2009-2018 Dodge Ram Transmission Fluid & Filter Change 

Thanks for watching! Here are some other DODGE RAM videos you might be interested in. Change the oil on a dodge ram 3500 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MEiKe8ZKBO0.html Change the front brake pads and rotors 2018 Dodge ram 3500 Duely ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-o7f7HjkrOqU.html How to change the Air Filter 2015 Dodge ram 1500 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-D47OTKT--GA.html 2012 Ram 1500 Oil Pressure Sensor Replacement ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Kkj-nVlmG5g.html 2009-2018 Ram Headlight Bulb Change Head Light Removal ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CgrUH1qs_s0.html

I love the fact that you do the maintenance laying below it. its more realistic for a lot of us.

Excellent video and I have been there done this a couple times on a 2014 ram. Keep in mind that this is one of two automatic transmissions in the fourth generation Ram. This is the six speed Chrysler build RFE transmission with the spin on filter and traditional pan filter. If you have the ZF8 speed automatic, there is a whole different procedure for doing that one. The Germans have figured a way to get you to spend a lot of money to change the fluid on the ZF as the filter on that transmission is integrated with the transmission pan . You need to replace the whole transmission pan as it is not reusable and the fluid is special and more expensive and not compatible with the Chrysler ATF+4 fluid used here. Something else I’d like to put out regarding the 6 speed transmission. I would not under any circumstances use an aftermarket filter kit. On my first fluid/filter change I used a Wix kit, which looked very substantial and seemed to fit well. When I opened the transmission on my seconds fluid change, the pan filter, crimp that holds the filter media to the bottom of the pan had let go and was not, allowing the media to filter the fluid anymore! Fortunately, the spin on transmission oil cooler was filtering the return from the transmission cooler. Upon inspection, that filter was marked paid in China! Definitely worth using OEM Chrysler made in the USA components on something as expensive as your transmission.

That’s the prettiest neatest bead I have ever seen and the clean black pan just shows it off 👍🏾

I appreciate you’re doing it with an actual event fluid pouring down not like other video only simulate it with an empty pan 👍👍

Get at least three bolts that are the same thread size as the pan bolts, but 3 to 4 inches longer. When you're installing the pan, it's easy to get the longer bolts threaded in the corners, without the pan and gasket seal touching the transmission. The pan will basically be hanging down, with a gap, suspended by the long bolts. From there, you simply feed the pan upward, and directly into place without any shifting that could cause gasket distortion. Once you have enough stock bolts installed to hold the pan in place, remove the long ones from the corners and install the stock ones. Im much more relaxed knowing that I finished the job without wondering if I breached the seal from a small slip in my attempted pan alignment. The bolts are cheap enough to throw away without guilt. 😁

Why the €$#) does the the transmission pans not have a drain plug?

I used a $10 fluid pump with hose snaked down the dipstick tube. Pumped out enough to reduce the pan mess underneath.

A paint can opener works great to remove the sump filter seal. Its outer edge is slightly exposed in a couple spots, just hook it and pull straight down

this guy is brave with his eyes. I can't do anything under a vehicle without getting something in my eyes

Excellent step by step visual and discussion by Blair. Thanks to the videographer with great in-focus professional video, not just a cell phone recording. Tackling the job from the ground is very realistic for most of us. Thanks for making this one of the best videos available anywhere. Marvelous.

Very good video. I just performed this on my 13 hemi ram 4x4. I had two issues. 1st i could not use rtv on pan. I tried and everytime i attempted to fit pan back on i would drag rtv onto the filter and some of the small nuts in the transmission. I tried 3 times slide in the pan and looking. I got so pissed i gave up and decided to use the rubber gasket instead. The exhaust is just so close i couldn't get it fitted without this problem and i really wasnt going to let rtv bits stay inside my transmission. Rubber gasket seemed to work fine knock on wood. Second i used about 8.5 quarts to refill back not 6.5. Idk why mine was more i was nervous i was overfilling but it wasnt and i did make sure to idle in neutral.

Clear and precise instructions, No wasted time talking about irrelevant subjects. THANK YOU

You are easily one of the best RU-vid channels for DIY instructional vids for vehicle maintenance. Thank you this was great!

