On my 2008 RX, the "maintenance required" light came on recently and stay lit. The owner's manual says that means engine oil needs changing. What I don't understand and it is not mentioned in the manual is in the maintenance screen under "oil" and "oil filter", both still have about 2,500 miles to go before reaching the dealer setting of 7,500 miles so as far as I know the oil is really not ready for changing yet. Has anyone had this issue? Does the RX have a built-in oil sensor that senses the condition of the oil? I called the local Lexus service dept and the person I talked to didn't know the reason for the light to stay lit and told me to take it in for a more detailed analysis. Your thoughts?

 

If you have a lot of stop and go traffic or take only short trips, then the interval will be closer to 5000 miles.
If you drive mostly at 70 mph or take long trips, the interval will be closer to 7500 miles.
So when the computer tells you it's time to change the oil, you just do it.

 

The light comes when a certain number miles is done. It's normally not set. And just come up say every 5000 miles.

The is no oil condition sensor on the RX. You change the oil when you feel it needs to be done. Then reset the maint required light.

 

I find it quite incredible that someone in the service department did not know about this indicator and that it just needed to be reset. Even when I was having my oil changed at the dealer they would sometimes forget to reset this and I would just to it myself. You can reset yourself as well. The instructions are in the Owner's Manual.

The Maintenance Required interval should pop up at 5000 miles. Many of us are on that interval for oil changes and is recommended by many dealers.

 

with the full synthetics you are probably perfectly safe to go the 7k mile interval....Amsoil claims 15k miles...this hasbeen discussed many times...

 

WTF. You change the oil. You put in synthetic and set the countdown from 10,000 KM. So in the meantime there is another system counting down and it decides that at 8000 KM it's time and turns the "maintenence Required " light on. So my question is Why bother setting it up yourself when the car will automatically turn the light on itself? Jamie

 

I Just reset the light. It will come on every 5000 miles, like it or not.

Make sure the odometer is set to total miles not trip. With the key in the off position, push in and hold the odometer button (ODO). Turn the key to the on position without starting the car. Continue to hold in the odometer reset button until the maintenance required light goes off (about 20 seconds).

 

Not a problem if you do not have the NAV system.

 

Why bother relying on the maintenance required idiot light if you've decided that you're going on 10,000 KM intervals? I don't rely on the maintenance required lights on any of my vehicles since they're just mileage counters on my vehicles. YMMV. You have to choose what you go by.

 

You are right takshiI74. Now i know how to turn off the light everything is back to normal. I will stick with my own maintence schedule. Lexus, Toyota makes more money off their customers hawking over priced parts and too frequent servise intervals than on selling you the vehicle. All manufacturers do it...

 

Hey its a feature to remind those that dont keep track of such things. The rest of us that love our cars will always know when it is due.

 

Got that right. I keep a service log on a binder. Every couple of weeks I open up the binder and update the mileage and of course know when the next service dates are. Planning.