Just a small car maintenance question...

[MasAndrew]

This is my first new car and it's about time for a maintenance service. My mom and I got the car at a Toyota dealership in Norwood, MA and they said that I can come in for a free oil change and what not on the 1st scheduled maintenance. So the light appears on the dashboard just today and the mileage is 5000. My question is how important is it to have the thing done? I mean I got work tomorrow and don't think I would have time to schedule it to be done tomorrow. Do I have to have maintenance done like right at the moment it hits the 5000 mark or can I wait off a little bit like say during the weekend to get it done? Or if I wait too long something will break down in my car? Just curious here. Thanks.

[yankeeyosh]

Well, I don't know what light this is, but I would assume it might have something to do with your oil. You really should change it every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. If you drove a car for 5,000 miles, I would definitely get the oil changed as soon as possible...particularly if it is a brand new car.

[SmilesSoSweet]

Usually when the light turns on, you can wait a couple of days (depending on which light) to take it in. Verify with your dealership if you have to have your car serviced every 3000 miles (3 months) or every 5000 miles (five months). Some of the newer cars may be able to go every 5000 versus the 3000.

[yankeeyosh]

Usually when the light turns on, you can wait a couple of days (depending on which light) to take it in. Verify with your dealership if you have to have your car serviced every 3000 miles (3 months) or every 5000 miles (five months). Some of the newer cars may be able to go every 5000 versus the 3000.

Hmmm...I never heard of 5,000. Usually it's 3,000, although some may stretch it to 3,750. I guess if the engine can hold more oil, maybe it is 5,000? :confused:

[SmilesSoSweet]

Hmmm...I never heard of 5,000. Usually it's 3,000, although some may stretch it to 3,750. I guess if the engine can hold more oil, maybe it is 5,000? :confused:

When I used to take my Toyota for service at the dealership, I would to every three months (I'd never get to 3000 miles first). My mechanic told me that the newer Toyotas only need to be serviced every 5000 miles, but because mine is an older car, I still need to stick with every 3 months.

[MasAndrew]

Hmmm...I never heard of 5,000. Usually it's 3,000, although some may stretch it to 3,750. I guess if the engine can hold more oil, maybe it is 5,000? :confused:

Well, I didn't noticed it until today and it just turned 5000. Before that time the "Maintenance requir'd" light was just flickering on and off. Now it stays on when I turn on the engine.

So with that said, is it allright if I waited off until the weekend or should I get it done like tomorrow or Friday?

[yankeeyosh]

When I used to take my Toyota for service at the dealership, I would to every three months (I'd never get to 3000 miles first). My mechanic told me that the newer Toyotas only need to be serviced every 5000 miles, but because mine is an older car, I still need to stick with every 3 months.

Yeah, maybe it's different with Toyotas....it may also depend on the dealership. The dealership where I purchased the car said 3,000 miles, but when I lived in Florida, the dealership down there said 3,750 miles.

[SmilesSoSweet]

You might be okay to wait until the weekend. But when you're there, make sure you talk to the mechanic and ask about when you should get maintenance on the car. Sometimes with dealerships, they tend to send out months or quarterly flyers. On them are usually graphs of what service needs to be done and at what mileage it should be done.

Just don't do what my friends from back home did. Brand new Honda Civic in 1996. She went an ENTIRE year of not get any oil changes or any other services. She didn't know she had to do anything for her car. Just one day she tried to start her car and it didn't start. She had no clue why a year old car wouldn't start.

[MasAndrew]

Yeah, maybe it's different with Toyotas....it may also depend on the dealership. The dealership where I purchased the car said 3,000 miles, but when I lived in Florida, the dealership down there said 3,750 miles.

Ah, I see. Now would someone so kindly tell me whether I should save off until the weekend or should I try to do it tomorrow or Friday? :D

[MasAndrew]

Hmmm. Okay. Thanks. Yank and Smiles. You've been a big help. Now I know my car won't explode when I go to work tomorrow. :) I'll try...Friday. Yeah.

[yankeeyosh]

Hmmm. Okay. Thanks. Yank and Smiles. You've been a big help. Now I know my car won't explode when I go to work tomorrow. :) I'll try...Friday. Yeah.

Yeah, I wouldn't panic, but I would definitely take care of it as soon as possible.

[uscuba2]

The whole every 3000 miles thing was/is set up as an easy number to remember to get it done. You can wait till the week end but I wouldn't put another couple thousand miles on . Now that being said it can easily go past 3000. It' can "better" ( and I use it loosely) on new car to go over than 3000 than a that has say 50,000 b/c the the seals have not been broken and the engine is "clean". Maybe it's only GM but when I need to get oil done ( 95% of time it's every within 3000-3500) the light that comes on is change oil soon. Maintenance requir'd suggests ( at with my car) some other than oil, which really is not that uncommon with a new car due to break in.

[internut33]

Its just a service reminder light, your car isn't going to blow up if you drive it further. Just get it done ASAP. Sooner the better.

[biodork]

Its just a service reminder light, your car isn't going to blow up if you drive it further. Just get it done ASAP. Sooner the better.
Yeah it actually says in my cars manual that my Maintenance req'd light is there as a reminder to get my certain mileage check ups.

I actually wait until between 4000 and 5000 miles though to get an oil change, otherwise I'd probably be getting an oil change every month since I drive so much. Plus if you use synthetic (which my oil is) you can go for longer before getting it changed. It's sort of a trade off, synthetic is more expensive but you can go longer before having to get your oil changed again.

[Illuminous]

uh, you shoudl read you manual for oil changes. Although they say 3,000 at oil change palces, my manual (a 98 Mazda) ssays 5K 7.5K. Most newer cars go for about 5,000 miles until you need an oil change.

My check engine light is also on all the time and it's some dumb computer thing, so I stopped listening when lights go on. And I never take my car to a dealership. They charge you up the ass for no reason.

I go to a guy that it's jsut him and another guy. I got my spark plugs and wires repalced and he said he could have gotten the parts from mazda for 114, but instead he got it from a warehouse for $60, saving me a ton of money. I paid 150 for what the dealer probably would have charged me 250 for. Just a thought.

[and1grad]

Take your car in on Saturday morning. Hopefully its not something serious.