Your Service Engine Soon light has nothing to do with reminding you to change your oil. The light is controlled by the ECM (Computer) in your vehicle. It monitors various sensors in your engine and compares them to variables or programs that is in its memory. When something is not registering correctly or is outside of its parameters it will turn on a MIL(Malfunction Indicator Light)or in your case a Service Engine Soon light. You will need a OBD II ( On Board Diagnostic) reader or scanner to hook up to your diagnostic port under your driver's side footwell to read what code the ECM is putting out. Than with the code the mechanic can look up the code to see what part is sending a malfunctioning. The scanner can also read and erase the code too. You can have your code pulled up with a OBD II scanner for free from any AutoZone store.
It has to be done with a code reader,auto zone does this for free they will erase the code in the computer witch will turn the light off.
Remove the negative terminal from the battery for 10 mins. Or get an OBDII code reader and erase the code.
I am a certified automotive technician with C& J Mobile Mechanic & Auto Repair in Oklahoma City. Clearing the code does not fix the vehicle. When you clear the code, you also clear out important data which the computer stores that your automotive technician might need to correctly diagnose your vehicle. I always urge people to never clear codes before taking it to the mechanic.
It is also important to know that you cannot repair vehicles based on codes. By example there are 5 oxygen sensor codes. Two of them actually prove it's working! They just don't like what they see. You have to actually go out under the hood and diagnose what's causing the oxygen sensors to read wrong. Repair that and then the oxygen sensors come back in line with what they're supposed to be. Then and only then should the code be cleared
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