Wow! I'm puzzled... I've been watching numerous videos on servicing the transmission on the '09 - '18 Ram 1500s (I have a '16 with the ZF8HP trans). I don't know if I missed something in the title or description but this transmission isn't like what's in the other videos. The first thing that caught my eye was the color of the fluid that was draining out. It's red... and the correct ZF fluid is not... it's more of a greenish color. Then I notice there was a separate screw in filter. Then I backed up and rewatched stuff. This is not the ZF... so many differences. What gives? I thought the 4th gens had the ZF... the 6 speed thru '13, then the 8 speed...

I put the spin on filter dry, no oil on the mounting boss or filter gasket. The spin on filter is known to come loose and fall off. I also weld in a drain plug nut so that next time I need to drop the pan all I have to do is remove the drain plug. Takes less than half an hour but saves lots of time and mess if you pull the pan again.

That's Great. Thanks for the info...

My dodge Ram has a check engine light on with the tracking symbol on as well,will not shift 3rd or 4th gear??

I was going to say same as below. Love that you do this on your back from the ground like us regular people would not on a lift like others. Really, who has a lift in their home shop?

Awsome Ya dodges have a reputation for transmission failure so I will be keeping on top of my fluid Thx for this video I have a 2020 classic model and told 2018 modes and part all the same

Great job and instruction! A steel putty knife is also great for breaking that seal. I bought an after-market replacement pan with a drain plug. A good alternative to replace the OEM pan, and in the unfortunate case you overfill the transmission, it is a snap to drain some of it!

Thanks for a great video, Blair. Love your channel! This looks like a 65RFE (same trans in my 2013 JEEP GC Overland 5.7 4x4 - and same part numbers). I've been told that to do this correctly, one needs to flush the transmission, not just drain it. Is that not true? Thanks and keep up the good work!

If using a pump to drain much first. Would it not be best to back up onto the ramps, blocking the front wheels so most of fluid will go forward get pumped out of dipstick tube and providing more room underneath to work?

The exhaust pipes on my 2017 hemi ram 1500 have a crossover pipe that goes beneath my transmission oil pan. It is within 2 inches of the oil pan. Why would they do that. If heat is needed to get the temperature of the transmission up higher, why do they have cooling Lines that go into the radiator of the engine at the front of the car? I put a muffler heat shield that I picked up just for shielding my transmission oil pan from the heat of that exhaust crossover pipe on my truck. it’s been on there since I bought the truck new in 2017 when I spotted that questionable routing for the exhaust crossover pipe. It just didn’t make any sense to me. Here it is, six years later, and I am not having any transmission issues..:

Im a at home mechanic, can i replace the pan with one with a drain bolt

Not sure if this was mentioned in the video but I'm pretty sure when checking the fluid level you're to put the vehicle in neutral after setting the park brake, at least to my understanding 😉

First put your truck on this $20,000 lift Next, take your $500 impact connected to a $1000 compressor and remove the bolts Yea..... very refreshing to not have to sit through that. On the gravel, and on your back mechanics! That’s how most of us do it. Thank you

Not a single one of these ram videos talk about the one T40 the exhaust completely blocks access to there is no way he used that drill and extension on one of them

You got a pair of surgical steady hands, my friend! Wish you were in town so I can have you do it. I am outboard motor specialist and can do the job easily. However, we all have a different jobs in our societies. If everyone were trying to do everything himself/herself, society would collapse. For those who never wrench a nut, just have the professional do it. I watched for reference on how these things are done on vehicles only. I would have you do it if I lived where you were at!!! Nice video!❤

Thanks, well done

Gracias Amigo!👍💯🤝

Now I don't feel so bad paying that $300+ to get it done.. Thanks

Thanks for the tutorial!

Great video. Only thing id add is that when you choose which bolts to leave in pull them all the way out with you ratchet etc.. then put them back in by hand enough to hold. Sometimes you dont want your too full of oil but the bolts are too tight to take out by hand. When that happens you have zero choice to get your gun full of stinkin fluid inside it whereas you can alwats roll your sleeve up and get it with your fingertips. I

Have you tried using a fluid extractor to remove most the fluid from the top, to make pulling the pan less of a hassle?

