Although the “Service Transmission, Continue in D” error message seems to be quite disturbing, in most cases, this shouldn’t bother you much. Your Jeep Grand Cherokee with any kind of automatic transmission (Chrysler or ZF) can trigger this message when something is wrong with electronic control modules, sensors, or just a battery.
In most cases, the “Service Transmission, Continue in D” message pops up when you try to start the Grand Cherokee but the battery voltage is low and the error shows up. Also, this error message may mean serious transmission problems if it appears when you are driving in D and something happens with the transmission.
Here’s what I will cover in this article:
- Two different situations when this message may pop up in your Jeep.
- What should you do in both situations when you see “Transmission Damage”?
- Can you still drive if the message pops up unexpectedly?
- Solving the problem and preventing this issue from happening.
What are two possible reasons for this problem?
So, the “Service Transmission, Continue in D” error message may pop up in two absolutely different situations: when you are starting the car and on the go. The way this error message appears on your dash is important because it basically helps you quickly understand what you should do and how you can solve the problem.
Here, I will explain both situations and help you get the needed knowledge!
1. The message pops up when you are starting the Grand Cherokee
This is the most common situation when Grand Cherokee owners see “Service Transmission, Continue in D” on the dashes of their SUVs. That’s weird because how can you continue driving in D if you haven’t even started the vehicle? But that’s just something weird happening with your car’s electrical system, so don’t worry.
Here’s what usually happens:
- you try starting the car;
- instead of starting, it illuminates all the lights as usual but the engine doesn’t crank;
- you see the “Service Transmission, Continue in D” error message;
- the car won’t start and it most likely won’t shut off;
- when the vehicle is in this condition, you won’t even be able to lock the doors.
So, the situation is unpleasant but you should stop worrying – this obviously doesn’t mean that the transmission is damaged. In most cases, the only culprit of the problem is low battery voltage.
The voltage is too low, so the electronic units don’t get the needed power and start developing glitches. One of these glitches popped up on your dash as this nasty message scared you to death. Nothing to worry about, just disconnect the battery to get back the control of your car.
2. The message illuminates when you are driving
This situation is not as positive as the previous one. If you see this message when you are driving, there are several possible culprits for this. First of all, the alternator may be malfunctioning and not supplying the system with the needed power. Secondly, there may be a problem with the transmission shifter.
Lastly, the problem may be with the transmission itself. The Transmission Control Unit makes the conclusion that if you stop the engine and move the gear selector out of D, you will not be able to move the car again without professional help. This may or may not be so, but I certainly don’t think you should try.
This message may mean that there are problems with the torque converter, gears, or control unit of the transmission.
Your actions in both situations
You may deal with this problem on your own if there are no damaged parts in the transmission or serious damages in the control units. It’s not hard to solve the problem if the battery is the culprit of this message illuminating on the dash. If the issue is in the transmission, it could be much worse.
Here’s what you should do:
1. If the culprit is the battery
In this case, your car may be blocked in the condition between starting and shutting off and you are unable to shut it off completely. To cope with this, locate the 12V battery in your Grand Cherokee and disconnect it (negative terminal first, then positive). If you don’t need to drive the car right now, you may connect the battery back, now the car will be shut off and you can control the locks and everything else. The anti-theft system and alarm will work well.
If you need to drive the car, there are some things you may need to do:
- get a battery jumper and jump the 12V battery in your Grand Cherokee to make its voltage up;
- use jumper cables to jump the battery from another car – the result is the same as in the previous option;
- replace the battery with another one to quickly get your vehicle back (especially if the battery is older than 4 years);
- charge the battery with a proper charger (this may take quite a lot of time though).
Now you see that there are several ways to cope with the problem. If you are in the middle of nowhere and can’t do anything of the above-listed things, just disconnect the battery, let it sit for several minutes, and connect it back. In some cases, this will allow you to start the vehicle. If this doesn’t help, you will need roadside assistance.
2. If the transmission system is the problem
In this case, things are worse. Much worse. If you see this message, here’s what you should do:
- don’t turn off the engine because the car may not start after that;
- don’t move the gear selector out of D – the Drive mode may not turn on anymore;
- quickly find the nearest Jeep dealership or a good repair shop;
- call the dealer and ask if they can take your car in for inspection right now;
This may be the last journey of your vehicle, so before you stop the engine and move the gear selector to P, you should make sure that the car is in the right place and that it will get the needed help. If not, you are at a high risk of having to pay for a tow truck. There is just no other way you can get your Jeep Grand Cherokee to the dealer or repair shop.
The good thing is that this type of “Service Transmission, Continue in D” message appears in Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs very rarely.
Is it safe to drive when such a message pops up?
If you are driving and suddenly see “Service Transmission, Continue in D”, you should understand that something is wrong with the transmission. It can be literally anything, starting with the gear selector switch failure and finishing with the total transmission damage. Fatal damages are usually accompanied by several other symptoms.
But if your Grand Cherokee says so, you should continue driving. Just be careful and stay very calm on the road. Remember that at any moment the transmission may overheat and it will be safer to stop the car and shut it off. Also, remember that you may need to pay for a tow service after that.
If you see this message when you are trying to start a car, you may drive, but you can’t! So, there is no way you will start the engine after this message pops up because it literally blocks the start-stop button and you can’t do anything until you disconnect the battery and reset the system.
Solving the problem and preventing it
You may solve the problem just by following the steps I’ve described above. If you want to avoid the issues, you should do the following:
- check the battery voltage regularly – when it falls under 12V, it means you should recharge it;
- replace your 12V battery at least once every 5 years (depending on the driving style and conditions);
- service the transmission as often as the manufacturer recommends;
- never ignore any problems that may be connected with the transmission;
- check with your dealer if you have any recalls for your car’s software – there are plenty for the Grand Cherokee;
- if you spill some liquid onto the gear selector, tell your dealer about it, they may need to inspect the unit.
As you see, your car just needs proper maintenance and you will seriously lower the risk of encountering this annoying error message.
To wrap up
You should understand that each error message and warning light may be triggered by a serious breakdown in your Jeep Grand Cherokee. The “Service Transmission, Continue in D” message usually means that you have problems with the 12V battery. But it may also have transmission and gear selector problems behind it.
Be careful in your actions after you see this message. A lot of 2014-2016 Grand Cherokee models are prone to such a problem but the issue may also appear in other model years. Just follow the guidelines in this article and you will be able to solve this issue without much effort!