MAINTENANCE REQUIRED light on my car?

Question

my sister has my car right now [ a 99' honda accord ]
she has it until i can drive alone, the maintenance light is always on . before it'll blink when you start the car but then it'll go away . i keep telling her to get it check out but shes so caught up in her "perfect life". i was wondering what are some things that can happen to my car so i can tell her so she finally go gets it changed? . and if she dont get it changed and something bad happens to my car . she better get me a new one!

my sister is hard headed by the way lol!

Answer 1

Warning lights are meant to come on every time when you start your car there should also be abs, airbag ect they run system checks these things out then shuts off unless there is a problem.Unfortantly unless its something like the gas cap needs tightening there isnt much you can do about it, you would have to take it to a shop and have them run a scan tool dianostics on it to see why that trouble light (dummy light) is coming on, it will give them a stored code which will tell them of the problem, from there they can reset it with the tool or atleast inform you of the problem to why its coming on.

Answer 2

You say maintenance required... Do you have a check engine light also. If so, your oil or fluids probably need to be changed. No oil or fluids can lead to a seized or destroyed engine. The engine needs lubrication to keep going. You do mention getting something "changed" so I will assume that you are talking about the oil. If not, have it checked out. These are usually two different lights. Check engine is usually to do with your on board diagnostics and the maintenance is usually just that. Tell sis to get it taken care of within a specified amount of time or take the keys. She's running your car into the ground if she is not at least performing maintenance schedules. manufactures set these to get the most life out of your vehicle.

Answer 3

The MAINTENANCE light should be ON before you start the car and OFF when the engine is running if everything is OK.

It the engine is running and this light is ON then you definitely need to have the car checked by a qualified service location.

The problem can be a simple on or someting dangerous.

If Sis will not get the car checked then you should take the keys away. You know that if the car goes bad she will not replace it.

Answer 4

cars today depend computers. these strange and complicated "brains" go thru a sequence of system checks whenever you start the car. if a light stays on, you should have it checked out by a mechanic. if you're old enough to drive, you're old enough to be responsible for caring for the car. since you're young, you will easily be suckered into unnecessary repairs by unethical people, so you should go to a dealership. these tend to be pricier perhaps than your local gas station, and you'll have to leave the car there most of the day, but it's worth the peace of mind.
the other possibility is that there's nothing at all wrong and that the computer is being neurotic. since you have no way of knowing which of these two scenarios is the case, take it in for a look. they'll charge you to look at it but won't do any work until you authorize the charge. this will be a good experience for you. stop being the victim and take care of your car.

Answer 5

You need to have her have it checked out by a repair shop. It could be something that doesn't make any difference in the way it runs now but can become something more serious.

Answer 6

Yes Change it before the socket blows up

Answer 7

You need a code reader to find out exactly what it is. But it can't be ignored.

Answer 8

have her get out her maintains book. Go to trouble shooting. It will tell her what that light means and how to cut it off. good luck!