Hacking the Honda

For the record, I note that my wife objected to using the word “Hacking” in this context. However, there is an alternate definition of “hack” which essentially means “To cope with successfully; manage”. In that context, hack is the appropriate word.

On Friday night on my way home from Philadelphia the “Maintenance Required” light came on in my Honda. Here’s an example of a good intention gone awry – much like the snooze button on your alarm clock.

Now, I’m sure Honda thought they were doing a good thing by including an “idiot light” to let you know when it’s time for maintenance. Unfortunately, that light only works if the mechanic remembers to reset it when your car is serviced. Mine never does.

So there I am, driving in the rain with this amber light burning holes into my retinas. The last time this pesky bugger came on, we called the dealership and got instructions for how to turn it off, so I called Chantay to see if she could remember how to do it. She couldn’t, but she called our dealership and they were kind enough to provide us with the instructions again. This time, I decided to document them for any fellow Honda owners out there (and probably myself the next time I need to do it).

Resetting the Maintenance Required Light on a 2001 Honda Civic

1. Make sure the car is off.
2. Press and hold the odometer reset button (that little stick that pokes out of the instrument panel that you press to reset your trip odometer)
3. Turn the key to the “On” position while continuing to hold the odometer reset switch down.
4. After 4 seconds or so, the light may blink once or twice
5. After 10 seconds, it will go out – and stay out

Viola! Instant annoyance relief!