How to reset the Subaru Outback oil light

Like any other car model, the Subaru Outback comes with a very intelligent and accurate oil light system that alerts you when it’s time to change your oil or top its level back up.

Whenever you replace the oil or top it up, it’s recommended that you reset your car’s oil warning light. Otherwise, if you don’t, you may end up having an erroneous oil light that gives misleading signals, which can lead to serious problems with your engine.

Notably, there are basically three simple methods to perform a Subaru Outback oil light reset, depending on the model. These are as follows;

Method A: Applies To All Subaru Outback Models from 2015-2020

  • First, turn the ignition to ON but don’t start the engine.
  • On the multimedia navigation system, tap the “Car Info” icon.
  • Under “Oil Filter Service”, tap “Maintenance”.
  • Then tap “Delete Event”.
  • Next tap “Add Event”, configuring the maintenance schedule interval date/miles.
  • After that, tap “Finish”.
  • Finally, turn off the ignition to reset the oil warning light.

N/B: You can start the car to confirm that the oil light has been reset.

Method B: Applies To Some Subaru Outback Models

  • Again, turn on the ignition, but don’t start the engine.
  • Tap the “Car Info” icon under the multimedia navigation menu.
  • Again, tap “ Maintenance” under “Oil Filter Service”.
  • Then tap the settings sign next to “Engine Oil”.
  • Now, choose and set the notification distance or notification date.
  • Finally, tap “Reset” to complete the process and close the menu.

N/B: You can start the car to confirm that the oil light has been reset.

Method C: Applies To The Rest of The Subaru Outback Models

If methods A and B will not work for you, try this Method C, which is as follows;

  • Begin by turning on the ignition(but don’t start the car).
  • Next, go to the left-hand side controls on the steering wheel.
  • Then using the up or down arrow buttons, navigate to “Maintenance”.
  • Now, trigger the reset process by pushing the i/set button upwards.
  • Finally, turn the ignition off once a screen verifying a successful oil light reset appears.

N/B: You can start the car to confirm that the oil light has been reset.

Final Thoughts

As a Subaru Outback driver, you will need to change the oil or top its level at some point. Matter of fact, the manufacturer recommends changing it every 6000 miles, 6 months, or whichever comes first.

When you replace or top up the oil, one thing you should never forget is to reset your oil warning light. Otherwise, if you don’t, you may have a dysfunctional oil warning light that may not tell you accurately if it’s time to change your oil or top it up.

This can lead to serious problems in your engine, which could have otherwise been avoided. You can reset the light using one of the three methods explained above, depending on your Subaru Outback model.

With nothing more to add, good luck with your oil light reset process, and you can feel free to tell us later how it went.

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