Just wondering if I should go to the dealership or Mr transmission mister transmission is cheaper

One comment on an otherwise excellent video. When using RTV, you do not want to get RTV on the threads of the bolts. Doing so could cause the bolts not to fully seat due to hydraulically locking in these blind holes. If you’re not careful and over torque these, which a lot of people do, you can strip the threads in the soft aluminum transmission housing. Best practice with RTV is to encircle the bolt hole opening in the pan, so as not to get it on the threads of the bolt. Kudos to the previous commentor about using a few longer bolts to suspend the pan directly under the correct holes as in aid to reassembly

Hi I have a 2014 dodge ram 1500 5.7.. 8 speed transmission my have the filter attached to the transmission pan so dealer says no to open it ..only drain fluid and add new .is this right?

Great video. Is it the same 2011 RAM 1500? What kind of the seal did you use it?

Is it necessary to pry out and reinstall that collar for the push on filter? I’d like to leave it and reuse it if not an issue.

Are the filters different for the 2WD and the 4WD 65RFE?

My 2015 Ram doesn't have a dipstick so how do I get the fluid into the transmission?

How often do I need to change the transmission fluid??

Always use a speedy wrench to remove the pan bolts. No power tools of any kind

Thank you very much for an extremely well done video. The wix filter kit I looked up for this has a gasket instead of using RTV. Would you consider cleaning (using the same thorough techniques) and using the gasket instead of RTV? Wix makes some good stuff, so I'm tempted.

THANK YOU 😊!!!!! I had no clue what was the correct level on the transmission fluid dipstick

Mucha gracias

Very well explained, and great video. Thank you!!!

This is exactly what I needed to see to convince me to pay someone else to continue doing it lol - Can you explain why there are 2 different filters in this transmission? Can you also shed any light on why in the world they don't give us a drain plug? I'm convinced my driveway and my face would have more oil on it than the pan if I did it myself haha - great video - cheers!

Hello , hope u r having a great day , i just did the same service for my truck , and added 6.5 qts and its still between the cold dot and the hot dot , and the trans temp was 52c

Great video thanks for the time and effort. One question that I have to anyone who knows, would a pre-made gasket be more effective or at least as good as the rtv ? Does anyone know or have opinions? I have to do this as well and I saw Rock auto has gaskets for sale. Thanks

How much to be this exact service?

You installed the pan just hand tightening the bolts and then you torque bolts to spec after you "waited as long as you can" how long is ideal for RTV?

I recently did this on my 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 6.7L Cummins (original owner, 79,000 miles over 15 years). Here are a few things I would do differently if I ever do it again: Don’t use the Permatex 81180 AT RTV Sealant: It was way too hard to squeeze out and requires 24 hours of drying before adding oil and completing the job. However, since I had time, it did work and created a good gasket. Draining the oil: I was expecting to drain 6 quarts as mentioned in the video, but I ended up with 10 quarts draining out. This could be because I let it drain too long, but I wanted to make sure no oil would get in my way when I installed the oil pan. (owners manual said total oil capacity is just over 17 quarts) Removing the factory gasket material: Since this was the first time I ever changed the transmission oil in my truck (after 15 years, and the oil was still a nice red), the factory gasket material was a total nightmare to remove. I spent 3+ hours on it and tried all the methods I could think of, including Permatex remover. A new replacement pan on Amazon was only 40 bucks, so I would buy a new pan over trying to clean the old one. Removing the collar: I couldn’t really get anything under the collar to do what was shown in the video. What I ended up doing was quite easy. I used a heat gun to heat the threads on a sprinkler pipe and then threaded it up into the collar. When it cooled, I was able to wiggle it out cleanly. I created a short video on it: ru-vid.comhK1rGzwCEFo

This must be for the v6 not for the zf 8 speed transmission

What is the service interval for the fluid change?

does anyone know what transmission this is? I am working on a 66RFE 4WD and trying to figure out how much fluid I should add after service

"If you strip this your day will be awful" Ha

Question: for a truck with 62,000 miles, no heavy towing. Mostly city driving in Florida, can I get by with just pumping some of the fluid out of the pan (with a small hose) and refilling accordingly or should I replace fluid and filter?

