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Dodge Ram 2009-Present: How to Change Oil

It's easy to change your oil. From removing the oil fill cap and filter, to pulling the oil drain plug, it's something you can do, and should do regularly.

By Jeffrey Smith - July 29, 2015

This article applies to the Dodge Ram 1500 (2009-Present).

One of the most basic of all maintenance projects besides washing your Dodge Ram is changing the oil in it. By the time you have figured out how to operate the spare tire jack and change out your flat tire, you could have already changed the oil. It is that simple. Don't be intimidated by that large engine compartment. Climb up there and get to it. A professional will get the job done in about a half an hour and charge you a premium for a basic filter, oil and labor. Save your hard earned money and change it yourself. You can do it with a minimal investment of your time and money. The only tricky part of this entire job is to get the old oil filter off without spraying oil all over the place.

Materials Needed

  • Oil filter strap wrench
  • Oil catch pan
  • Replacement oil and oil filter
  • Grocery sack and plenty of shop rags

Step 1 – Pop the hood

In the cabin directly under the steering column, is the hood release latch. It has a picture of the front of your truck etched on it. Pull up on this switch and you'll hear the metal latch disengage from your hood. Walk to the front of your truck and you'll see the hood popped up a little. Slide your hand in between the top of the grill and under the front lip of your hood. Find the safety release handle and move it up to the left. Now raise up the hood on the truck.

Figure 1. Slide your hand between the grille and hood to un-hook the latch.

Step 2 – Remove oil fill cap

Removing the oil fill cap will relieve the vacuum that will cause your oil to drain really slowly. Pop the cap off and set it aside.

Figure 2. Remove the oil fill cap, highlighted in yellow above.

Pro Tip

Your motor oil will drain quicker if it is warmed up a bit.

Step 3 – Pull the oil drain plug

Slide an oil catch pan underneath the oil pan on your truck. Make sure your oil catch pan is large enough, or strategically placed where more of it is actually in front of the oil plug. When you pull the oil plug, it will be under a bit of pressure from the seven quarts that the motor holds and it will come out with a force. Let it drain completely. Replace the drain plug and snug it down tightly, but do not over tighten.

Figure 3. Drain all the oil from the pan and then replace the drain plug.

Step 4 – Remove the oil filter

The oil filter is oriented vertically in your engine compartment. This makes it easy to remove, but pretty messy. Put a strap wrench around the body of the filter and wrench on it counter clockwise until it breaks free. Unscrew it the rest of the way by hand and take care when pulling it off and removing it. You may have a mess of oil spilling out from it and the engine block port hole that it screwed into. If you hang a plastic bag around the suspension and under the filter, the bag will catch most, if not all of the oil. Once removed, let any oil draining from the port hole completely empty out. Rub some oil around the threads and the gasket seal of the new oil filter before installing it. Screw the new filter on and only hand-tighten for about a quarter turn.

Figure 4. Use a strap wrench to loosen the oil filter and remove by hand.

Step 5 – Add new oil

Place a funnel into the oil fill hole. Add the amount of oil required as indicated in your user's manual. This should be about seven quarts for your eight cylinder engine. Use the correct weight and type of oil as recommended, conventional, synthetic or synthetic blend. The brand doesn't matter as much as changing it out at the recommended or indicated intervals. Once you have finished filling the oil, replace the cap and start your truck. Let it idle a few minutes, then check for leaks around the drain plug and filter. Check for the proper oil level from the dip stick. If all is well, you are done. Otherwise, tighten down any leaking areas or address any issues.

Figure 5. Add the oil of your choice and you are done.

Featured Video: DIY Oil Change, 2013 Ram 1500

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