Performing regular oil changes is a crucial part of maintaining your Honda Civic and ensuring its longevity. Once you’ve changed the oil, it’s important to reset the oil life indicator so that your Civic’s maintenance system can accurately track when the next oil change is needed. The good news is, resetting the oil life indicator on a Honda Civic 2016 and Honda Civic 2018 is a quick and simple process.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to reset the oil life on both the 2016 and 2018 Honda Civic models.
Why Reset the Oil Life Indicator?
The oil life indicator is part of Honda’s Maintenance Minder system, which tracks oil quality and determines when it’s time for an oil change based on driving conditions, engine operating hours, and other factors. After changing the oil, you must reset this system to ensure accurate reminders for future maintenance.
Failing to reset the indicator after an oil change can lead to incorrect maintenance intervals, potentially causing unnecessary service reminders or delaying important maintenance tasks.
How to Reset Oil Life on a Honda Civic 2016
Resetting the oil life on a 2016 Honda Civic can be done in just a few simple steps. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Turn on the Ignition
- Insert the key into the ignition and turn it to the “ON” position without starting the engine. For models with push-button start, press the engine start button twice without pressing the brake pedal.
Step 2: Navigate to the Oil Life Screen
- Use the steering wheel buttons to scroll through the multi-information display until you see the oil life screen. This will show you the current percentage of oil life remaining.
Step 3: Access the Reset Menu
- Once you’re on the oil life screen, press and hold the “Enter” button (located on the steering wheel) until the oil life percentage starts to blink.
Step 4: Reset the Oil Life
- When the oil life begins to blink, release the “Enter” button, and then press and hold it again for about 10 seconds. The oil life percentage will reset to 100%, indicating that the system has been reset successfully.
Step 5: Turn Off the Ignition
- Once the oil life has been reset, turn the ignition off. Your 2016 Honda Civic is now ready to track the oil life for the next oil change.
How to Reset Oil Life on a Honda Civic 2018
The process for resetting the oil life indicator on a 2018 Honda Civic is very similar to that of the 2016 model. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Turn on the Ignition
- Press the engine start button twice without pressing the brake pedal to turn on the ignition. This will turn on the display and dashboard without starting the engine.
Step 2: Access the Oil Life Menu
- Use the steering wheel buttons to scroll through the display options on the instrument cluster. Navigate until you find the oil life percentage.
Step 3: Reset the Oil Life
- Press and hold the “Enter” or “Select/Reset” button (depending on your model) until the oil life percentage begins to blink.
- Once it blinks, release the button, then press and hold it again until the oil life resets to 100%.
Step 4: Turn Off the Ignition
- After the oil life is reset, turn off the ignition. Your 2018 Honda Civic is now ready to monitor oil life for the next service interval.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you encounter any issues during the reset process, here are a few things to check:
- Ensure the ignition is on but the engine is not running.
- Press and hold the buttons firmly until the oil life percentage begins to blink.
- If the oil life indicator doesn’t reset, try turning the ignition off and back on before attempting the reset again.
If you continue to have trouble, consult your Honda owner’s manual for model-specific instructions or visit a Honda service center for assistance.
Conclusion
Resetting the oil life on your Honda Civic 2016 or 2018 is a simple but important step after every oil change. By following the steps in this guide, you’ll ensure that your vehicle’s maintenance minder system remains accurate, helping you keep your Civic in top shape. Regularly resetting the oil life after each oil change will allow your car to properly monitor when the next oil service is due, ensuring that your engine runs smoothly and efficiently for years to come.
Now that you know how to reset the oil life indicator, you can easily perform this task yourself and keep your Honda Civic running like a well-oiled machine!