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Pickups Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tacoma Care and Maintenance
184 messages, Last post on Jun 02, 2009 at 11:32 AM
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Any of you guys that have changed the oil on the 05 V6, what filters are you using and how did everything go? Since Toyota made the oil filter so easy to change, I think I'll be doing all of the oil changes myself. I'm not ready for an oil change yet, but I bought a K&N air filter and also a K&N Gold oil filter. I plan on using Royal Purple synthetic oil, once the engine has 5k miles on it.
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Replying to: pb2themax (Apr 11, 2005 6:29 pm) After years of maintaining family vehicles (since middle school), and 25 yrs of practice as a mechanical engineer (knowing part of the design criteria should be ease of maintenance), I'm with you. Of course, when you can save $1 on 200 000 vehicles, you can justify your job. Hopefully, the word will get out that expectations of owners regarding ease of service will make a difference in our purchase selections. As for filters, I'm a fan of Purolator, but find AC/Delco and Wix reasonable substitutes. I used to buy FRAM, but have to admit that a few studies of sectioned filters turned me off to the "Walmart of oil filters". Fram does make some OEM filters (I found a Honda filter that was a FRAM) but they build something different for the low end mass market. As for oil, I go with conventional motor oils. The oils refined and packaged by majors these days are just so much better than years ago, that they truly do handle the more severe requirements better. Synthetics have their advantages, but I think that consistent oil changes with a good quality oil, within the recommendations of the manufacturer are a better investment than synthetics, and FAR better than trying to stretch the intervals by using synthetics. As in previous discussions, no matter how good the oil is to begin with, the contaminants are going to build up with time. Additive packages that meet the current API standards for gasoline engines (per the vehicle mfr's specs) are going to handle the contaminants just as well in a conventional oil as in a synthetic. You may start with more consistent molecule chain sizes with a synthetic, but you won't end up any better, and the contaminants don't care what the base oil is. A good filter and a good oil are a good investment if applied as prescribed. You can do more damage w/ a synthetic by stretching the time interval, or not changing the filter. It makes even less sense to spend several times the price for a full synthetic, and not prefill the filter. Happy trails. |
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Replying to: msibille (Apr 16, 2005 12:00 pm)  What I meant was, that you can do more harm by using the excuse of synthetic oil to increase the oil change interval, than if you used the less expensive conventional motor oil with the recommended oil change interval. Sorry for any confusion. |
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We have a 99 2wd Tacoma. Its a great little pickup. very reliable. no problems, with 60 plus k on it now. we keep getting a mailer from our local dealer, telling us that we are overdue for our 60k maintenance. It will cost $500.00. We kinda of don't really feel that we need to have anything done, we regularly change the oil and have replaced tires and do what is ever needed if something goes wrong. I'm wondering if anyone has any opinion about this? Should we just go do it? I always feel that if it ain't broken don't fix it. Maybe I'm wrong?.....I'm sure there are things that we haven't done but should we??? We also hate the mechanics at this place but its local and convenient..but we really don't trust them.
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Replying to: mauigrom23 (Mar 27, 2005 6:04 am) |
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Replying to: msibille (Apr 16, 2005 12:00 pm) In response to that comment from post #106.....At startup, the oil pressure is high enough that the filter is bypassed anyway, so it does not matter if it is prefilled or not. Full synthetics do cost more, but they provide a level of lubrication that cannot be attained with conventional oil, and more importantly, don't break down as fast as conventional oil (so that 5W-30 you put in keeps its 30 ability and you aren't stuck with 5 weight oil protecting your engine). This has to do with the polymer chains in the oil.
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Replying to: peggy5 (Apr 26, 2005 12:53 pm) One thing you might want to do at every 30k mile interval is change out the coolant. |
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Replying to: dtyler (Apr 28, 2005 6:37 am) First- there is zero oil pressure when you first start, unless you have your engine equipped with an electric oil pump or one of the accumulator systems that were marketed to minimize the risk of damage to turbocharger bearings in the 1980s. (Most main-stream mfrs do not equip engines with those.) If you want to see it for yourself, change the oil and filter on your engine, turn on the ignition but don't start, allowing the instruments to come on line. Then start the engine and watch the oil pressure gage start at zero and build to operating pressure. No gage- watch you oil pressure warning light when you start. It will certainly stay on longer after an oil and filter change if you don't prefill the filter than after a normal start. Synthetics vs. conventional- the chains are essentially the same, it is just that a higher percentage of them will be of the same length/viscosity. Synthetics are assembled from the same source as conventional motor oils, the chemical bonds are identical - no magic here. So, the same shearing will occur in a synthetic as a conventional oil, albeit you will technically start with more of them at the "ideal". Nevertheless, by the time you've done the mechanical shearing of enough of the chains in conventional oils to be an issue, the oil is already suffering from contamination and should be changed. To use a synthetic to prolong the interval, merely means you drive with progressively contaminated oil for a longer time. One place where this MIGHT be worthwhile would be with an engine burning propane or LPG and running a significant amount of mileage. Since the engine is much cleaner burning, fewer contaminants are making their way into the oil. If we're not talking about short trips that allow for more condensation to accumulate, as well as time for the contaminants to form acids, then a synthetic could be used to extend the interval between changes without risking damage from contamination. The oil has 3 enemies - contamination, oxidation, and mechanical shear. A synthetic is not anymore contaminant tolerant than a conventional oil. |
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Replying to: peggy5 (Apr 26, 2005 12:53 pm) Dealers increasingly use marketing methods that list all sorts of services for an "X thousand mile service" at a given price. The list makes it look like you're getting your money's worth, but often these services are not called for as frequently by the mfr's manual (and who does the testing and design, your dealer or the mfr?), and sometimes the listed items aren't even applicable. (I really like the one in the booklet from my wife's Honda dealer where they list lubricating the U-Joints. First, most passenger cars and vans have been equipped w/ permanently lubed U-Joints since the 1980s and more importantly, the vehicle is front wheel drive so it HAS NO U-Joints!) Use the manual's list of services, then get pricing from the dealer on each of those services that apply. Now you can compare those with prices from other sources that you trust.
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Replying to: msibille (Apr 29, 2005 12:00 pm) My local Subaru dealer does this. They offer a $600 30k "special" where 80% of the items are either "if applicible", and they aren't, or are "inspect" checkoffs. I sometimes wonder if "inspect" in dealereze means check off the box from the desk. If you actually followed Subaru's guide, the service would be $125, AT MOST, at dealership prices, maybe $45-55, with your labor and OEM parts. Read the manual like msibille recommends. I'm a self maintainer who has no problems going to a pro when necessary. Many dealerships are simply out for a money grab. |
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