How to Reset the Oil Life in a Jeep

Stay on top of your Jeep SUV oil changes with these oil monitor tips.

By Benjamin Hunting Dec 1, 2023

Red and white Jeep Wagoneers Jeep

QuickTakes:

Driving a vehicle off-road the way the Jeep Wrangler and the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs were designed to do, can often shorten the life of engine oil. Being in a dusty environment means more grit and grime working its way into a motor, eventually reaching the oil and reducing the engine protection it affords.

Operating at high engine speeds or under heavy loads can also decrease the efficiency of engine oil, which means both towing and dusty off-roading can reduce the oil life of any vehicle.

Fortunately, Jeep has designed an Oil Life monitoring system that notifies owners if they need an oil change outside of the recommended interval noted in the owner's manual. When the engine oil needs to be changed, the "Oil Change Required" message will show on the gauge cluster every time you start the vehicle, accompanied by a chime. This notification will persist until the engine Oil Life monitor is reset.

How to Reset the Oil Life in a Jeep with the Engine On

Jeep includes do-it-yourself procedures in the owner manuals starting with 2017, so you don't have to go to the dealership or a repair shop to take care of this simple task.

Step 1: Turn the vehicle on

Jeep's Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Gladiator, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer must be running with the accessories on (but with the engine off) to access the Oil Life reset. This is accomplished by pushing the start button with the foot off the brake. This is also known as On/Run mode.

Step 2: Access the Oil Life menu

Once the Jeep is on, the instrument cluster display presents a main menu with many selectable items. Using the arrow buttons on the steering wheel, scroll through the menu until you reach the Vehicle Info selection. Select that item and scroll to the Oil Life submenu.

Step 3: Hold to reset

Hold down on the OK button to reset the Oil Life. After the reset, you'll see the gauge cluster menu item return to 100%.

The Oil Life Reset Option for Other Jeeps

The smaller Jeep Compass, Renegade, and Cherokee SUVs require a different but similar procedure to reset their Oil Life monitor.

As above, each vehicle needs to be on but with the engine off. The accelerator pedal should be fully depressed three times during a 10-second window before the vehicle is turned off. Unlike other Jeeps, the only way to know if the reset was successful is if the "Oil Change Required" message disappears at the next vehicle startup.

This method also works with the previously mentioned Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, Gladiator, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer Jeeps, giving these models two ways to reset the Oil Life monitor.

TAGSauto basicsjeepwagoneeroil change

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Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin Hunting is a writer and podcast host who contributes to a number of newspapers, automotive magazines, and online publications. More than a decade into his career, he enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days and always has one too many classic vehicle projects partially disassembled in his garage at any given time. Remember, if it's not leaking, it's probably empty.