How To Reset Oil Life On Honda Civic (Step-by-step)
Resetting the oil life on your Honda Civic is important as it ensures your oil monitoring system can detect when the next oil change is due. However, if you have never done it before, you may be looking for an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to do it. Luckily, this guide will help you out.
How to reset oil life on Honda Civic:
- Turn your vehicle ignition on without starting the engine. If your Civic has a push button start, simply press the button twice without pressing the brake pedal.
- Now press the Menu or “i” button on your steering wheel until the oil life icon appears on the screen.
- Press and hold the “Enter” button to enter the reset model.
- With the help of up/down arrows, choose the “All Due Items” option and select enter.
This article will take you through a complete step-by-step guide on how to reset the oil life on various models of Honda Civic after an oil change. We’ll also share additional helpful info related to oil change in your Honda Civic to ensure your vehicle runs smoothly.
Step-by-step guide on how to reset oil life on Honda Civic:
After changing the oil in your Civic, the oil life indicator should display 100% and the oil light should clear on its own.
However, if it does stay on, or the indicator still shows a low oil percentage, you’ll need to reset the oil light manually to ensure you don’t miss the next oil change.
Resetting your Honda Civic oil life is a simple DIY process. However, the exact procedure may vary from one model to another.
Therefore, it’s important to consult your user manual for more info specific to your car model.
The process is also a bit different for newer models than older models.
How to reset oil life on newer Honda Civic models:
Here are reset instructions for newer models of the Honda Civic:
Step 1. Press the ignition button to turn on your vehicle’s power, but don’t turn on the engine.
Step 2. Next, press the menu button twice. This button is usually located to the left of your steering wheel and features a little symbol “i” on it.
Step 3. Press and hold the Enter button until the maintenance screen appears
Step 4. Scroll through the screen options until you come across the oil life option (this is usually labeled as “Item A” in newer Civic models)
Step 5. Once you select the oil life option, press and hold the Enter button until the oil life indicator resets to 100%.
How to reset oil life on older Honda Civic (mid 2010 modes):
The oil life reset procedure is even easier for older Civic models as you can see in the instructions below:
Step 1. Turn off your vehicle and put it in Park. Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position without turning on the engine.
Step 2. Now press and hold the “SEL/RESET” on your steering wheel. Release it when the oil life indicator starts blinking.
Step 3. Press and hold the “SEL/RESET” once more until the indicator stops blinking and indicates 100% oil life.
How to reset oil life on older Honda Civic without a computer screen:
If you own an even older Honda Civic model with limited features, or simply a model without a central computer screen, follow these steps to reset the oil life:
Step 1. With your vehicle turned off and in Park, turn the ignition key to the ON position without cranking the engine.
Step 2. Next, press the Trip knob on your dash (usually sits below the odometer. Press this known repeatedly until you see the oil life percentage show up on your dash.
Step 3. Press and hold the trip knob until the system blinks to initiate a reset or until the oil life jumps to 100%. When the oil life reads 100%, it means the reset was successful.
We found the helpful video below explaining how to reset the oil life on various models of Honda Civic:
Video:
How do you reset the oil life on a 2009 Honda Civic?
Follow these simple steps to reset the oil life on your 2009 Honda Civic:
Step 1. Turn your vehicle ignition to turn (just a step away from starting the engine
Step 2. Now press the SELECT/RESET button until you see an oil life indicator on your vehicle dash.
Step 3. Press and hold the SELECT/RESET for approx. 10 seconds. The oil life indicator should start blinking
Step 4. Press and hold the button for approx. 5 seconds more. The indicator will disappear and your Civic oil life will reset to 100%.
Step 5. Now turn off the ignition and start your engine as you normally would to verify your indicator has successfully reset.
Watch this video on how to reset the 2009 Honda Civic oil life
Video:
How do you reset the oil life on a 2005 Civic?
If you have a Honda Civic 2005 model, this falls in the category of older models. Resetting the oil life light in these models involves three simple steps outlined below:
Step 1. Turn off your vehicle engine and put it in P (park) mode. Insert your key in the ignition and turn it to the On position. But DON’T start the engine.
Step 2. Press and hold the SELECT/RESET button in your vehicle’s instrument panel. Hold this button for approx. 10 seconds until your oil life indicator resets.
Step 3. Finally, turn off the ignition and start your vehicle engine as you normally would to verify that the oil life has been successfully reset.
Here’s a video on how to reset the oil life on a 2005 Honda Civic:
Video:
What happens if you do not reset your Honda Civic oil life?
If you don’t reset your Honda Civic oil life after an oil change, the indicator will continue displaying your previous oil life percentage remaining until the oil change.
This can bring about a few issues as discussed below:
- Failing to reset the oil life indicator means you may not receive accurate reminders for your vehicle’s next oil change. This will lead to delays in engine oil maintenance, which is crucial for your engine health.
- You also risk overextending the oil change interval beyond what your manufacturer recommends. This may make the oil less effective at lubricating and protecting your vehicle engine—resulting in increased wear and reduced engine performance.
- Using old, degraded oil also causes your engine to work harder. This may result in high fuel consumption and decreased fuel economy.
- Not following the manufacturer recommended maintenance schedule, including resetting your oil life indicator, may also void your warranty if your Civic is still under one.
Does Honda Oil Life automatically reset?
Yes, your Honda Civic’s oil life may reset automatically after an oil change, especially if it’s a newer model. However, this may not always be the case. Sometimes the oil life won’t reset to 100% on its own and you’ll need to do it manually.
Thankfully, the process is simple and fast as we discussed earlier, and does not involve any special expertise. If you take your Civic to an authorized Honda dealer, they’ll also automatically reset your Honda oil life as part of the oil change service.
Do you have to manually reset the oil life?
Yes, you’ll need to manually reset the oil life in your Honda if it doesn’t automatically reset on its own. This is important to ensure your indicator reads 100% after an oil change. We have already discussed the exact procedure to follow for various models of your car so we won’t get into the details again.
Conclusion
Resetting the oil life on your Honda Civic after an oil change is important to ensure you don’t miss the next oil change alert. This article has just discussed the exact procedure to follow to manually reset your Civic oil life. We have discussed the steps to follow for both newer and older models and models without a multi-info display.
Remember, ignoring this light can make you easily miss the next oil change alert. This means your vehicle engine will continue running on old, degraded oil. This can increase your engine wear and overall performance and even lead to decreased fuel economy as your engine works harder. In a worst-case scenario, a late oil change can void your Civic warranty.
