Maintenance Required Light on a Honda – Main Causes

Monitoring the dashboard lights while driving is necessary because they tell you if something is going wrong with your car. There’s a reason why a particular light comes on the dash. In this article, I’ll discuss Maintenance Required light on a Honda – leading causes.

One of the primary reasons your Honda Maintenance Required indicator light turns on your dash is your car’s computer. It is telling you that it’s time for your car to have an oil change. Also, this light will turn on according to the mileage your car has traveled since this light was last reset.

Generally, the purpose of this light is to remind you always to be mindful of your Honda car’s need for regular maintenance. So, when you see this light blinking on your dash, it needs some servicing. Typically, this light turns on every 5,000 miles.

Read on to learn more about why the Maintenance Required light of your Honda comes on, its meaning, and what you need to do if you see it flashing on your dash.

Maintenance Required Light on a Honda – Main Causes

Maintenance Required Light on a Honda

Safety Feature Signaling the Need for Oil Change

Your Honda car has many safety features to ensure you will always have a safe and comfortable drive every time you use it. One of these features is the Maintenance Required indicator light.

When something triggers this light, you will see it flashing on the dashboard of your Honda. One of the leading causes of why this light turns on is that it’s telling you it’s time for your car to change the oil. That’s one of the regular ‘maintenance required’ by your Honda.

Indicator of How Much Your Car Has Travelled

This indicator light will also activate according to your car’s accumulated miles since it was last reset.

Usually, this is every 5,000 miles of your car’s mileage. So, when you see this light on your dash, it means your Honda has already traveled more than 5,000 miles.

Time for a Regular Service or Preventive Maintenance

The said light might also turn on to remind you of your Honda’s regular service or preventive maintenance needs. Your Honda car requires regular servicing so you can operate it efficiently without significant problems.

Other Causes

However, not only the total mileage your car has traveled can activate this light. Your manner of driving or driving style also plays a part in triggering this light. Environmental factors and engine performance can also activate this light.

It’s not unusual for drivers to see this light on their dash more frequently than 5,000 miles if they usually drive on highways at fast speeds.

If you are a careful driver who does not exceed the speed limits on streets and highways, it is possible not to see this light even after driving your Honda past 5,000 miles, probably only after 7,500 miles.

Again, here are the three causes why the Maintenance Required light activates:

  • Your Honda is telling you that it’s time for an oil change.
  • Your car computer tells you your Honda has already traveled over 5,000 miles.
  • It reminds you that it’s time for regular servicing or preventive maintenance.

Benefits of Not Ignoring the Maintenance Required Light

  • Extend the service life of your Honda
  • Make your car more reliable and durable
  • Help you get the warranty coverage when you need it
  • Increase the resale value of your Honda

What Does It Mean When Maintenance Required Light Is On?

Activates Every 5,000-mile Interval of Driving

The main objective of your Honda’s Maintenance Required indicator light is to warn or remind you when it’s time for its regular servicing. The car manufacturer has incorporated this warning system into your Honda. It activates after every 5,000-mile interval of driving.

What Does It Mean When the Maintenance Required Light Flashes?

You will begin to see this light flashing on your dash each time you start your car when its odometer reading is already 4,500 miles. If you have previously reset this warning light, it will also show up again after 4,500 miles.

After traveling 500 miles more, this Maintenance Required light is solidly turned on. It will no longer blink, but it will stay on. This means you have already traveled more than 5,000 miles and must have your Honda serviced and get its required preventive maintenance.

You also need to know that this mileage reckoning depends on your driving style and your Honda car’s present condition. This indicator light can turn on even if you haven’t yet reached 5,000 miles or have gone over this mark.

Car Needs an Oil Change

For instance, this light will blink and stay on if your car engine needs an oil change. The quality of engine oil is not the same for every motor oil brand. It can also degrade faster on how you drive your car and the roads where you usually drive your Honda.

Car Reached the 60,000-mile Mark

There are also some cases where this light illuminates after your odometer reaches the 60,000-mile mark. When this light shows up on your dash at this time, it means your Honda car needs a major engine/car tune-up.

If this indicator light appears and you bring your car to a mechanic, they will perform the appropriate service and then reset this light.

You should then drive your Honda and be mindful of this light because it will blink again sometime in the future. Then you’ll have to bring it again to a mechanic for servicing.

