My first car was a 1967 Mustang. Those were the good old days . . when your car wasn’t smarter than the driver. I love our Toyota Highlander and I know there are fancier (smarter) cars than that but I’m telling you . . that car can be so frustrating. First, the oil needs to be changed every 5,000 miles (I think) but we do it every 3,000 because (1) we’re old and that’s how things used to be (2) it’s dirty and dusty out here in these parts and (3) it takes us over a year to go 5,000 miles! In the Honda, when the oil gets changed, there’s a little thing you push with the key and that resets it and then if you go too long without changing the oil, it reminds you.
The Highlander . . oh, no! It couldn’t be that simple! Because our oil changes don’t coincide with the manufacturer’s suggested oil changes, I never know what the light means when it first comes on. I have to get out the manual, find the light picture and then .. oh, my goodness .. to reset the button, you basically have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. I have to watch an online video every time. There is NOTHING in the manual about resetting the oil change warning light. You have to do something like . . start the car, punch the odometer button once, turn the key off but to accessory, punch the odometer button three times, wait 10 seconds, then start the car. It takes several tries to get it right.
This morning, I drove my 7 year old Highlander with 34,000 miles on it and tires that look brand new to the tire shop and bought four new tires.
New Tires
The Michelins that came on the car were dry rotted. We put Cooper tires on it this time. They were about half the price of Michelins and in 5 years, I’ll be back at the tire shop with probably 25,000 miles on a 60,000 mile tire and the tires will be dry rotted. They looked at the tires on the Honda and said “They have about 7,000 – 10,000 miles left on them.” Vince said “Oh, good . . five more years!” 🙂 We just don’t put many miles on our vehicles.
On my way home from the tire shop, a light on the dash came on.
Tire Light
What on earth does that mean? Now that I know . . I can see how it looks like it might be related to a tire. I had just stopped and filled up with gas so I didn’t know if there was a problem with the gas . . or something else. My dad taught me 45 years ago that any time a warning light comes on, STOP the car! That’s back when cars had an oil light and an overheated light or gauge and that’s about it.
I pulled over to the side of the road, got the owner’s manual out, looked at all the warning lights.
Warning Light
This is the first one I saw and it kinda looked the same but it says “If emergency brake is off, STOP and call your dealer.” OK, emergency brake was off .. I don’t think I’m going to call the dealer. So I kept looking and then I saw the tire warning light, which is intended to let you know if your tire pressure is low. I didn’t even know I had that feature! I guess I can stop looking at my tires so much.
Once I found the tire light, it said that when tires are changed, the button has to be reset. It’s not the fault of the tire dealer. I can’t expect them to know how to reset every vehicle. The owner’s manual said “When tires are replaced, the tire warning button will need to be reset.” That’s it! Where on earth is the tire reset button? Once again, I had to go to the internet, find the info. The car has to be started while I hold the tire reset button for 10 seconds. Turn the car off and then restart and it should be reset. The tire reset button was down under the steering wheel . . way down under. I had to get on my knees and find it.
I guess I”m thankful that my car has that feature and I guess I’m thankful that it tells me when to change the oil, even though I changed it 2,000 miles before it tells me to do so . . but dang it, I’d sure like to have that old 1967 Mustang.
So . . I have four new tires, I learned that I have a low tire pressure light on my car, I now know where it’s located and I know how to reset it (which I won’t remember where it is or how to reset it in 5 years when I get new tires). It was a good day! 🙂
Vickie VanDyken says
Consider yourself lucky!! When my oil change light comes on in my Escape…the manual says see a mechanic to reset!!! At least you get to reset yours. I drive around with it on til….I chance to go by the dealers and they will turn it off.
Sandi H. says
Consider yourself lucky. My mechanic used to own a tire store and changes out my tires and stores them for me. To reset my tire alarm I have to go to the dealer where they use a gadget that involves turning the key pressing buttons on the remote and using the gadget. They have to stop at each tire until the horn beeps twice. It takes less than five minutes and they want $15.00! So far they have done it as a freebie. Talk about smart cars…
Sharon in Michigan says
I have a 2007 Jeep Cherokee and I live in Michigan. Every time the seasons change from hot to cold, I get a dash message my spare tire is low. If it’s so smart….why doesn’t the car correct itself and leave me alone 🙂
shirley bruner says
You better keep that manual with you at all times….never know when you will have to look something up. that would drive me crazy, by the way. i know my husband would just disable the thing so the lights never come on. LOL
Maggie says
The tire pressure light comes on in our Honda van every time it gets really cold.
Kathy C says
HA, my first car was a 1969 Mustang. I ordered it in the days when you went to the dealer and ordered a car with what you wanted in/on it, in the color you wanted etc. LOVED that car.
We have a 2006 Jeep and you can set the oil change interval to what you want it to be. Check you manual, you may be able to do that.
I also freaked out the first time my tire pressure light came on. I learned that heat, cold or altitude can make it come on.
I wish I had a car smart enough to drive the 2400 miles between our kids, BY ITSELF.
