Oil Level

[CometKat]

I did the mod where you sand the dip stick but it is still hard to read. However, from what I can tell it shows that it is over filled even though I put in the recommended 6 quarts of oil per the specs in the manual. Any thoughts on this?

[beastlytaco]

was the engine hot or was it tested cold?

[CometKat]

Originally Posted by beastlytaco

was the engine hot or was it tested cold?

Cold

[beastlytaco]

hmmmmm. try running your engine at 2000 for a few seconds and see if it changes. it may help

[91r100gs]

After my recent oil change mine reads slightly over the full mark and I only installed 5.75 qts. Looks like I will be accumulating oil for the lawn mower.

[CometKat]

Originally Posted by 91r100gs

After my recent oil change mine reads slightly over the full mark and I only installed 5.75 qts. Looks like I will be accumulating oil for the lawn mower.

This leads to the question; is the stick wrong or are the specs wrong. I think the stick is probably off.

[CometKat]

A few more thoughts…

The dip stick is worthless. Some oil must enter the tube and not drain. So every time you pull out the dip stick it picks up this residual oil and mars the reading.

The official advice from Toyota is worthless. To quote “We are sorry for the confusion. We do not have any indication that the specification in the manual is incorrect. However, our recommendation is to abide by the physical indication of the mark on the dipstick.”

The advice from my local service rep is worthless. To paraphrase ‘we use five quarts on all Tacoma oil changes regardless of what model or engine it is’

However, here is a quote from a post on ToyotaNation “Buried in one of the service manual sheets that I pulled from the TIS subscription webpages, I found that 6.1 qts is for "dry" oil/filter service, i.e. new engine. The "wet" oil/filter change spec is 5.8 qts, but even that varies depending on how long you let the oil drain.”

In the Tacoma manual it shows a difference of .7 quarts for the I4 with a filter vs. without a filter, while the V6 difference is only .3 quarts. How is this possible since the V6 filter is larger. I know this because my parts rep gave me a V6 filter instead of an I4 filter so I was able to compare the two side by side. As a side note the taller V6 filter will work on the I4.

So to speculate based on all the above information, I think the correct amount with a filter is either 5.6 (6.1 minus the .4 discrepancy from comparing it to the V6 specs and taking into account the lager V6 filter) or 5.8.

So in my case I’m sitting at 5.9 quarts (adjusted to take into account the larger V6 filter and the fact that I put in 6 quarts instead of 6.1) and am therefore between .1 and .3 quarts overfilled.

I think that this amount of overfill is not a problem.

I hope this offers some clarification instead of adding to the confusion.

[CometKat]

I did a little more work on a spreadsheet playing around with conversion calculators and various number rounding scenarios. My best guess is that the numbers without a filter (5.4 US quarts) are correct and the numbers with a filter are not. I also think this TIS number of 5.8 mentioned in my last post is correct but has been rounded from 5.75. This final number of 5.75 will still show high on the dipstick but I am convinced the dipstick in too long. As a side note you can get a single accurate reading on the dipstick if you pull it out in the evening then take a reading the next morning. This allows the dipstick tube to drain its residual oil.

[Drew793]

In the Tacoma manual it shows a difference of .7 quarts for the I4 with a filter vs. without a filter, while the V6 difference is only .3 quarts. How is this possible since the V6 filter is larger. I know this because my parts rep gave me a V6 filter instead of an I4 filter so I was able to compare the two side by side. As a side note the taller V6 filter will work on the I4.

I have the V6 and my manual calls for 5.25 quarts with a filter change. I've changed the oil and filter twice so far and this has been right on the money.

Also, the oil filter on the V6 sits at the top of the engine and is upside down. If I don't run the engine and just unscrew the oil filter,,, there's almost no oil in it. I believe this may be why there is only .3 quart difference?

[CometKat]

Originally Posted by Drew793

I have the V6 and my manual calls for 5.25 quarts with a filter change. I've changed the oil and filter twice so far and this has been right on the money.

Also, the oil filter on the V6 sits at the top of the engine and is upside down. If I don't run the engine and just unscrew the oil filter,,, there's almost no oil in it. I believe this may be why there is only .3 quart difference?

5.2 for the V6 are Liters not quarts. 5.5 is the number for US quarts for the V6. A least in my manual.

The orientation of the filter in the V6 is a good point. I hadn’t thought about that.

[CometKat]

Originally Posted by CometKat

As a side note you can get a single accurate reading on the dipstick if you pull it out in the evening then take a reading the next morning. This allows the dipstick tube to drain its residual oil.

It would be interesting to know what the dipstick reading looks like on a new 2.7 straight from the factory. I looked but had not at the time figured out how to get an accurate reading.

[91r100gs]

Originally Posted by CometKat

It would be interesting to know what the dipstick reading looks like on a new 2.7 straight from the factory. I looked but had not at the time figured out how to get an accurate reading.

