Owners of other Dodge, Ram Trucks, or Chrysler vehicles such as the Dart, Avenger, Challenger, Charger, Durango, Dakota, Journey, Grand Caravan, 2500, 3500, 4500, 5500, C/V Tradesman,  200, 300, Aspen, Jeep Commander, Grand Cherokee and Town & Country may also find these DIY instructions to be helpful.

The items needed to complete this procedure include a 13mm socket, a ratcheting wrench, a used oil catch basin, 6 quarts (5.7L) of new SAE 5W-20 oil and a new canister oil filter.

A few compatible new oil filters include the following with their part numbers: Motorcraft FL820S, Mobil 1 M1-210, K&N PS-2010, Fram PH2, Mann ML 1006, Royal Purple 20-820, Pennzoil HPZ-173, ACDelco PF1250, Wix 58846, Champ Labs PH820 and Purolator PL24651.

Then engage the emergency / parking brake and chock the rear wheels to prevent the vehicle from moving.

Pop open the hood, twist off the oil filler cap on the right (driver) side of the engine by turning it counter clockwise and pull up the oil level dipstick on the left (passenger) side of the engine.

Removing the oil filler cap and pulling out the dipstick will help prevent a vacuum from forming and allow the old oil to drain out more quickly.

Slide underneath the passenger side of the engine with the used oil catch container, 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Move the used oil catch basin to directly below the oil drain bolt. You may also want to lay down some newspapers first to help catch any drips.

Loosen the oil drain bolt at the rear of the black metal oil pan by turning it counter clockwise with the 13mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Carefully spin out the oil drain bolt and set it aside in a safe place. Be careful when you remove the oil drain bolt since the old oil may be hot enough to burn your skin depending on how long you warmed it up in the first step.

Allow the old oil to drain out for at least a few minutes or until it slows to an occasional drip.

The canister oil filter is located at the front right (driver side) of the engine below the power steering fluid reservoir and near the serpentine belt.

Twist off the old oil filter in the counter clockwise direction. If you have trouble turning the old filter, you may need to use an oil filter wrench such as the Lisle 63250.

I recommend buying the OEM Ford Motorcraft FL820S oil filter since it has excellent reviews on Amazon.

Dip your pinky finger in some new 5W-20 oil and lubricate the rubber o-ring on the new oil filter.

Lubricating the o-ring will help the filter form a better seal and make it easier to remove at the next oil change.

Spin on the new oil filter in the clockwise direction to about 1/3 to 1/2 turn past hand tight.

Do not over tighten the oil filter and do not use the oil filter wrench to tighten it.

Over tightening the oil filter may damage the rubber o-ring and cause on oil leak.

Double check that the oil drain bolt and new oil filter are tight before moving on to the next steps.

(The other RAM engines have the following capacities for an oil change with new filter: 3.6L V6 5 quarts, 5.7L V8 7 quarts.)

Temporarily spin on the oil filler cap, run the engine for a few minutes, shut it off, and allow the oil to drain down to the pan for about 5-10 minutes.

Check the oil level on the dipstick. If necessary, slowly add more SAE 5W-20 oil and repeatedly check the dipstick until the level reaches at or near the top of the cross hatched area marked "Safe".

To reset the "Change Oil" message, follow these instructions: turn the ignition switch to "On" but do not start the engine, fully depress the gas pedal 3 times within 10 seconds and then turn the ignition switch to "Off". The "Change Oil" message should be gone the next time that you start the vehicle.

Be sure to record the oil change in your truck's service records. It's also a good idea to watch your driveway, garage or parking spot for drops of oil and check the oil level on the dipstick during the next few days.

For more, check out my other Dodge RAM 1500 Repair & Maintenance Guides.