Hi everyone,

The Check Engine and Maintenance lights came on few days ago my Accord 2002 SE (180,xxx miles). I did a quick check and found:
- Oil level was very low (barely visible at the tip of the dip stick). Oil was changed 4 months ago (Pennzoil Platinum High-Mileage Full Synthetic 5W20), and I have since put about 3,000 miles on the car.
- Engine coolant tank was almost dry. I refilled it to the upper level 2 months ago.
- At idle, the car went through a cycle of normal running sound to "grunting" for 2-3s and back to normal.

I then added some left-over oil (more than 1 qt) that I have to bring the oil level to minimum level. I added 1/2 qt of Coolant Antifreeze and it's now at minimum level as well. I also ordered the Autel MaxiScan MS309 CAN OBD-II Diagnostic Code Scanner to do some further checks but it wont' arrive after the New Year.

So my questions are:
- How much oil I still need to fill from minimum to full mark?
- How can I reset the Check Engine and Maintenance lights myself?
- Would there be any damage to the engine considering how low the oil and coolant were? I only drove around the city (less than 20 miles round trip) in the last 1 month or so.

Thanks for any suggestion!

 

To go from the lower mark to a bit higher, middle to upper....I'd say about half a quart. Sneak up on it...add about 8 oz (1/4 quart), let is settle to the pan, about a minute or so. Recheck, if still not where you want it/needs to be then do another 8 oz (1/4 quart).

I like mine to be right in the middle of the "low to high" marks.

Best to get the code reader, get the code, then use the code reader to clear it. This way you have a record of the code and if the same comes back "shortly" later then you know something is up. Hope is is a simple "p1259" code and the fact you have topped it off will keep it away.

The next question is of course, where is the oil going? Do you have leaks, have you changed the PCV anytime recently?

Amount of damage, no one can come close to guessing.....don't lose sleep over it but at the same time until you resolve the "loss" issue, get into a habit of checking the oil level on a regular time interval. I try to check all of mine at least every three to four weeks.

 

Thank you very much for all the suggestion! I have put a reminder in my calendar to check all fluid levels once a month. Now I'll wait and see what the code reader will tell me next week

 

Many parts stores in the US - exclude the country of CA - will read codes for free.....they are not allowed to clear them...but if you are nice they will. You put your location as "north pole" and I'm too tired to look up your IP address so I'm not sure if this is an option for you

 

Thanks for the headsup! I'll look into that option next time. On topic, I put in 1 more qt to raise the oil level from minimum to almost full. Then I reset the check engine light using the fuse box method. However, I couldn't reset the Maintenance required light (methods suggested on youtube). The code reader didn't show any error. Is there anything I should look into or should I take the car to auto shop?

 

To reset the maintenance required light, you push and hold the trip odometer reset lever(rod/stick/button), and turn the key to on (position II). Then release after 10 seconds. You might inadvertantly reser the trip, but that's not really a big deal. If you're worried about doing that, with the key on (position II), push the button until you have trip "B" displayed, then turn the key off and go thru the sequence I mentioned above.

 

Thank you! I'm gonna try this trick tomorrow

 

This won't reset the trip odometer:

Key turned OFF.
Press & hold the odometer reset button.
Continue holding the button as you turn the key ON (don't need to actually start).
Continue holding the button - seems like it was longer than 10 seconds(??)
Maintenance light will flash a few times then stay off.
DONE.

 

It did on my 99.

 

Thank you guys! I tried all the trick but it didn't reset the maintenance light. I took it to an auto shop but they couldn't find anything wrong or reset the light either. They guessed there might be a problem with the transmission but didn't have the tool or expertise to do it. They referred me to other shop who could look further into it.