Please help me understand a dash message...

I am the original owner of my 2020 TRD Off Road Premium. I believe this truck will remain reliable as long as I take good care of her.

I began using Mobile1 full synthetic on my second oil change.

Within the vehicle maintenance menu on the dash, I went to the oil maintenance option and redefined it to alert me every 10,000 miles. But yesterday, I received a message alerting me that an oil change is due soon, even though I still have over 5000 miles left on the existing oil.

Is the information I plugged in to the maintenance menu simply for reference? Is the oil maintenance warning something that is user defined or is it hard-coded in by Toyota?

Thank you.

 

Does it say oil change? Or maintenance?

5K is tire rotation time.

Some change their oil at 5K as well, due to driving conditions as specified in the manual.

 

What was your mileage when you received this alert?

 

Maintenance light comes on roughly every 5k regardless. On the intervals between required 10k oil changes it generally is calling for a tire rotation, air filter, etc.

 

It’s an idiot light/message. There’s even instructions how to reset it.

 

it says: "Oil Maintenance Required Soon".

I set the oil maintenance in the menu for 10,000 because I switched to synthetic.

 

Sounds as if you did not save the change in settings?

 

You just need to reset it every oil change. Instructions are in the manual.

 

They come with synthetic. You can't get 0W/20 that isn't synthetic.

Weird. I didn't know you could change the service interval reminders.

Either way, 5K is a good time to rotate tires. The reminder can be reset pretty easily.

 

I wonder if that was something new with the 2020's?

 

This tripped me up too the first time I saw it. Yes, it's just an idiot light. The message is wrong, because it does not really mean oil change. It's like Toyota decided that "oil maintenance required soon" was a catch all for whatever maintenance is due at 5k mile intervals. Even though only a tire rotation may actually be needed. It's just bad writing.

Why it keeps coming on even after you reset, that I don't know. But it could be like I'm saying -- Toyota actually means it's time for whatever is needed at that 5k mile interval.

The whole problem would be solved if they just re-wrote it to say, "Maintenance Required Soon." Or "5K Maintenance Interval Approaching." Or "5K Maintenance Actions Required Soon." Or wtvr. It's just dumb. Bad writing.

 

Thank you for the responses.

Yes, I thought that once I changed it to 10k in the computer via the touch screen, it would alert me every 10k.

I'm going to post some photos.

 

Must be. It sounds like the alert terminology changed as well.

My '19 just says "maintenance required". I wonder why they changed it.

It's probably just alerting you to perform whatever maintenance is due. Like @Singleminded said, it's just a generic maintenance alert with what seems like poor wording.

 

I may call Toyota to ask them. I feel it may be some magic number hard-coded in.

I am going to try again, maybe I didn't save it in the settings...

 

There are two reminder systems.

The 5000 mile maintenance interval reminder is hard coded and is displayed at about 4600 miles (IIRC) since last reset. That’s what you experienced.

The other reminder is the maintenance information (oil change, air filter, wipers, coolant, etc) that you as a user can setup with mileage and/or date conditions. When one of those conditions is met you get a reminder message displayed on your radio startup screen when you start the engine. You probably have never seen this. And I bet most users never have either because it’s too much trouble to set up. I don’t use this feature.

You can test this out. Set it up for a short mileage or date interval for an item like an air filter change and see if the message pops up at startup. I don’t know what the lead time is, you may have to go out 500 miles or two weeks or so for it to work.

There’s a reference for this spread around in your 2020 Navigation and Multimedia manual. Pages 18, 26, 65. You can download a PDF of your various manuals from the Toyota website.

 

This is what I'm seeing:



But you answer does clear up what I am seeing and why I am seeing it.

I suspected that I was getting a message that was hard coded into the system. So, I just need to reset this?

Thank you.

 

is the oil filter still set at 5,000 miles?

 

Most people don’t set any additional reminders and keep them off or reset. When the 5000 maintenance message displays take it in for the required items or do them yourself then reset it. ~5000 miles later you get another reminder, rinse and repeat.

 

GOOD QUESTION! I hadn't thought of this.

It is set to the default as I've never touched it. I'll go check what it says and get back to you.

Thank you.

 

Yeah. My Infiniti had separate settings for oil and oil filter. I bet that’s your problem.

A generic 5k mile idiot light shouldn’t mention oil, just “maintenance required” or something similar.

 

Yes. If you look at the 4th picture in the series I posted, you can see in the menu that there is a separate selection for engine oil and oil filter.

I'll bet this is it too. Keep you posted.

 

Does the Vehicle Maintenance menu only come with certain trims? My '21 SR5 doesn't have it

Edit: Nevermind, @ElectroBoy answered this question, should have read the post more thoroughly.

 

Would like to know ElectroBoy's answer.

 

Different trims come with different audio systems. The lower end ones could have some menu items like Maintenance not available. You would have to check your Navigation and Multimedia manual and poke around on the head unit to find out. If you don’t have a hard copy get a PDF for your model year here:
https://www.toyota.com/owners/resources/warranty-owners-manuals

And search for the term “maintenance”.

Edit: I just did that for the 2021 4Runner and on page 26 it said “Premium Audio Only”.

 

Well... I just checked the menu and the fields in the oil filter menu option was blank. So I'm going back to my original theory, one which was agreed upon by @ElectroBoy... that the number is hard-coded into the computer.

 

I use Mobile 1 synthetic. If that is't premium, what is?

 

Ok... well... I want to thank everyone who responded to my post. You've all been very helpful. My first thread interaction has been a positive one.

Thank you.

 

Premium audio... not premium oil...

 

Duh... LOL
Serves me right for not wearing my glasses.

 

what about tires rotation is it X or other . My car 4runner . 4WD . but i use the 2 WD 95 % in my drive ..so any suggestion and for interval i put each 10000 KM .