Evelyn Starfishy says
With my truck I have to pump the gas pedal 3X to reset the oil light. Easy! I had an old Mustang (2 of them – with T Tops!), and I loved them! But – they did go through alot of oil, the clutch was extremely hard and if you loosened it – it would fall off the cable, you always had to give it a tiny bit of gas or it would stall out (tricky when you are literally standing on the clutch and using the brake – just try parallel parking on a hill – and I lived in San Francisco then!). Also – I had to change the thermometer thing back and forth between winter and summer. No, I guess those cars didn’t have a lot of buttons and warnings, but you did have to KNOW your car . Once I get used to a car, I hate to get a different one – our cars are now 10 years old and I hope we will have them another 10. Like you – not much miles on either one. Cheers! Evelyn
Teresa in Music City says
I have a Highlander too Judy. We had that low tire indicator come on a few months ago and couldn’t figure out why, as all our tires were fine. Hubby took it to the tire store and the guy told him there is a low pressure indicator on the SPARE TIRE TOO!!! Ours was flat and had to be replaced. Just thought you would want to know in case that happens to you someday :*)
helen says
I’ve heard of people having low air on tyre lights come on, all four tyres seemed fine. It turned out the low one was the spare.
What happened to the truck Vince was buying?
Katie says
We call those dummy lights. I won’t even own a new vehicle because I don’t need a computer to think for me. My car is a 96 and my boyfriend is able to do most of the work on it, including disabling some unnessecary sensors that have malfunctioned.
I work for a diesel shop and semi tractors have more advanced features than a passenger vehicle. It blows my mind but does keep a steady stream of work because some things a truck driver can’t do on their own.
Sherrill says
I LOVE my smart car..it never lets me lock my keys in the car, it warms my seat quickly (way before the heater), the very far back seats are up/down with the push of a button, tells me how many mpg I’m getting, etc. I LOVE it!!!
Sherrill says
Oh yeah, I can answer my phone thru the radio, put the kids lock on the windows when my rugrat nephews are in the car and SO much more. (Thought of the phone after I hit the send button! LOL)
AmyM says
OK… now this is crazy. MY first car was a 1968 mustang ( green with a gold pinstripe… no power steering… remember those days?)…and now I drive a Toyota Highlander. Mine is a 2006 and I have over 100,000 miles on her!
I, too, tried to turn off the “you need service” think on my own.. it looks so easy when they do it. Love my Highlander though!
Lee says
My Highlander is one year older than yours, and not the Limited version. It’s the first and only brand new car I’ve ever owned (my first car was a 1964 Ford Custom). I remember very well my first experience trying to find out how to reset the the low tire light (& thanks Teresa – I didn’t know the light comes on for a low spare!). Do the ‘newer’ ones have a specific oil change light? because mine, at every 5K miles reads something like check engine or requires service – I forget, which after 110K miles you’d think I’d remember! I’ve been told that the reason you don’t have to change every 3K anymore is because the oils (synthetic) are so much better and don’t break down & get as ‘dirty’ as they did back when our dad’s taught us all about those 1960s era cars.
Gayle Bong says
No wonder you have time to post so much. ONLY 5,000 miles a year between the two of you?!?!
I must put on 15,000 myself. I live in the country about 5 miles from town/groceries, banks etc. A little jealous here.
Jennifer says
I have two 66 mustangs (one fast back, one square back) but they always seem to be broken down. Or maybe it’s just hubby always tinkering on them 😉 Now, as far as the tire light (which we call the big butt light) (it odes like one), mine is always going off, if you skid on loose dirt it will come on, just thought you should know in case you get a heavy foot and want to have fun.
Michelle says
It’s the angry fishbowl light! The one on my van comes on whenever it feels like it. I think once it’s actually had something to do with the tire pressure. All of the others have been false alarms. I need to just learn how to check the tire pressure with the little metal gizmo so I can determine myself whether I need more air or not.
I’m not a fan of the TPMS system, especially when it’s time to replace all four tire sensors, which costs several hundred dollars. Because the batteries in them die. And if they aren’t functioning, you can’t get new tires put on. Does the government really need to tell me how to monitor my tire pressure when checking them with the little metal gizmo kept us all safe for years?
Joyce Wilson says
When I first got my Toyota 4Runner, it wasn’t long before that funny light came on. I took no chances and barely made it to the tire shop. It had a hole in the tire. The second time that happened we had changed to winter tires with lots of tread and studs left that someone gave us. The tireshop checked it out and said that the new tires did not match with whatever that light checked so don’t worry about it. Now that Light comes and stays and then comes and goes. I am always nervous, but don’t really know if it knows what its reminding me about, and so far, I haven’t checked, and have had no trouble. Go figure.
Kay L Ford-Sollimo says
Last March I finally traded in my Honda Accord EX which was purchased brand new in 1990 because son #2 at 14 yrs old could no longer sit upright in my then 12-yr old Honda hatchback. Oh, did I hate saying goodbye to that 23-yr old car with over 220,000 miles on it.
Katie says
I know how to fix those lights. Go ask Vince for some black electrical tape. Cut a piece and cover it up! Okay, okay, that’s not what my mechanic brother would advise, but you’re right – sometimes these cars are far too smart for us. Every time the weather gets hotter or colder quickly, my tire light goes off. But when I have the tires rotated, the tire guys reset it for me. So your guys should know how. I think… And my first car was a 78 Mustang. Piece of junk, but I LOVED it! One day I’ll have a 65 convertible…
JudyL says
No need to go back to them. I figured it out.
Mel Meister says
I didn’t know the lights had reset buttons. Most of the lights are on in our 98 Toyota. We just ignore them as we do keep up the service. Now I guess I’d better tell my husband to find the reset buttons! Thank you!