Engine light and oil change light on frequently

Hi Joe,

This isn't specific to your minivan, but is applicable. The oil change light is almost always simply based on mileage since the last time it was reset. The specific number of miles is adjustable on some cars, and fixed on others, but either way it's just an elapsed number of miles; could be 3,0000, 6,000, 7,500 or some other interval.

It sounds like you might have simply had the oil changed before the light came back on from the last time, and since it wasn't on whoever did the oil change didn't reset the counter for you. If you do a search using the year and model of your T&C, it should be pretty easy to find instructions on how to reset the light. Or you can go back to the oil change place and ask them to reset it for you.

The check engine light, on the other hand, is a completely separate issue. It's possible the light could be related to something that happened during the oil change, or it could be unrelated and just a coincidence that it came on around the same time as the oil change light.

The light is indicating a problem you car's computer has detected with some system within the vehicle. You will have to have the computer scanned with an OBD-II scanner in order to find out what it's trying to tell you. You can pick up inexpensive bluetooth scanners that connect to a free app on your phone for under $10 USD, or, at least here in the US, you can take it to pretty much any auto parts store where they'll scan your car for trouble codes for free.

So the next step for you is to get the car scanned for codes and come back and report what came up. The oil change light doesn't hurt anything so it isn't in the least bit urgent to get that turned off; you'll want to address the check engine light first, since there's a possibility it could be indicating problems that can require expensive repairs if not fixed.