When I first got my Taco w/2.7L it read about 1/3" above the max line parked on a level surface. This was after a run long enough to burn the moisture out of the oil. After my first change which I put in 5.75 qts it still reads a bit above the max line. Next time I am putting in 5.5 qts and we will see what happens. When I drained my oil, it was on ramps which made the vehicle tilt somewhat, so that probably affected the amount that came out. I let it drip for about 20 minutes. We'll figure this out sooner or later. Gives us something to post about.

[Drew793]

Originally Posted by CometKat

5.2 for the V6 are Liters not quarts. 5.5 is the number for US quarts for the V6. A least in my manual.

The orientation of the filter in the V6 is a good point. I hadn’t thought about that.

5.5 quarts I stand corrected on that. I usually buy the Castrol 5 qt. bottle and then a single quart and have it marked off at the 1/2 mark.

[CometKat]

Originally Posted by 91r100gs

When I first got my Taco w/2.7L it read about 1/3" above the max line parked on a level surface.

I think the stick must be off since it is reading high from the factory. To send about 1 million new sticks would be quite expensive so I can see why Toyota would blow this off.

A number of guys at Toyota Nation have come up with 5.25 US quarts to have the level at the high mark on the stick. This is a big difference from 6.1 in the manual. For me in the past I’ve always topped the oil off when it was ½ quart low. This discrepancy makes it hard to know where you are at. For now I consider the 6.1 spec to be wrong and the stick to be off. I’m going to use the 5.75 number until somebody comes up with some number more convincing.

As a side note if you run 5.25 and the number is really 6.1 then this will cause the engine to run hotter than it should, possibly affecting the engine longevity. I live in the desert so I don’t want to take that chance.

[Terrier]

Originally Posted by 91r100gs

When I drained my oil, it was on ramps which made the vehicle tilt somewhat, so that probably affected the amount that came out. I let it drip for about 20 minutes.

Just changed my oil for the second time on the taco. I was just wondering whether you happened to measure the amount of oil you drained.

[91r100gs]

Originally Posted by Terrier

Just changed my oil for the second time on the taco. I was just wondering whether you happened to measure the amount of oil you drained.

Sorry, didn't do dat. My drain bucket is so nasty I will hardly touch it. That baby has had motor oil, ATF, gear oil and tranny gear oil from my 91 beemer. Next time I change I will procure a new CLEAN 3 Gallon bucket from the Salad Bar ladies and measure it. Cuz I kinda curious myself how much comes out. Plus next time I will have gallon jugs and it is much easier to drain into and be accurate.

[Terrier]

Thanks for your very prompt reply 91r100gs. I did measure mine, well kind of; it completely filled one of those 5 quart containers and a slight bit more. My oil filter was drained into that and also created a decent sized puddle on the driveway.Of course, there is saturation of the oil filter. Also, I have no idea of the quantity of any oil that did not drain. My dipstick appeared (hard to read)to be at the full mark before I drained the oil.
I wonder if there is any spec out there that would tell me whether the 5 quarts plus that was drained is well above the low level mark. The following offers me some guidance; however, I am not sure if I am considering all involved factors.
I note on page 370 of my manual that the approximate amount of oil needed to increase the oil level from the low mark to the full mark is 1.4 quarts for the 2.7 engine. If the full amount is 6.1, then, if all factors are accurately considered, the low level mark should mean 4.7 quarts (6.1 - 1.4). Of course, I'm not sure if my calculation is correct in that I may not have considered all factors involved. In otherwords, I can't rely on my calculation.

[91r100gs]

The more I think about it, I am convinced that the 6.1 quart number is for a completely dry engine. Plus when I drained the oil I was probably slanted several degrees, with the rear of the truck being lower, due to being on ramps. I think 5.5 qts will be a good starting point for the next OCI.

I backed my truck into the driveway last night the other direction to unload some stuff easier, with the front lower than the rear, my driveway is slightly slanted downhill, I will check the oil level today and see if it is appreciably different than being parked the other direction. This could lend some clues to how much different angles affect the readings.

[mpgnc64]

I use a bigger filter and put in 5 and a half then check it cold in a few days. I always add 1/4 to 1/2 quart, but I half to check it cold or i dont get an accurate reading. I used to loose sleep over it but now Im comfortable that i have the correct amount in my motor. Im an equipment operator and check the oil in my D-6 in the morning, at lunch and at the end of the day every day so I know how to check oil. Bottom line is if you find an amount when you change it that your comfortable with, stick with it. Check if often and add small amounts when it needs it, 2 or 3 oz over or under never killed a motor.

[91r100gs]

Originally Posted by 91r100gs

I backed my truck into the driveway last night the other direction to unload some stuff easier, with the front lower than the rear, my driveway is slightly slanted downhill, I will check the oil level today and see if it is appreciably different than being parked the other direction. This could lend some clues to how much different angles affect the readings.

I did a oil level check the next morning, forgot to post quickly, sorry. The level was ever so slightly lower parked with the front of the truck parked facing slightly downhill. I am somewhat OCD (German), most folks would not even notice the difference.