How to Reset the Maintenance Light on a Civic?
4 Answers
Steps to reset the maintenance light on a Civic: Turn on the Civic's power, repeatedly press the (Display/Info) button until "Maintenance" appears on the screen, then press the Enter button for about ten seconds to reset. Below is an introduction to car maintenance: 1. Maintenance content: Mainly includes the maintenance of the engine system, transmission system, air conditioning system, cooling system, fuel system, power steering system, etc. 2. Maintenance purpose: To keep the car clean and in normal technical condition, eliminate potential hazards, prevent faults, slow down the deterioration process, and extend the service life.
My tenth-gen Civic's maintenance light went off by itself last time, it was super simple: First, don't step on the brake, just press the start button to power on. Once you see the dashboard lights come on, locate the small scroll wheel on the left side of the steering wheel. Press and hold the center button without releasing for about 5 seconds until the oil life reset prompt appears on the dashboard. Then use the scroll wheel to select 'Yes' to confirm. The whole process takes just 15 seconds—just remember not to step on the brake to start the engine, powering on is enough. I learned this method from a car owners' group and succeeded on the third try—it's best to do this with the engine off. The procedure might vary for different model years; for ninth-gen Civics, I think you press the TRIP button on the dashboard. To be safe, it's always good to check the manual for specifics.
The maintenance light is a reminder to change the oil. You can manually reset it: Get in the car without pressing the brake, press the start button twice to turn on all dashboard lights, use the steering wheel controls to access the maintenance menu, and find the reset option to complete the process. However, I recommend changing the oil first before resetting. Last time, I drove for two weeks after the light came on before getting maintenance, and the oil was almost as black as soy sauce. The maintenance light is thoughtfully designed, but some people reset it directly to save trouble, which can easily damage the engine. If you're unsure about the button locations, searching for tutorial videos on Douyin is more intuitive than reading the manual.
I've owned my Civic for 5 years and encountered the maintenance light false alarm twice. Actually resetting it is super simple: With power on, press and hold the TRIP button on the instrument panel for 10 seconds, then release when you see the light flash - no need to start the engine during the whole process. Remember to begin with the key in OFF position. For newer models with touchscreens, it's even more convenient to reset through the settings menu. Before DIY, I recommend taking a photo of your instrument panel status to confirm with the 4S technician, to avoid triggering fault codes by mistake. By the way, operating when the car is cold yields better results, as electronic systems may respond slower when the engine is hot.
