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This is the easiest maintenance item on a DT Ram 1500. The air box lives at the front driver's side of the engine bay, the lid is held by snap latches, and the only fastener most trucks need a tool for is the worm clamp on the intake duct. Budget ten minutes the first time and five after that.
The thing people get wrong is the lid seal. The filter has a thick rubber lip that has to sit in the housing groove evenly, and if one corner is proud the lid will not latch square — people then force the clips and either crack a tab or leave an air leak that whistles at cruise and can trip a lean code. Seat the filter flat, engage the hinge tabs first, and the lid should close with light hand pressure.
| Item | Type | Product search |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-blade screwdriver Small, 6 in (150 mm) Pries the spring latches off the air box lid without breaking them. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket wrench 1/4 in drive ratchet Drives the small socket for the intake duct worm clamp and any lid screws. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket 7 mm shallow, 1/4 in drive Loosens the worm-gear clamp on the intake duct at the air box lid. | Required | search retailer |
| Socket 8 mm shallow, 1/4 in drive Some clamps and housing fasteners on EcoDiesel and later builds take 8 mm. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Torx bit set T20 / T25 with 1/4 in driver Covers Torx-head lid or bracket screws found on some EcoDiesel and export housings. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Trim/panel pry tool Plastic Unclips wiring harness retainers and resin covers around the air box without marring them. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Shop vacuum With crevice nozzle Removes leaves and dirt from the empty lower housing so debris does not go downstream. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Compressed air / blow gun Regulated below 30 psi Blows out the housing sealing groove; never use it to clean the new filter. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Flashlight or work light LED Lets you check the sealing lip and confirm the filter is seated all the way around. | Recommended | search retailer |
| Engine air filter 5.7L Hemi: Mopar 68318364AA or equivalent; 3.6L Pentastar and 3.0L EcoDiesel use their own part numbers — match by VIN The replacement element itself; the three engines do not share filters. | Parts | search retailer |
| Shop towels Lint-free Wipes the housing sealing surface clean before the new filter goes in. | Consumables | search retailer |
| Nitrile gloves Keeps trapped dust and oil residue off your hands. | Safety | search retailer |
All three engines use a snap-latch lid, but the filters are not interchangeable: order by VIN for the 5.7L Hemi eTorque, 3.6L Pentastar eTorque or 3.0L EcoDiesel. The duct clamp is normally 7 mm; some EcoDiesel and later-build housings use an 8 mm clamp or T20/T25 screws, so have both sizes and a Torx bit on hand.
| Intake duct worm-gear clamp at air box lid | verify in the service manual (snug only, about 3-4 Nm / 30-35 in-lb) |
| Air box housing mounting screws / bracket bolts | verify in the service manual |
Roughly every 20,000-30,000 miles under normal driving, and as often as every 10,000-15,000 miles if you run gravel, farm or jobsite dust. Inspect it at every other oil change and replace it when the media is grey and the pleats are packed with grit rather than going strictly by mileage.
Many trucks open with just your hands on the clips, but you almost always need a 7 mm (sometimes 8 mm) socket to loosen the intake duct clamp, and a small flat screwdriver helps pop stiff latches without breaking them.
It fits the same housing, but oiled cotton filters pass more fine dust and over-oiling can contaminate the MAF sensor, which shows up as rough idle or lean codes. For a daily-driven truck a standard paper filter is the safer choice.
No. There is no relearn or reset for the air filter. If a light appears after the job, suspect a loose MAF connector or an unsealed lid or duct rather than the filter itself.