What Does The Perform Service Light Mean On A Jeep?

When a light blinks on in your display that says “Perform Service,” it can be both annoying and concerning, especially if you don’t know what it means. But never fear! With just a little effort and some knowledge of your Jeep’s history, you can get that indicator resolved in no time.

What Does The Perform Service Light Mean On A Jeep?

The Perform Service light on a Jeep means that it’s time to give it an oil change. It’s scheduled to turn on as often as the Jeep’s model needs its oil changed based on its mileage schedule. If the light is on, do the oil change, as well as any other maintenance indicated in the owner’s manual.

Inconveniently, the light doesn’t turn off after you’ve completed the service. Here’s how to fix that, along with some things to watch out for for a few different Jeep models.

How to Reset the Perform Service Light on a Jeep

It’s really easy to reset the service light once you know how to do it. In fact, it won’t even take a full minute.

The first thing you need to do is to turn the engine on. Don’t start the car: only turn the key enough to turn the electric displays on.

If your Jeep is one that starts with a button, keep your foot off the brake when you push the button to achieve this effect.

Once the light is on, push on the gas three times. Go slowly, but make sure that all three pushes happen within ten seconds. The accelerator has to go all the way down. A good way to time it is to count three seconds for each push.

That will keep you within ten seconds while being slow enough for the car to register what you’re doing.

After that, turn the car off again. Then turn it back on, and you should see that the Perform Service light has turned off.

If not, try the reset procedure again. Check to make sure you’re doing the steps correctly. If it still doesn’t work, check your owner’s manual.

The owner’s manual will detail how to reset the light. It may show you that your model is different, the procedure is different, or that the light means something else for that model.

What Does The Perform Service Light Mean On A Jeep What Does The Perform Service Light Mean On A Jeep?

Other Things to Check For

While you know to change the oil every time the Perform Service light comes on, that can’t be all it’s for, right? If that was so, it could just be a “change oil” light.

No, when that light turns on, there are a few other things you need to check based on your Jeep’s mileage or age.

For example, every time you change the oil (which includes changing the oil filter), you should also rotate the tires. An authorized tire dealer can tell you the proper rotation pattern, and you can also include the spare tire in the rotation if it matches the rest of the tires.

A matching spare has the same look and function, but a compact spare is only for emergencies.

Every interval should also prompt you to inspect the CV/Universal joints, depending on the year of your model.

The manual for the 2008 Grand Cherokee recommends that you check this first at 12 thousand miles, then every 24 thousand miles after that. Check the “Servicing and Maintenence” to see what schedule applies to your model.

The following are other things that you might have to inspect or replace when the service light comes on:

Front suspension and rod ends
Front and Rear axle fluid
Brake linings and Parking brake functionality
Transfer case fluid
Engine air cleaner filter
Air conditioning filter
Spark plugs

You won’t have to check all of these things every time, but the schedule will depend on the model and year of your Jeep.

Depending on how old your Jeep is, you’ll also eventually need to check and possibly replace the following, though these are much more occasional than the above procedures:

Engine coolant
Accessory drive belt and its tensioner and pulley
Transfer case fluid
PCV valve

You can verify which checks you’ll need to make by looking in the “Servicing and Maintenence” or “Maintenence Schedules” section of your owner’s manual. If you don’t have your manual, you can find a free PDF of it online by looking up the model and year.

Is the Light On Time?

The light’s timer is based on mileage, but depending on your driving habits, you may end up needing to service your Jeep before the light turns on.

The age of the Jeep and the running time (if you spend a lot of time idling) may make the interval between services shorter than the mileage would alone.

For example, the 2008 Grand Cherokee needs a service every 6 thousand miles or every 6 months. If six months pass before you drive 6 thousand miles, the light won’t turn on, but you still need a service.

Your owner’s manual will tell you the intervals needed for your specific model and year.

If you perform the service when the light hasn’t turned on, you should still be able to reset the timer with the procedure above.

You might not be able to confirm that it worked, but at least you’ll get a reminder around the next time you need a service.

Variations Between Models

I’ve said once or twice that the year and model of your Jeep will determine how often the service light turns on and what checks that means.

That’s because different model years may have different schedules for the light’s turning on.

The owner’s manual for the 2021 Grand Cherokee states that you should change the oil at 20 thousand miles, and then every 10 thousand miles after that. Therefore, those points will be when the Perform Service light comes on.

Contrary to that, the 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee needs an oil change every 6 thousand miles rather than every 10 thousand. The procedure to reset the interval is the same, but the checks you’ll need to make during the service vary.

It’s worth noting that the year of the Jeep may have more effect on the maintenance required than the model.

For example, the maintenance schedule of the 2008 Grand Cherokee is identical to that of the 2008 Commander for gasoline engines (the Grand Cherokee has a diesel option, but the Commander doesn’t).