Maintaining your Honda Civic is essential to keep it running smoothly, and one crucial aspect of that is timely oil changes. After an oil change, the oil light or maintenance light needs to be reset so the system can track the next interval for an oil change. If you own a 2018 Honda Civic and need to reset the oil light, this step-by-step guide will show you how to do it easily.
Why Resetting the Oil Light Is Important
The Purpose of the Oil Light
The oil light in your Honda Civic is part of the Maintenance Minder system, which monitors the vehicle’s oil life. It alerts you when the oil needs changing based on how much the engine has been used, rather than relying solely on mileage. The system helps extend the life of your engine by prompting you for oil changes when necessary.
What Happens If You Don’t Reset the Oil Light?
After you change the oil in your vehicle, the oil light will still appear unless it is reset. Failing to reset the oil light can cause confusion during future maintenance intervals. The system won’t be able to accurately alert you when your next oil change is due, potentially leading to running the engine on old oil longer than recommended.
Tools and Materials You’ll Need
Before resetting the oil light, ensure that:
- You have already completed the oil change.
- Your Honda Civic is parked on a flat surface.
- The vehicle is turned off but accessible for turning on the ignition.
You won’t need any special tools for this process, just a few minutes of your time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting the Oil Light on a 2018 Honda Civic
Step 1: Turn On the Ignition
- Start by Turning On the Ignition: Without starting the engine, press the “Start” button twice. This will turn on the ignition and power up the dashboard, allowing you to access the system settings.
Step 2: Access the Main Menu
- Locate the Display Controls: Look for the controls on the left side of your steering wheel. These buttons allow you to navigate through the display settings.
- Press the Home Button: To access the main menu, press the “Home” button located on the left side of the steering wheel.
- Use the Scroll Wheel: Once the menu appears, use the scroll wheel (which is also part of the controls on the steering wheel) to scroll through the available options.
Step 3: Navigate to Maintenance Info
- Select “Maintenance Info”: Using the scroll wheel, navigate to the “Maintenance Info” option and press the scroll wheel to select it. This will take you to the vehicle’s maintenance information screen, which shows the current oil life percentage.
- View Oil Life: On this screen, you’ll see the percentage of oil life remaining. If your oil change was recent, the number will likely be low, and the system may be showing a “Maintenance Due Soon” message.
Step 4: Reset Oil Life
- Select Oil Life Reset: Scroll down to highlight “Oil Life” and press the scroll wheel to select it.
- Hold to Reset: After selecting the oil life, a prompt will appear asking if you want to reset it. Hold down the scroll wheel for a few seconds until the oil life is reset to 100%.
Step 5: Confirm the Reset
- Verify the Reset: Once you’ve held the scroll wheel long enough, the system will automatically reset the oil life to 100%. You should see this change reflected on the display immediately.
- Exit the Menu: After resetting the oil life, press the “Home” button again to return to the main display.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
What If the Oil Light Doesn’t Reset?
If you followed all the steps and the oil light still hasn’t reset, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Double-check that you followed the sequence correctly: It’s important to hold down the scroll wheel long enough when prompted to reset the oil life.
- Ensure the ignition is in the correct position: Make sure you’ve turned on the ignition but not started the engine.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you’re still having trouble resetting the oil light or if other maintenance warning lights remain on, it might be time to consult a Honda technician. They can inspect your vehicle’s electronic systems to ensure there isn’t an underlying issue affecting the oil light reset.
Benefits of Resetting the Oil Light
Accurate Maintenance Tracking
Resetting the oil light ensures the Maintenance Minder system tracks your oil life correctly. This way, it will notify you when your next oil change is due, helping you stay on top of routine vehicle care.
Prevent Engine Damage
Running your vehicle on old oil can cause increased wear and tear on the engine, which could lead to expensive repairs in the future. Resetting the oil light after each change ensures that you won’t go too long between oil changes.
Peace of Mind
By resetting the oil light and following the correct maintenance intervals, you can have peace of mind knowing that your vehicle is being well-maintained.
Conclusion
Resetting the oil light on your 2018 Honda Civic is a simple yet essential step after completing an oil change. Following this guide will help ensure that your Maintenance Minder system operates correctly, giving you accurate notifications for future oil changes. Staying on top of your vehicle’s maintenance will keep your Honda Civic running efficiently and prolong the life of its engine.
