Summary:

An oil change is a critical task of routine van maintenance. Oil lubricates the engine and absorbs heat, allowing internal parts to work together effectively without overheating. Depending on how handy you might be, we think that changing your van’s oil is one of the simplest maintenance tasks you can perform yourself. It has the potential to save you money as well as control what type of oil is going into your engine. This article will walk you through the relatively simple process of changing your van’s oil.

Materials:

Preparation:

It is never a bad idea to do a quick drive to heat the oil up a little. It will flow better coming out of the oil pan especially on a cold day.

Check the type and amount of oil needed. The Ram Promaster EcoDiesel uses 9 quarts of oil. We prefer the following type of oil:

Get together your filter, wrenches, and other supplies.

Locate the oil filter and drain plug.

Remove the drain plug.

Drain the oil.

Remove the old oil filter.

Prepare the new oil filter by rubbing some clean oil on the gasket.

When replacing the new filter turn the filter 3/4 of a full rotation once the gasket has seated.

Tighten the drain plug back on.

Put your funnel in place and add the new oil.

Final Steps:

In order to reset the maintenance light:

  • Place the key in the ignition and turn to the ON position without starting the van.
  • Slowly press the accelerator pedal completely to the floor 3 times within 10 seconds.
  • Turn the key to the OFF position and then start the vehicle and the light will reset if performed correctly.

Finally, take the used oil and filter to any AutoZone/Napa/etc for recycling.