What's The Oil Capacity Of A 6.7L Cummins & Why Does The Model Year Matter?
Performing regular oil changes in your 6.7L Cummins-powered Ram truck is a good way to extend the diesel engine's lifespan past the 300,000-mile mark. Changing the engine oil in your truck yourself is a good way to save some cash and become a little more familiar with what's going on under the hood.
While changing engine oil is a fairly basic DIY task, you should know that it's often a gateway to performing other DIY mechanic projects. Even though the task becomes routine with repetition, there are some mistakes you'll want to avoid when changing the oil in your truck.
If you don't have a mentor to guide you (or even if you do in some cases), doing some research before starting the process is a good idea. Prior to pulling the drain plug and releasing your truck's oil from the pan, you'll need some supplies to complete the job. You need a set of DIY mechanic's tools, a drain pan for the old oil, an oil filter plug tool (or a large Ziplock bag), new engine oil, and the required filters to complete the job and get the most out of every oil change.
Dodge began using the 6.7L Cummins diesel engine in Ram trucks in 2007 and Ram still uses them today. An oil change for any model year requires 12 quarts (3 gallons) of engine oil when changing the filter too. However, the type of oil required depends on the model year of your truck.
What type of engine oil does a Ram Cummins diesel take?
It's always best to consult the specific vehicle's owner's manual for information such as this, so we perused a sampling of Ram manuals from Mopar. What we found was that 6.7L Cummins diesels in Ram trucks produced through the 2018 model year require 15W-40 engine oil certified to API CJ-4 standards.
Newer model Ram trucks, 2019 and up, with the 6.7L Cummins use 10W-30 oil certified to the newer API CK-4 standard. For cold weather applications, below 0-degrees Fahrenheit (-18 Celsius), Ram requires the use of a full-synthetic 5W-40 engine oil meeting the same API standards.
The API CJ-4 standard was superseded by the newer CK-4 standard. Both types are low-ash formulas designed to prevent ash build-up in the Cummins diesel engine particulate filtration system. Using the correct grade and type engine oil in your 6.7L Cummins not only extends the life of the engine, but it also protects the engine's exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and exhaust aftertreatment systems, as well as your engine warranty.