The problem for me is I am not experienced enough to do it myself and also, there is no place that I trust to do it for me.

How do you fill the 2018 dodge ram 1500 we have no dipstick v8 5.7 liter

I'm glad you said start the bolts what your finger I was watching another video the guy Rams the bolts in with an impact wrench without starting them by hand I said this is the same guy that strips out the spark plugs is the head what impact gun

2016 has no transmission dip stick check

My check engine light is on. It is a P0740; something about the torque converter In transmission What do you recommend? Thanks Brady Scriber

11 quarts of oil after fluid and filter change

Even though the factory uses high temp silicone I got a wix tranny filter kit that came with a actual pan gasket. Should I use that or do you recommend just sticking to the silicone? Also if I use the supplied gasket do I still have to silicone the bolt threads?

I have a 2017 there is no transmission dip stick you have to fill it up from the actual panhole. I don't know if this is the same process but it would be nice if he described the new transmissions.

You should’ve dropped the pan as you was lifting it in to place...that’s how it always is.

nicely done.

Which transmission is this truck equipped with? That doesn't look like the ZF 8HP70

I sure like you to do mine LOL where do you live I’ll give you another job to do. How much would you charge to do this for a customer?

This is the 6 speed trans? Mine has the 8speed, and has a PITA plastic pan.

Super clear video of how to. I have one question, Is it necessary to flush the transmission oil system?

Suck as much trans fluid as you can out the dipstick hole . I used an extractor purchased on eBay . Made job much cleaner and a whole lot less stressful .

I have a 2002 ram b3500 van. Do I have 2 filters like this truck? What are these 2 filters called?

This is a huge pain….

So is the gasket maker still a requirement when adding a new seal?

My owners manual didnt say how my transmission fluid I need. I tried googling it and no luck. This is the only place I found the transmission fluid capacity for my 2011 dodge ram 1500 2wd 3.7L v6. So 5.5 quarts is correct right? Thanks

Does this apply to a 2500 from the same year range, 2015 specifically?

Excellent video, I just got a question... my truck is a 2015 1500 3,6 L, is a 8 gear automatic transmission, and I been told for the dealer (here in CHILE) that the transmission fluid don’t need to be changed, then I read the manual and I think they where right. What do you think about it??

Thanks, just bought a 2009 and I'm slowly going through doing all these maintenance items.

Did it all proper and how it's done at the dealership.

is this the 8spd auto version? would it apply to 2019 classic?

Thanks for sharing. Dealer told me it would be $1,100 to $1,200 to have it done! He quoted me with a fluid flush too. Crap! I think I may take a day off work and just do it my self.

Excellent! Doing my ram 1500 today. Thank you!

I know there alot of fourwheel drive truck .. come on 2 wheel drive work on them ...

What’s that part called, that little metal ring seal that u have to tap with a socket my kit didn’t come with one and I gotta get one.

Them bolts and everything else would end up in the drain pan for me. Along with transmission fluid running all the way to my armpits. I'd end up breaking the pan for sure and with all them bolts, I'd take out 20 and end up with 2 left over when I was done. Never fails. How do I know if I pay someone whether or not they actually replaced the filter and did it right? Oh, and if I did it, when I thought I was done after putting EVERYTHING back, I'd be like, where did this magnet come from

Filter torque spec of 10 is NOT correct. It's 7.... The bolt broke. Your video says differently, but if you list a torque spec in the description please make sure it's right. We were able to get the bolt out but now we are trying to find a replacement bolt. Please change this in your description.

The 2011 has the 545RFE 5 speed, should be the same process?

You can't do that to a 2016 and up 8 speed trans none serviceable

Half a million on the TRX. I figured it deserved a new transmission filter and fluid.

Change ing my filter an it came with pan gasket do I use it or rib silicone or both

Stupide action and procédure..

This model was not a ZF transmission, right?

What transmission is this? Other documents sugget the filter and pan are integral and come with a gasket. I am looking to do this and want to be sure i do it correctly.

do you have a video on the sealed transmissions?

curious if this is the same transmission used on a 2018 (5th gen) Ram 2500 with the 6.4L Hemi?

Are you supposed to check the level in park or neutral?

Great job! But dude, seriously wear some safety glasses for this job ....!