TL V6-3.2L (2004)
The system automatically moves up maintenance items or delays them so they get done along with engine oil replacement. For example, if tire rotation
is normally done at 7,500 miles, but the oil life ends around 6,000 miles, the system will move up tire rotation. Or, if the oil life appears to be ending
around 9,000 miles, the system will delay tire rotation. In either case, you would see the maintenance item code A1 in the information display.
Some scheduled maintenance items are independent of the maintenance minder system. The brake fluid should be replaced every 3 years, the idle
speed should be inspected every 160,000 miles, and the valves adjusted if they're noisy.
And there are driving situations where a few maintenance items deviate from the maintenance minder system. These items are affected:
-
Air filters - the air cleaner element and dust and pollen filter should be replaced every 15,000 miles if you drive the vehicle often in areas that are
regularly dusty or dirty (high concentration of soot from industry or diesel powered vehicles).
-
ATF - the ATF should be replaced every 30,000 miles if you use the vehicle mostly for towing or you drive in mountainous areas.
-
Timing belt (if equipped) - the timing belt should be replaced every 60,000 miles if you drive the vehicle often in areas that commonly have
temperatures above 110°F or below -20°F.
Keep in mind only a small percentage of vehicle owners are actually involved in these driving situations. All other vehicle owners should follow the
maintenance minder system.
For owners who only drive their vehicles occasionally, and the oil life never reaches 15% at the end a 12-month period since the engine oil was last
replaced, the engine oil should be replaced and the oil life indicator reset to 100%. When resetting the oil life indicator, the system will flash the
maintenance item code that would have come up when the oil life reached 15%. Make sure all maintenance is done according to that maintenance item
code.
The maintenance minder info is stored in the ECM/PCM and in the gauge control module. The ECM/PCM keeps track of the oil life, while the gauge
control module handles the service items. If you replace the ECM/PCM, make sure you transfer the maintenance minder info from the old ECM/PCM
to the new one. And if you replace the gauge control module, remember to transfer the odometer reading from the old gauge control module to the new
one.
When replacing the ECM/PCM, if you run into any problems transferring the maintenance minder info, replace the engine oil. The system will start
the oil life at 100%. BSN 30818 (0509)
