Having an oil change indicator light on your Jeep Grand Cherokee’s dashboard is a convenient feature for knowing when it’s time to get the oil and filter replaced. It helps prevent engine damage from driving on old oil for too long. Resetting the oil life system after an oil change is easy to do yourself with just the ignition key. Follow this step-by-step guide to properly reset your Jeep’s oil minder.
Why Reset the Oil Change Indicator
Resetting the oil life monitor after an oil change is important for a few key reasons:
- It accurately alerts you when the next oil change is due based on your driving habits.
- Old, dirty oil can destroy internal engine components over time. Resetting the monitor helps prevent engine damage.
- The process only takes a minute or two. It’s a very easy Do-It-Yourself job with the ignition.
What You’ll Need
Making sure you have everything needed will make the job go smoothly:
- Your Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicle
- Ignition key
- A new oil and filter change performed
You’ll want to first complete the actual process of changing the engine oil and oil filter before resetting the indicator. If you need guidance on how to change vehicle oil yourself, check out our step-by-step oil change tutorial.
Locating the Oil Life Indicator
The oil change due indicator on a Jeep Grand Cherokee is typically represented by an oil can icon somewhere on the instrument cluster dashboard:
[Image: Oil change due to indicator symbol]
Scan your dashboard when in the driver’s seat to locate the icon. It may be towards the bottom or over on a side panel. The images and steps below will help you reset it properly.
Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting
Follow this simple 4-step process to reset your Jeep Grand Cherokee’s oil change indicator light after getting the oil changed:
Perform Oil Change
Make sure you have fully drained the old oil and replaced the oil filter before beginning the reset steps. Refill the engine with fresh oil to the proper “Full” level on the dipstick.
Reset the Oil Life System
- Insert the ignition key and turn it to the “On” position without starting the engine
- Slowly and fully press the gas pedal down to the floor and let it back up completely 3 times in 5-second intervals
- Turn the ignition key to the “Off” position and let it sit for 10 seconds
- Finally, turn the key back to the “On” position. DO NOT start the engine
The instrument cluster should display a notification that the oil life indicator has been reset to 100%.
Confirm Reset is Complete
Check your instrument panel for the oil can icon right away to make sure the light reset works properly before starting the engine. The icon should now display at 100% oil life remaining:
[Image: Oil change due indicator showing 100%]
And that’s it! The oil change minder system is now reset in your Jeep Grand Cherokee after changing the oil. Be sure to make a note of your vehicle mileage for your records. Let the oil indicator alert know when you approach your next recommended oil drain interval.
As always, please refer to your Jeep owner’s manual for the most accurate oil change frequency recommendations. Or contact us with any other questions!