That's funny, I never have had any trouble getting my oil fill cap off. Either I change it, or I get my other half to do it! We buy a case at a time, mine uses 7 qts and his 5. Both are manual transmissions,and that means no drainage problems! The 4X4 is really easy, as you've got all that room! I use an icing bucket, like grocery stores use in their bakeries;it's a 2.5 gal. bucket, but has the diameter of a 5 gal. It holds my several qts. of oil with no problem. Good Luck!

 

The 4.7L filter is located on the drivers side, lower, front area of the block. It's angled a bit and is not to hard to get to. It will drip oil when you remove it. I just used a typical oil pan to catch the oil.

Synthetic is definitely the way to go. You'll find a lot of proponents of Amsoil and Mobil 1 here. Personally, I use the Mobil 1.

 

yeah....i change my own oil. its really quite easy on these trucks, even though mine is 2wd. now after i lower it this spring....that'll be a different story.

 

You guys may or may not realize that these oil places do more than just change the oil. They replace all the vital fluids and do basic checks like brakes etc... Aside from that they also get rid of the oil in a way that won't polute the invironment. As far as I know it also voids your warranty. If you can't prove you had the oil/all other fluids changed at the rate that the manual suggests then they can legaly deny any warranty claims.

I used to change my own oil on my old truck. It's a really easy process(realy messy), but the problem is what to do with the old oil? You can take it to your local oil change place , but then you feel like a bum because you are dumping your oil on them and didn't pay them to change it. So what happens is most people dump it in the ground, which is REALLY bad.

 

I take my oil to the dealership. I also check my fluids, lines, brakes, and tire pressure.

~Amanda

 

I collect my oil in a gas can and take it to the landfill where it's collected and sent to a recycler. You can't get any more environmentally friendly than that, unless your ingesting the oil or something.

I've had bad experiences both times I took my vehicles to these quick lube places. I can do a better job than they can because I care about what I'm doing.

I've never heard of a warranty being voided because you couldn't prove that you changed the oil.

Most auto parts stores in the civilized world will take used motor oil for recycling.

 

No nead to feel like a bum for taking your oil back to a parts store designated as a depository for used oil. You payed the tax on the oil which gives you the right to deposit it at any depostory. This may be different in other states but, this is the law in CA.

If I only use 7 quarts of oil in my Dakota for 12,000 miles worth of driving, I'm doing more for the enviroment than oil changes every 3000 miles. 4.7 Dakota 2 filters and 7 quarts of Amsoil oil VS (Quick lube every 3000 miles) 4 oil filters and 24 quarts of oil.



For them to void your warranty, they have to prove that the oil caused a failure or require you to run a specific type oil such as an API licensed brand (when you don't). Some extended warranties are very picky about oil change intervals.

They can't just void your warranty because you didn't change your oil every 3000 miles.

Bill,

 

I think Arcane is referring to the 7/70 powertrain booklet you need to fill out. Its in the owners manual. But ask your dealer arcane, when I picked up my wifes pacifica at Christmas my dealer in detroit told me to keep the reciepts on the oil and filters. I don't really care because it is a lease, so the 7/70 won't apply to me.

 

Yup, its easy with a 5.2.
I use Valvoline oil and a Fram Tough Guard filter.
I save money and dont have some quick lube employee messing up my drain plug, putting on the wrong filter, under or overfilling the oil, etc.

 

I've been working at a quick lube in Russellville, AR for 2 yrs now, and I have always changed my own oil before that. On the 3.7's and 4.7's, bot have an extra long oil channel under the filter to keep the oil off the frame. Dont take the filter off too fast or you will probably over shoot your drain pan. Also, dont be right in front of the filter when you change it just in case you do over shoot. On the hemi, if you are as **** about your oil changes as me, i like everthing to stay clean under there, so get you some plastic or a stack of rags and place it under your filter when you loosen it to drain. On the drain plugs, always use 6pt sockets (13 mm works best, 1/2 is sometimes too tight) and dont over torque. After the plug is wrist tight, a firm tap on the ratchet handle will make it plenty tight. If your plug is stiff going in because of too much over tightening, get a new plug exactly to OE (they seal better) and hope it goes in good, or you might be looking at rethreading or using an oversized plug. Never use plastic gaskets, or if you do, never re-use them. Make sure and wipe all mounting surfaces clean before reinstallation of filter and plug. Keep all reciepts and write milage down for warranty purposes, using the service book provided is recommended.