What causes maintenance required light to come on?

My daughter wanted to know what causes a maintenance required light to come on. Welcome to Mercie J, where compassion and craftsmanship come together. I'm Rick Smith, Master Certified Technician. So first of all let's make sure we're talking about the right light.

It says maintenance, not check engine, not anything else. It's a maintenance reminder light. On some cars there's a very specific amount of miles and as soon as you hit those, that light comes on to tell you that your car is due for some service. On other vehicles, like my 2018 Silverado for example, it's an algorithm and so the computer will calculate how many miles between the services based on whether it's super hot outside, if I'm cruising down the freeway or doing a lot of idling.

All of those change how often it suggests I change the oil on my truck. So I hope this is helpful to you. You got your basic mileage ones and then you have your ones that have an algorithm. Until next time, safe travels and blessings to you