On the DT-generation Ram 1500 the cabin filter finally lives somewhere sane: a snap-in door on the side of the HVAC case behind the glove box. There's no cowl panel to pull and nothing under the hood to touch. The only real work is getting the glove box liner out of the way, and that means a few Phillips or 7 mm screws plus unhooking the damper arm on the right-hand side.
The two things people get wrong: buying the filter before checking whether their truck even has one (plenty of early 2019-2020 builds shipped with an empty housing), and installing the new element with the airflow arrow reversed. Also resist the urge to lever the liner out with a screwdriver — the dash tabs and damper socket snap, and you'll be chasing a rattle afterward.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Flashlight / headlamp LED, hands-free preferred The filter door is deep in the dark footwell behind the glove box. | Required | shop |
| Phillips screwdriver #2, stubby plus standard length Removes the glove box liner screws and any strap/damper fastener. | Required | shop |
| Socket driver and socket 7 mm socket, 1/4 in drive with short extension Some DT builds use 7 mm hex-head screws on the glove box liner instead of plain Phillips. | Required | shop |
| Plastic trim pry tool set Nylon, assorted Pops the glove box damper arm and unclips the filter access door without breaking tabs. | Required | shop |
| Shop vacuum with crevice nozzle Any wet/dry vac Cleans leaves and debris out of the empty filter housing before fitting the new element. | Recommended | shop |
| Kneeling pad or floor mat You work on your back/side in the passenger footwell. | Recommended | shop |
| Nitrile gloves Old filters hold mold, dust and rodent debris. | Safety | shop |
| Dust mask N95 Keeps you from breathing the dust that puffs off the old element. | Safety | shop |
| Cabin air filter Mopar 68318365AA (or equivalent; confirm by VIN/year at the counter) The replacement element; particulate and charcoal versions both fit. | Parts | shop |
| HVAC evaporator cleaner / deodorizer Aerosol, foaming Optional — kills musty smell in the duct while the housing is open. | Consumables | shop |
No differences by engine. The 5.7 Hemi eTorque, 3.6 Pentastar eTorque and 3.0 EcoDiesel all share the same HVAC case, same filter and same access procedure; only the glove box liner screw type (#2 Phillips vs 7 mm hex-head) and count vary by build date and trim. Note that the 2019+ Ram 1500 Classic (DS body) is a different truck with a different setup.
| Glove box liner screws (Phillips / 7 mm) | Snug by hand, approx. 15-20 in-lb — verify in the service manual |
| Filter access door | No torque — snap-fit clips only |
The behind-the-glove-box location and the Phillips/7 mm liner fasteners are correct for the 2019-2024 DT across all three engines, but screw count and whether the liner drops or must come out fully vary slightly by build date and trim — check yours before buying, and confirm the filter part number by VIN since particulate and charcoal versions are both offered.
Behind the glove box, in a snap-door on the passenger side of the HVAC housing. You remove or drop the glove box liner to reach it — there is no under-hood or cowl-mounted filter on the DT.
Not necessarily. Many early DT trucks were built with the filter housing in place but no element installed. Pull the access door and look — if it's empty, just slide a new filter in.
The airflow arrow points downstream toward the blower and evaporator — on the DT that's downward/inboard as you look at the housing. Note the old filter's orientation before you pull it out.
Ram's guidance is roughly every 12,000-20,000 miles or once a year. Dusty roads, gravel job sites or heavy pollen seasons can cut that in half; if airflow on high blower has dropped off, replace it early.