It's in the owner's manual. Really hard to find. After having to search for it almost page by page twice, I wrote in the index exactly where it was. In addition at other pages where it would seem more obvious to put it, I put the page number of the instructions.

 

I fixed that problem permanently. It took a lot of work.

First, I used a lighted cigarette to the carpet. The engine roared but the computer refused to change.

Then I brought an old Windows ME system CD and forced it into the GPS slot. The GPS displayed disgusting words in Japanese.

Then I slowly choked the oxygen supply to the engine while pushing the gas pedal to the floor. The horn blared loudly but the computer still would not change.

I then poured oil in the gas tank and window wash fluid into the oil while simultaneously slowly emptying all the tires of air. Got a lot of belching but still the message would not go away.

In desperation, I attached a charger to the 12V battery so it could not run down and filled the CD changer with Barry Manilow songs. Turned the volume to max, turned on voice recognition closed the garage door and left it that way for 3 days.

When I got back, the message was gone, the car worked as I expected and even the voice recognition system listened to my commands.

 

As for the washer fluid, do you have some pint, quart, half-liter or one liter water bottles rolling around in the car? Pour the rest of the water in the washer fluid bottle.....problem solved.

As for pulling fuses or disconnecting the battery that will NOT clear any code in a modern car's computers. NOT recommended...at all! You may, however, screw up your car's remote, your radio presets and any phone numbers you have stored in the nav's bluetooth memory. If you want to know how to reset the "maint req'd soon" light, have you checked in your owner's manual?

 

When that message is displayed, it means that you really should get your oil changed "now", not just think about maybe doing it sometime soon. Oil changes take 20 minutes or so. But, it is helpful to know how to reset it, because the technician who does the oil change sometimes forgets. Just remember to do this after you get the oil changed, not instead of getting the oil changed.

1. Set your odometer display to "Trip A."
2. Turn your car off.
3. Push the odometer button (from Step 1) again and hold it during Steps 4 and 5.
4. Turn your car on.
5. Wait a few seconds while 5 indicators in your display screen cycle on.
6. Your display will tell you that the maintenance warning reset is complete.

 

It's in the manual, but almost impossible to find.

1: With the ignition on, set the odometer display to "Trip A".

2: Turn off the ignition, and wait for everything to shut down.

3: While holding the odometer selector button in, turn the ignition back on.

4: Keep holding the odometer button in. You will start to see a bar graph in the odo display area counting down the erasure.

5: When the bar graph is complete, a message will appear saying that the reset was successful. At this point you can release the odo button and drive away.

6: Note that this does reset the "Trip A" counter back to 0.

EDIT: Dang, you're fast, Steve (or I'm slow).

 

While the need to add or change fluids may be obvious to us, the lights are very helpful for some.

Someone who I know very, very well bought her first new car a few decades ago BS (Before Scooters) . Her 3 year old Monte Carlo looked like a mosquito smoker when we met. I asked her when she last changed the oil.... she replied, "Why? The oil light never came on."

The lights are a PITA for most of us, but, at least the oil change light, is a necessary evil. I'm sure with the light oil, many engines would be ruined (warranty costs would soar and badwill would go through the roof) if they didn't have the idiot light.

 

Have any of you thought to check the fluids under the hood at least once a month or so? It only takes a minute or two to check the brake fluid, engine coolant, hybrid system coolant, engine oil and washer fluid levels. Add in a quick visual check of the one belt the engine has and see if you can find any leaks or something out of place and you can eliminate most of these problems. At the same time, check the air in the tires and do a quick walk around to make sure all of the headlights, tail lights, turn signals and side marker lights are working.

READ your manual (they put them in the car for a reason) and most of these questions can be answered yourself and that knowledge and effort will reward you by not having to sit on the side of the road someday. Maintaining a car does not take a lot of effort or knowledge of how a car works but will go a longs ways in keeping you happy with it.