How To Reset Wrench Light On Honda Civic (Step-by-step Guide)

If you’re unable to remove the wrench light from your Honda Civic dashboard, this guide will help you out. The wrench light on your dash is a helpful reminder for your vehicle maintenance. But how exactly do you get rid of this light? How do you reset the wrench light on your Honda Civic?

To reset the wrench light on Honda Civic, follow the steps outlined below:

• Power on your vehicle but don’t turn the engine on
• Go to your home screen or touchscreen display and select Settings
• Choose Vehicle option
• Go to Maintenance Info
• Choose Reset Selected Items
• Press Engine Oil
• Select Reset

In this article, we’ll take you through a more detailed, step-by-step guide on how to remove the wrench light on different models of Honda Civic. We’ll discuss additional helpful info like why the wrench light comes on, whether you can drive with the light on, and more.

Step-by-step guide on how to reset wrench light on Honda Civic:

The wrench light on your Honda Civic is simply a maintenance minder light. The process for resting this light will mostly depend on the model and year of manufacture of your vehicle.

In this section, we’ll look at different methods of resetting this light for different vehicle models.

Method #1: Using the trip button

One of the easiest ways to reset the wrench light is by using the trip button. This method works for Honda Civic models from 2012 to 2015.

Here are the steps to follow to use this method:

Step 1. The first step is to power on your car without turning on the engine

Step 2. Press your vehicle’s trip/reset button (usually located near the odometer). The oil life will be displayed after pressing this button

Step 3. Hold down the trip button; you should now see the oil life flash

Step 4. Once the oil life starts flashing, release the trip button and press it again after it stops flashing.

Step 5. That’s it! Your oil life is reset and reads 100% and the wrench light should be gone. You can now start as you normally would to confirm that the light has cleared.

Here’s a video showing you how to reset the wrench light using the trip button:

Video:

Method #2: For models with touchscreen display

If your vehicle model comes with a touchscreen display or simply a home screen, then this is your part.

The screen provides you with an option for resetting the wrench light directly via the display as outlined in the steps below:

Step 1. Turn your ignition switch to the ON position but don’t start the engine.

Step 2. Got to the touchscreen display on your car and locate the Menu or Settings button

Step 3. Tap on this button to go to the settings menu

Step 4. Navigate through the various menu options displayed until you find the “Vehicle Settings” or “Maintenance” option

Step 5. Choose the RESET option and follow the np-screen instruction or prompts that follow to confirm the reset.

Method #3: Using steering wheel controls

This method involves using the control buttons on the left-hand side of your Honda Civic steering wheel to reset the wrench light. There are usually up and down buttons with a MENU button resetting in between them.

Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1. Start by turning your car to the ON position

Step 2. Now press the MENU button on your steering wheel to take you to your vehicle’s main menu.

Step 3. Now use the navigation (up and down) buttons to take you to the VEHICLE INFORMATION option.

Step 4. Click the SOURCE button and select MAINTENANCE INFORMATION

Step 5. Once you’re on the oil life screen, you can now press the Source button to enter the reset mode.

Step 6. Finally, confirm the reset by selecting Yes. Repeat the above steps for other items as necessary.

Here’s an easy-to-follow video showing you how to use your steering wheel controls to reset the wrench light on your Honda Civic:

Video:

How to reset the wrench light on older Honda Civic models (2006-2011)

If you own a Honda Civic from 2006 to 2011 and are unsure of how to reset the wrench light, this is your part. The reset process is pretty easy and quick as you can see in the steps below.

Step 1. Turn your car without turning on the engine

Step 2. Now you’ll need to use the SEL/RESET button on the left side of your vehicle cluster

Step 3. Press this button repeatedly until you get the OIL LIFE screen

Step 4. Hold down the SEL/RESET button until you see the display blinking (this should take approx., 10 seconds)

Step 5. Finally, release the SEL/RESET button and press it again for about 5 seconds. The oil life should now revert to 100% and the wrench light will clear.

How to reset the wrench light on the new Honda Civic model (2016-2021)

If you own a newer Honda Civic model 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021, the wrench light reset procedure may vary slightly.

Below, we look at 3 easy methods you can use to reset the maintenance light in these models:

Method #1: Using the trip button

This method involves using the trip button to reset the wrench light on your vehicle’s instrument cluster screen. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1. Turn the key on and go to the second click to power on your vehicle without starting the engine.

