The maintenance light for your Honda Civic is meant to illuminate and gently remind the driver that the vehicle is in need of an engine oil change. In principle it’s a great system to let people know that it’s about that time. In execution however it can cause problems or just be a general annoyance for those people who just want to drive their car.
Instead of focusing on one model of the Honda Civic, we’ll be covering the entire range of Honda Civics in our how to reset your Honda Civic Maintenance Light article.
For Honda Civics in the year ranges from 1982 to 1994 are all similar in their ways of how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light. This OBDO or OBDI Honda Civic either does not have this maintenance reminder, or will exhibit a small keyhole in the cluster bezel in the lower right hand corner.
To reset your maintenance light for your SOHC Honda Civic of this year range, simply insert your key until the light window changes from red to green. Because most of these Civics from years ; 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989 do not have this maintenance light. As well as the Honda Civics from 1992-1995 in non VTEC form, so it narrows it down quite a bit for you.
Push in the key to reset this maintenance light, it will change from red to green and now you know how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light in this year range.
How To Reset Your Honda Civic Maintenance Light for your Honda Civic EK from years: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Locate the reset button on your instrument cluster as a first step on how to reset your Honda Civic Maintenance Light. Then turn off your engine and depress this dial button. While holding this button down turn the key to the “ON” position and continue to hold the button down.
Once your maintenance light starts to blink and reset, you have successfully reset your maintenance light. Start your engine up and wait until it warms up to ensure that your maintenance light has gone away. You can then reset your indicator box in the instrument display by inserting your ignition key into the small slot located next to the box.
The act of pushing the ignition key in will urn the indicator light green, and that’s it you know How To Reset Your Honda Civic Maintenance Light for your EK Civic.
How To Reset Your Honda Civic Maintenance Light for your Honda Civic EP from years: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. The seventh generation Honda Civic was a tad less popular than it’s previous counterparts, but it came with a new DOHC VTEC motor in the K series.
Much like the EK Civic, you will want to turn off your Honda Civic and depress the select/reset trip button located on the cluster. Again, while holding this button down, insert the key and turn the car to the “ON” position.
Keep the reset trip button depressed until the maintenance light begins to blink, this is how you know your Honda Civic maintenance light has been reset. To make sure you followed the how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light procedure correctly, turn your car on now. Your maintenance light should be a thing of the past, and you are now ready to drive without the annoyance of the light.
How To Reset Your Honda Civic Maintenance Light for your Honda Civic FA, FD from years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Becoming a much larger and less econobox like car was Honda’s main objective and it’s fair to say they succeeded. Distancing themselves from the boy racer image of old, Honda’s new lineup of FA and FD Civics breathed new life into the brand.
Locate the select / reset trip button and push it until the instrument cluster displays the oil life indicator value. This value is a ECU generated value that is determined from a variety of Honda specified values and distances. To learn how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light, follow the steps below :
Insert your key and turn your car to the “ON” position, but do not start the car. Press this sel/reset button until the ECU generated oil life value is shown. Now press and hold that sel/reset button for about 10-15 seconds until the readout on your instrument cluster begins to flash.
It shouldn’t take more than a few tries for you to know how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light, but on this car it can be tricky. Remember the screen that shows up before the oil indicator and that should help you prepare to hold down the sel/reset button in the right manner.
Now turn your car on and your oil indicator value should read 100, giving you the go ahead to drive without annoyances.
You now know how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light, but keep in mind this is only the change oil indicator. This how to reset your Honda Civic maintenance light article is not your airbag light, check engine light, or inspection key light. If you have a check engine light present, use our search box to search for your DTC OBDII trouble code in question.
Have any questions or comments? Leave them below and let us know!
thank you very much
You are welcome Manuel! Thanks for commenting on our Honda Civic Maintenance Light guide and glad it came in handy!
How to reset or remove the wrench warning light or throttle warning light for a honda civic model 2006…the car is operating normally but only the wrench light indicator showing…thanks
Hi Nadray, that’s the maintenance light that you see in your Honda Civic. Just follow our directions on how to reset your Honda maintenance light to get rid of it. Clearing your service light is very simple and easy to do.
Is there an alternate method for the 2005 Civic? The normal reset mode is broken. Can it be cleared by an OBD code clearance? Thanks in advance
Hi Adam, thanks for reading.
This procedure should clear the maintenance code in your 2005 Civic. Clearing the light using a OBDII scan tool won’t usually do the trick, especially in a Honda.
How is the normal reset mode broken? is there something wrong with your reset button?
Sorry… It is a 2002 Civic. The reset button itself does not work. I have been ignoring it but it freaks others out who drive it thinking it is something wrong (or there is something wrong with me since the light is on!).
Ah that makes sense, yeah if the button is broken you might just be better off replacing it or finding a replacement at a junkyard! Unless you have a complicated datalogger directly from Honda there’s no way to clear the maintenance light, most of the traditional OBDII scan tools like the ones found here :
http://prostreetonline.com/collections/obdii-scan-tools
won’t work.. sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Thanks for the info
Hi,
Is the ‘check engine light’ on a Civic 2003 the same thing as the maintenance light as mentioned in your article?
My check engine light has been on for a while and wondering how to turn it off?
Thanks
Hi Mo, no the check engine light is not the same. Check here for what is what in your Civic :
http://my.prostreetonline.com/2016/01/24/service-light-on-how-to-clear/
As far as how to erase or clear your OBDII check engine light, you’ll need a OBDII scan tool. Find the best here :
http://www.prostreetonline.com/collections/obdii-scan-tools
Thanks for commenting! Let us know how it turns out!
thank you guys for this maint reqd light reset guide!
Hi Kenneth! Thanks for reading!