How do you reset the maintenance light on a 2004 Toyota RAV4?

Answer 1

For my 2006 Rav4, it has changed just a bit. The technique is the same, however, you apply it to the Trip A odometer instead of the actual mileage odometer.

I ran into the same problem with our '04 Toyota Rav4. I came across this website on reset the light. It mentions that "it may result in damage to your car's engine." How, I don't know. I'm thinking about trying to reset it as shown on this website, not sure yet. See for yourself. Cut and paste this link into your browser. Let me know what you think. Please reply.

http://24.228.55.27:3979/users/rilardi/toyota_reset.htm

This answer really is no help at all - go back to another poster's question "How do you reset the "Maintenance Required light on a 2004 Rav4" and you get the directions that work - they worked for me! Just continue to keep the odometer button pushed in until the light resets.

Turn ignition to the on position, depress the odometer selection button until it reads the total mileage. Then turn ignition off, whilst in off position depress odo button again, whilst maintaining button depressed turn ignition to the on position, the mileage will then change to read ------, then count down to -, then 000000, then back to the driven mileage. The light should then be extinguished. Refer to handbook pages 114-117.

Go to your Toyota dealership to avoid problems later on. You never know if you try to do it yourself and you end up making the situation worse. Let them look it over and reset it for you if necessary. That way, if they mess up they have to fix it.

Work for the Toyota Corolla 2005 as well. I reset the Maintenance Required light on my car by following the same instructions on this website for the RAV4. Turn ignition on to see odometer reading, set odometer to actual mileage, turn ignition off, depress odometer button and hold it while turning ignition on again. It will reset to 00000 and then to actual mileage. Maintenance required light will go off.

The maintenance light is really just an, as my dad calls them, "idiot light". It's meant to go off every 5,000 miles, and is a prompt to get your oil changed. If you have the oil changed somewhere besides the dealer, they probably won't remember to reset the light. (And the dealer doesn't always remember either, but if THEY don't, I bring it back and make them reset it just because they should know better, dag nab it!) If you record the mileage when you reset it, you'll see that it starts flashing a couple of hundred miles before the 5,000 mile marker, and then stays lit once you've hit 5,000 miles. My understanding is that it is NOT tied to any system, the way the check engine light is.

This method also works for 2009 Toyota Corolla (I have the S type). The way I did what by selecting the Trip A or 1, not the ODO (or total number of miles). But after this procedure the light is gone. My understanding is that this light is only to remind the driver that the oil change is due. I think most of the drivers do not need these type of annoying reminders.