Again, what does it mean when maintenance required light is on Honda? The maintenance required light reminds drivers to bring their cars to the mechanic for preventive maintenance, such as oil change inspection and filter replacement. Usually, this light is activated in 5,000-mile intervals.

Does Your Car Need Service?

maintenance required light on a honda civic

You do not need to worry about the Maintenance Required light. If you are religious about changing the engine oil and driving your car responsibly, there’s no need to worry. But if you are not, you have much to worry about.

Let’s say you are doing your part in keeping your Honda working efficiently. Then if you see this light flashing on your dash, all you need to do is to bring it to your trusted mechanic. Tell them when this light started to blink, and they will know what t o do.

You need, of course, to know what they usually do in such cases. And there’s not much complication in what they will do to your Honda to service it. The procedure for this kind of car service is called ‘preventive maintenance.’

What Does Preventive Maintenance Service on the Car Mean?

The services they will perform on your car are pretty straightforward. What are these car services? Usually, the services they will perform include the following:

1. Oil Change

The mechanic will change the engine oil. They also need to change the oil filter in changing the motor oil. Changing your oil with a car mechanic is better because they know what to do with the old engine oil.

They will not just dump it anywhere but bring it to an oil recycler so it will not pollute the environment.

2. Inspect All Engine and Car Fluids

The car mechanic may also check the condition of all the fluids present in your car. These fluids include the following:

  • Brake fluid,
  • Engine coolant, and
  • Transmission fluid.

If the fluids are not at their recommended levels, they will top them up. See our post on the transmission light.

3. Rotation of Tires

The car mechanic may also inspect your tires and check if they need to be rotated and balanced or if the wheels need to be aligned. Indeed, they will inspect the condition of all your tires and recommend which requires repair or replacement.

4. Multi-Point Inspection

If you ask for it, they can also perform a multi-point inspection. It is a kind of car preventive maintenance service wherein they will inspect the following:

  • Important engine parts
  • Engine air filter
  • Air conditioning and water hoses
  • All fluid levels
  • Battery condition
  • Drive belts

While it does not mean an emergency, when you see the Maintenance Required light on your dash, you should not take it lightly. You must schedule a preventive maintenance check with your trusted mechanic before your car develops a more severe problem.

Can You Drive With the Maintenance Required Light On?

maintenance required light on honda element

You can certainly drive your car with this light turned on. But if you see the Check Engine light activated, then it is safer to stop driving.

However, in the case of this Maintenance Required light, there is no immediate risk. While this is so, you should still strive to bring your car to a mechanic so they can perform the required preventive maintenance service that your Honda requires.

How Long Can You Drive with a Maintenance Light On?

The Maintenance Required light usually starts blinking when the odometer of your Honda approaches the 4,500-mile mark. It will continue to flash until the odometer reaches the 5,000-mile limit. After it exceeds the 5,000-mile mark, this light will no longer blink but stay solid.

That means you have a 500-mile distance to have your car serviced without worries. You can still drive it after you have gone over the 5,000-mile limit. But you are courting disaster if you drive your vehicle considerably longer than this distance.

Can You Ignore an Activated Maintenance Light?

You can ignore this light but be ready for the consequences. There will be adverse effects if you do it longer than is necessary.

For instance, if this light is turned on because your car needs an oil change, if you ignore this light, your engine will be adversely affected. There are other consequences if you miss this light for too long.

Is There a Way to Reset the Maintenance Required Light?

If you have already performed the required preventive maintenance on your Honda and this light keeps flashing on your dash, you can reset it. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Insert the key and turn on the ignition, but don’t start the car yet
  • Then turn the key to Off position
  • Reset the odometer by pressing its button on your dash
  • Turn the ignition to the On position again
  • Hold down the knob
  • The Maintenance Required light will turn off after about 10 to 15 seconds

Take a look at my article where I delve into the primary reasons behind the activation of the Maintenance Required Light on a Toyota.

In Closing

Among the primary reasons why your Honda’s Maintenance Required indicator light will come on is your car computer. It is telling you that it’s time to schedule an oil change. This indicator light turns on based on your car’s total mileage since its last reset.

The primary purpose of the Maintenance Required light is to remind you of the need to maintain your car regularly. If you see this light illuminated on your dash, it’s time for its regular service maintenance. Usually, this light will come on every 5,000 miles.