Hi all, I have an '04 HCH CVT with 8551 miles. Noticed today the Maintenance Req'd light is blinking at me for 20-30 seconds after start. Is this normal? Is it telling me I'm past due for an oil change or something? Changed oil at 5000 miles, so I'm not overdue!

How do I reset this thing?

 

^ this was from another thread in this same category - called "how to reset maintenance required light"

i have an '04 civic hybrid too, and the light flashed for 20-30 seconds too when i hit 8000 miles. this is standard protocol for the car - it will flash at engine startup for 20 seconds or so between 8000-10,000 miles after every time the maintenance required light is reset, reminding you to bring in your car in again to your honda dealer (so they can make lots of money). ignore this light until 9000 miles or more, then schedule an oil change with your dealer. - dont be caught up by their money-making strategies

if you read the manual, it recommends for "standard maintenance schedule" to have hch oil changes every 10,000 miles, which is exactly what i followed. i brought my car in at around 9900 miles for oil change and service. the car was operating just fine up to this point.

however, if you fall under the "severe maintanence schedule," your 5000 mile oil change interval makes sense, as noted in the manual. My guess is that you can try to reset the maintanence required light after you change oil every 5000 miles, even if it hasn't turned on. that way, you dont have to see that annoying blinking light later.

my dealer offers me every other oil change free, on the contingency that i follow their prescribed schedule of oil changes every 3200 miles. this is bogus advertising - i'm simply going to take advantage of it and get their oil changes 3200 miles every time after i've paid my 10,000 mile services. i hope they won't catch on

 

Thanks for the reply. I'll go reset the idiot light now. My dealer offers free oil changes and free tires for life as long as I follow their maintenance schedule of 5000 mile intervals. I'll play along until the first time they try to rip me off, then I'll start doing my own oil changes as I do on my other vehicles.

Love this forum!

 

that's a good deal from your dealer

just a sidenote about changing oil yourself though - the hch has an additional underbody cover for aerodynamics purposes - which is somewhat difficult to take off, as i've read in some other threads. probably after the first time, though, you'll get used to it and be able to change it just as quickly as for other cars.