RSS LJ

August 27, 2007

I hope it's nothing serious ()

by fluffy at 9:41 PM
Ever since I made it to San Francisco, every time I start my car the "maintenance required" light blinks for about 10 seconds, but then goes out. There's no buzzer or anything. I think it may just be because it (finally) passed the 4500-mile mark and so it might just be an oil change reminder. Hopefully it's not something like the engine not appreciating the 1000-mile drive shortly after being mostly garaged for a year and a half.

Usually service reminder lights are solid and stay on until the service has been performed, though, and flashing usually means something more important that wouldn't be disregarded by the computer after the engine revs.

I'm going to get an oil change before work tomorrow (I have a coupon for a $20 oil change at Midas and they open at 7:30 AM but close at 6:00 PM) and I guess if that doesn't clear it up I'll have to take it to the dealership, where they'll charge me a fuckton for it and find some reason to consider my extended warranty null and void (since I didn't get the N-monthly service on a car which hadn't been driven in those N months, or whatever, and of course they had strongarmed me into getting the extended warranty which I didn't want to begin with because car dealers are assholes).

(The way they did that was when I bought the car, it was during a Labor Day sale and I opted for the special 3.5% APY financing deal. But the particular car I wanted wasn't available right away; they only had automatic transmissions available, so I had to order a car which was scheduled to go to another dealership, and in order to qualify for the financing I had to lock in the loan then and there. They never even asked if I wanted the extended warranty. A week later when the car arrived and I got the final loan paperwork, they had tacked on the extended warranty. I told them I didn't want it. They said that the extended warranty was absolutely vital, and anyway the loan was already drawn up for the warranty and if I didn't get the warranty then they'd have to draw up a new loan, so I'd lose the 3.5% APY. And I couldn't back out because then I'd lose my deposit. Maybe I should have reported them to the BBB? Meh.)

Comments

#9744 08/27/2007 11:51 pm
link

The CarChip E/X is definitely a cool tool, but there is a similar option that costs $0. All Shucks/Checkers stores (as well as most Autozones and probably every other car store chain of similar type) will read the fault codes out of your car for free. You just pull up and ask them to come out with their code reader and they'll do it. I've done this many times with my two cars and it's saved me the ridiculous $75 charge every time.
#9745 08/28/2007 01:09 am
Never ever ever ever take it to the dealership for any type of maintenance (unless of course you are driving a McLaren haha). Now is the perfect time to get to know your friendly, local San Fransico mechanics! Or the location of the nearest Autozone.
#9747 08/28/2007 09:33 am
I got an oil change this morning and they said it was just the 4500-mile maintenance light, which they happily reset for me. I figured that'd be the case.
#9748 08/28/2007 03:26 pm
I guess you know this already, but if you check your car's manual, it'll probably tell you if the Maintenance Required light is just a nag light or actually indicates a problem. On my car at least there's two separate lights.
#9749 08/28/2007 03:49 pm
Current Toyotas only have one maintenance light but it serves different purposes based on whether it's blinking, solid, etc., and supposedly for anything critical there'll be a buzzer. (At least, my Matrix is this way and so was my Echo.)

I hadn't ever heard of a maintenance light just blinking for 10 seconds and going out though.
#9750 08/28/2007 05:44 pm
Hondas do something similar as well... Freaked me out the first time too.