How to Reset the Oil Change Light on a Nissan Altima

Question: How do I turn off the oil change light on my Nissan Altima?

Answer:

The first step to reset your Nissan Altima’s oil change light is simple—get an oil change. But if the light is still on following your oil change, the reset process will depend on your vehicle’s model year.

You can generally use the maintenance options found in the settings menu on your Altima’s dashboard to reset the oil change light. The specific steps will depend on your model year, but this is the basic process:

1. Put your vehicle in accessory mode by putting the key in the ignition without starting the engine.
2. Use the buttons on your steering wheel, dashboard, or center console to scroll to the correct dashboard screen to find the oil change reminder.
3. Locate the Reset or Info button on your instrument cluster, or the Reset option in your oil change menu.
4. If you have a Reset option in your oil change menu, simply select it to complete the reset process.
5. If you have a Reset button, press and hold it until the oil life percentage or light starts blinking, then release it.
6. Press and hold the button again until the oil change reminder light turns off.

While this method works for most vehicles with a digital interface, it may differ slightly depending on your specific make and model. For example, if you own a 2015 Nissan Altima, follow these steps:

1. Turn the ignition to the on position, but do not start it.
2. Press the Menu button on the left of your steering wheel until you get to the Settings screen on your dashboard display.
3. Use the arrow button on your steering wheel to scroll down to Maintenance.
4. Use the Enter button on your steering wheel to select Maintenance.
5. Scroll down to Service, then select Reset.
6. Press the Back button on the left of the steering wheel to return to the main screen.
7. Your oil change light should now be off.

If you own a newer Nissan Altima, the steps will be slightly different:

1. Turn the ignition to the on position, but do not start it.
2. Click the OK button on the left of your steering wheel to dismiss the oil change reminder.
3. Use the right arrow button on the left of your steering wheel to scroll through the dashboard menus to get to the Settings screen.
4. Use the down arrow to scroll to Maintenance and then press the OK button to select it.
5. Press OK again to select Oil System Control.
6. Hold the OK button until the Reset screen appears.
7. Use the arrows to select Yes and then press OK.
8. Your oil change light should now be off.

Manual reset procedure

If your Altima doesn’t have digital controls, or the steps outlined above don’t solve the problem, you can perform a manual reset to turn off your oil change light:

1. Turn the ignition to the on position, but do not start it.
2. Depress and release the accelerator pedal to its full range three times within a span of 10 seconds.
3. Turn the ignition off, then start the car to verify the oil change light has been turned off.

If none of the above methods work, you may need to use what’s called an OBD-II scanner to reset the oil change light. If you’re like us, you probably don’t have one of these lying around and will need to head to your mechanic to have them reset the light for you.

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