2013 oil filter change

[jmadison]

what do you use to change the oil filter?i have a 2013 4x4 and can not access it from under the truck.i see the only way is through the right side wheel opening.i can not get a filter wrench in there. any one else have this problem?thanks in advance.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I just submitted a write-up for the magazine. Basically, take off the air intake hose and use a strap wrench on it, like you did in the 1990s.

 

[Mountain]

I just did my first oil change on my 2013 3500. What a pain! What took me 15 minutes on my 2002 5.9 just took 3 hours. The filter was extremely tight from the factory. I tried using my filter strap but couldn't get it to work. There was not enough room to get a handle in there. I found an old oil filter wrench and finally got the filter loosened. Now the fun part of getting it out of there started. Not enough room to lift it out from the top. I disconnected the intake tube from the air filter box but still not enough room. The hole in the fender well appeared too small to get the filter out. After struggling with it and spilling oil (I had the filter in a plastic bag) I finally pulled it out the hole in the fender well. What a crappy design!

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I took off my air intake tube, used a filter pliers through the wheel well to loosen it. Really did not work all that bad. Tho MOPAR gave me 2 years of free oil changes so that takes the pressure off of me.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

My filter was not over-tight so the strap wrench worked fine. If it slips, put some abrasive etc. on the strap so it grips better; maybe a couple pieces of stick-on anti-skid tape from Home Depot. I didn't spill even a drop of oil.

 

[Dieselnerd]

How does the dealer do it? Do they take off the intake or do they just take it out through the wheel well and let it spill? I'm sure their best and brightest are not assigned to do oil changes.

I'll be doing my own. Hard to believe you have to take apart the intake system to remove a filter. If the dealer does this I'd want to make darn sure it was put together properly again.

 

[mpaulson]

On my 07.5 I always just took the intake tube off used filter pliers if needed when I couldn't remove it by hand. Removing the filter tube after unplugging the few sensors only added about a minute to the process. I've looked at the 14 and it won't be much different from what I can tell. Haven't done it yet.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I wouldn't get all upset that taking off the air intake hose might let cooties into the turbo. I used to do oil filter changes on my 1997 basically the same way.

 

[truckin-on]

I would personally like to meet and have a "discussion" with the f-ing moron who thought that the design of the engine oil filter location when installed in the truck was acceptable. Even better, I'd love to watch them change the oil filter on one of these trucks. Every time I have to change oil - and it's very often on my 2010 - averaging about 3000 miles - I curse the Dodge engineer who thought this was OK. for something that has to be done so often, you would have thought they would have given some consideration to making it a reasonable service procedure. I guess if the truck is up on a lift, it could be slightly less irritating, but for the guy trying to do it in the driveway, it's near impossible.

I did cut away a bit of the RF plastic fender shield, which made it possible to get a hand in there barely. You may want to consider that. Or just give up and get someone else to change it for you. It's such a PITA and so messy that I'm ready to give up doing it myself. It is by far the worst vehicle to change oil in the 40 years I've been working on cars and trucks.

 

[gtoli]

I don't have any issues changing the oil on my signature truck. The oil filter is easily accessed from underneath and, thanks to a fumoto finger touch drain, it's a simple procedure.

 

[truckin-on]

re: "The oil filter is easily accessed from underneath". Please, do tell. Do you have it up on a lift? What do you use for a filter wrench? Draining the sump is no problem at all, but the filter is a royal PITA from everything I've tried so far.

 

[JLandry]

I don't have any issues changing the oil on my signature truck. The oil filter is easily accessed from underneath...

That's because you have a 2010 and the OP has a 2013 3500. His truck has a completely different frame which blocks access to the oil filter from underneath.

John L.

 

[wyosteve]

I don't know if the 2010 is different from my 2012, but my 2012 is just as easy as my 04.5 was. Just slide under the truck, use one of Geno's filter wrench caps on a long ratchet extension and it comes right off.

 

[EDankievitch]

The 13 3500 and the 14 2500's are diff. have a diff frame /suspension that blocks the filter from under side. That said it's more of a pain to service the filter. That said I would much rather grumble as I change a filter on these Cummins/ RAM trucks every 10,000-15,000 miles than work on anything else the market has to offer. My 13 2500 is just like the 05 and the 12 that I used to own so I don't have the filter issue. But at almost 15,000 miles on the clock I would have had to change the oil on the 12 7 times and the 05 4 times by now. I did the first change at 2500 and the 2nd at 7500. I don't plan on looking at the filter or an oil change until 20,000 miles on the clock. I can live with the fight twice a year.... Hell I might even treat my self and let the dealer do it next go around..... Money I'm saving on less oil changes with this 13 even if the dealer does the oil change I'm ahead way ahead.

 

[gtoli]

I realize there is a difference in the new truck frames. My reply was in response to truckin-on's comment about how difficult his 2010 is to change the filter on. I would trade to a 13-14 MY in a heartbeat if the DW would let me.

I don't know if the 2010 is different from my 2012, but my 2012 is just as easy as my 04.5 was. Just slide under the truck, use one of Geno's filter wrench caps on a long ratchet extension and it comes right off.

Exactly, Steve.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I approached the task with "fear and trepidation" but it isn't hard if you take off the air intake hose, and the top of the air box to make it easier to get your arms in there.

 

[Kirwin]

You also don't have to disconnect the wiring from the air box cover sensors. Just flip the lid over upside down on top if the engine while you replace the oil filter. I don't like disconnecting those plastic electrical connectors any more often than I need to. To much risk of bending a pin or Mr. Murphy inserting some sort of issue that I must over come. Ken Irwin