads “100%.” [18] X Research source
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Start up the power in your car, but do not start the engine. When you reset your oil light, your car’s power needs to be on. Turn your key in the ignition twice, or press on the “Start/Stop” button twice without your foot on the brake. In this mode, your engine is not running. [19] X Research source
- This method generally works for Fords made in 2011 and after without a VIC.
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Start the reset by pressing on the gas and brake pedal at the same time. Push the gas pedal all the way down to the floor, then press the brake pedal down. After several seconds, a message on your dashboard should pop up and read “Service: Oil Reset in Progress.” [20] X Research source
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Continue holding down the pedals until you see “Reset Complete.” Keep your feet pressing down on both pedals. After about 20 seconds, the progress message should disappear and be replaced with “Service: Oil Reset Complete.” Take your feet off the pedals and the oil light should disappear, too! [21] X Research source
- For models like the Explorer, you might use the trip reset button instead. Hold the button down until you see a “System Recheck” message. Press the button until you reach “Oil Life.” Push and hold the button until you’ve changed the percentage to 100. Press the button again, hold it, and cycle back to “Oil Life.” Hold the button until you see “Oil Change Required” then hold again when you see “Hold Reset.” After you hold, the reset should stick! [22] X Research source
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Turn your car’s power on and change your dashboard to “Trip A.” Whether you have a set of keys or a “Start/Stop button,” switch your car on so the power’s running but the engine isn’t. Then, find your “Trip” or “Odometer” button on the dashboard. Press it until your dashboard reads “Trip A.” [23] X Research source
- This method works for most Toyotas built after 2006.
- Camrys made between 2002 to 2006 might use the “ODO” dashboard setting instead of “Trip A.” Check your car’s manual to make sure you’re using the right setting. [24] X Research source
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Turn your car off, hold the “Trip” button, and turn the power back on. Switch your car off. Then, press and hold the “Trip” button. Turn your ignition back on so only the car’s power is running. You should see a message that your car is resetting the maintenance data. [25] X Research source
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Hold your finger on the “Trip” button until the reset is complete. Once the “Resetting Maintenance Data” message leaves your dashboard, take your finger off the button. If you want to double check that your light turned off, just start your car! [26] X Research source
- For models like the Tacoma, you might see 4 little stars in the bottom right corner of the dashboard. Just wait for them to disappear before taking your finger off the “Trip” button. [27] X Research source
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References
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