2010 toyota corolla maintenance required light flashing

• Home

  Table of Contents Show

  • Browse More Content
  • Don't Panic
  • "Maintenance Required" vs. "Check Engine"
  • Read More from AxleAddict
  • How to Reset the Maintenance Light
  • Why Should I Reset the Maintenance Button Manually?
  • Why did my maintenance required light flash?
  • What does the maintenance required light mean on a 2010 Toyota Corolla?
  • Why does my maintenance required light flashing then stops?
  • What does it mean when my maintenance required light flashes 8 times?

• Questions

• Why is the maintenance required light flashing when I start my car?

Every time I turn on my car, the maintenance light flashes on and off for about five seconds, and I can’t find my owner's manual to check what the light is telling me. Why is the maintenance required light flashing when I start my car?

Having a warning light flashing on your dashboard can cause some uneasiness if you’re not sure what the light means. Thankfully, it isn’t usually something you need to panic about.

In general, a flashing maintenance light is your vehicle’s way of alerting you that you’ll need to take your car in for service soon. The light is designed to illuminate at preset intervals to remind drivers that it may be time for an oil change or a tuneup.

When the light first begins flashing, you have about 500 miles before you need to have your car serviced. When the time for service has come, your maintenance light will alert you by coming on and staying on.

For answers to all of your maintenance questions, download the insurance expert super app Jerry.

Jerry is a car insurance super app that can find you savings on policies in just 45 seconds! Jerry will compare quotes from the nation’s top providers to find you the best deals and can even cancel your existing policy if you decide to make the switch!

WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY

Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

Browse More Content

Insurance in Your State

What others are asking

Read advice from car experts at Jerry

Browse by topics

Car Insurance by Make

Car Insurance by State

I've worked in a variety of hands-on professions and love to write about topics that can save readers from needless expenses.

The maintenance required light may being flashing 500 miles before your car is due for service.

Don't Panic

My car is getting to the age where a lot of lights are coming on and flashing, most notably the maintenance light. When I start the car, it will flash on and off for five seconds and then turn off again. I did a little research in my handy owner's manual and found out that the flashing maintenance light is nothing to panic over. It's basically just telling you that your car will need some kind of scheduled service soon. It could be an oil change, a tuneup, or maybe you need a new timing belt.

When the light begins to flash at startup, you have about 500 miles or so to go before the next scheduled service. After that, the light will generally come on and stay on, letting you know that the time for maintenance has come.

Depending on your vehicle, the maintenance light will be activated at different mileage points. Sometimes the maintenance light will come on every few thousand miles to let you know it's time for an oil change. Sometimes it will only come on at 60,000-mile intervals or some very large number like that to let you know that you need a major tuneup.

"Maintenance Required" vs. "Check Engine"

The "maintenance required" light is not to be confused with the "check engine" light. The picture at the top of this article shows your standard "maintenance required" light; the pictures below show standard "check engine" lights.

The "check engine" light is generally a much more serious warning than your maintenance light. The "check engine" light doesn't come on at preset intervals as the maintenance light does; it will only come on if your engine or car is experiencing a serious problem. If your "check engine" light comes on, go immediately to a mechanic for diagnostics. The mechanic should be able to plug in a reader which will tell them the reason why the light has come on.

How to Reset the Maintenance Light

Getting the "maintenance required" light to turn off is generally something you'll have to have the mechanic do. However, on most vehicles, you can manually turn it off yourself.

On some vehicles, you'll have to go through a sequence, like holding down the odometer button while turning off the car, waiting five seconds, turning the car on again, and releasing the odometer button. The sequences of actions that turn off your maintenance required light, as well as your check engine light, will be different depending on your vehicle.

You can usually find the sequence in your owner's manual. If you don't have one, you should be able to find out what the sequence is by typing a search phrase into Google including the make, model, and year of your car. For example, "How to reset the maintenance required light Honda Accord 2000."

Why Should I Reset the Maintenance Button Manually?

Do so at your own risk, but resetting your maintenance light manually can be preferable to leaving it on. Why is that? Because no one wants to drive a vehicle around with a warning light staring them in the face.

If you know the reason your maintenance required light has come on, and you don't find it necessary yet to take the vehicle in for maintenance, you might want to manually reset it. For example, some cars light up after only 3,000 miles from your last oil change. Drivers who use high-grade oil like pure synthetic don't need to go in every 3,000 miles for an oil change. The light is annoying, but, as I said, shut it off at your own risk.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

Why did my maintenance required light flash?

What does the maintenance required light mean on a 2010 Toyota Corolla?

Why does my maintenance required light flashing then stops?

What does it mean when my maintenance required light flashes 8 times?