Step 2. Now press the trip button repeatedly until the oil life screen is splayed

Step 3. Hold the trip button for approx. 10 seconds and the oil life will start flashing

Step 4. With the oil life still flashing, hold the button for another 5 seconds and the oil will reset to 100%

Here’s a video on how to use the trip button on your Honda Civic:

Video:

Method #2: Using the home screen

Assuming your vehicle has an information display, this is how you can use it to reset the wrench light:

Step 1. With your vehicle off, push the start button twice to turn on your vehicle’s computer system

Step 2. Now press the home button to go to the main menu

Step 3. Tap the settings menu and select the Vehicle option

Step 4. Select the maintenance info option at the bottom

Step 5. Tap on the Select reset items button at the bottom part. At this point, you can select what items you want to reset and confirm the reset.

Method #3: Using the steering wheel buttons

This method involves using the control buttons on the left side of your vehicle steering wheel. This is how you do it:

Step 1. Turn your car on but don’t start the engine

Step 2. Press the info button several times until you see the spanner screen come up

Step 3. Press enter and oil life plus other maintenance-due items will show up

Step 4. From the oil life screen, hold down your enter button for approx. 10 seconds and the back screen will change to the Maintenance Reset screen

Step 5.  Now scroll through the various item codes that you can reset. Item A usually means an oil change, so you’d want to reset it. Reset all the other items as necessary.

Why is the wrench light on in your Honda Civic?

The wrench light in your Honda Civic is simply a maintenance reminder light. It means that there’s a service or maintenance reminder that needs your attention.

For instance, the light will come on to remind you when it’s time for scheduled maintenance such as oil change, tire rotation, filter replacement, etc.

Sometimes the wrench light may come to alert you of an issue with your engine or transmission. The underlying issue could be a fluid leak, faulty sensor, and other mechanical issues in your Honda.

And in some cases, your Honda Civic wrench light illuminating could be alerting you of underlying electrical issues e.g. a fault in your vehicle electronics or a malfunctioning sensor.

To accurately determine why your Honda Wrench light has come on, we advise you to consult your owner’s manual on what different types of wrench lights mean.

The light comes paired with different codes to help you understand what triggered it.

Alternatively, you can have your car diagnosed by a qualified Honda technician.

Can low oil cause a wrench light?

No, the wrench light usually has nothing to do with low oil level in your Honda Civic. As we have just discussed above, the wrench light usually comes on as a maintenance reminder or to indicate faults in your vehicle’s system.

Low oil usually causes other warning lights to illuminate e.g. the check engine light or oil pressure warning light.

The only time wrench light may be associated with something to do with oil is when it comes on to remind you to make an oil change. This still has nothing to do with low oil and only alerts you to change the old oil.

The wrench light for an oil change has code B14 and it may remind you to just change the oil or change the engine oil as well as the oil filter.

Can you drive with wrench light on Honda?

Whether you can drive with the wrench light on in your Honda Civic will depend on the specific reason that caused it to come on.

Take for instance, when the light comes on as a reminder for scheduled maintenance e.g. oil change, tire rotation, etc.

In this case, it’s generally safe for you to continue driving your vehicle over a short period of time until you do the necessary maintenance or servicing.

However, we still urge you to do the required maintenance when the light comes on. This will go a long way in ensuring the maximum performance and longevity of your vehicle.

In some instances, however, the wrench light may come on due to serious electrical or mechanical issues. It may come on accompanied by other warning lights and you may notice symptoms like engine misfires, power loss, unusual noises, etc.

In this case, we advise you against driving your vehicle any further. Instead, you should have it towed to a qualified Honda mechanic.

Continuing to drive your vehicle in this condition may cause further damage to your vehicle and even lead to unsafe driving conditions.

If you’re puzzled by the appearance of the wrench light on your Honda Civic’s dashboard, you’re not alone in facing this concern. In addition to this issue, there are other potential challenges related to your vehicle’s brake lights. If you’ve recently changed a bulb and are now dealing with a brake light not working, our article on brake light not working after changing bulb provides useful troubleshooting tips. Alternatively, if you’re experiencing brake light problems on just one side of your vehicle, our article on brake light not working on one side offers insights into possible causes and solutions. By addressing these issues proactively, you can ensure the safety and functionality of your Honda Civic.

Conclusion

Resetting the wrench light on your Honda Civic is a simple procedure that you can do on your own without visiting the mechanic. The process may slightly vary depending on the model and year of manufacture of your vehicle. We have just discussed different methods to consider for various Honda Civic models. These include using the trip/reset button, your vehicle information display, or using the steering wheel buttons.

Follow the procedure outlined in the above guide for each of the methods to help you successfully reset your wrench light. Remember, the wrench light may come as a service or maintenance reminder or due to serious issues with your vehicle engine or electrical systems. For this reason, we advise you to take action as soon as the light shows to keep your vehicle performance and longevity in check and ensure your own safety