3rd Gen DIY maintenance quick reference

Don’t trust anyone.

 

I agree with thatnoobguy change your own. A buddy of mine took his gen 2 to jiffy lube for an oil change last week they took the old oil out and never refiled it he drove it 10 miles without oil in it. Jiffy lube towed it to there mechanic still waiting for their decision on what they are going to do,a new or reman short block I would think.

 

Any guys running redline MT90 in their 3rd Gen 6-Speed for an extended time now? Is the GL-4 fluid really safe for the 6MT? And does anybody have any experience running this oil in the cold? Are shifts still smooth? I can't seem to find any OEM Toyota GL-3 oil.

 

Redline MT90 Satisfies the requirements for the 3rd Gen 6 Speed Manual Tranny.
"Toyota Genuine Manual Transmission Gear Oil GL-3 (GL-4) or equivalent, SAE

$30 75W-90 Synthetic Gear Lube - 1 Quart (Pack of 2)

75W-90"
I have just changed the fluid in my manual tranny with the Redline MT90. It's 100% fine I noticed no difference from the OEM fluid I had been using for the last 50,000KMS.

 

Any chance Toyota specs a different formula for cold weather markets.

 

I highly doubt it. If they did I feel they would have documented the alternative spec. I'm in Canada and am not in anyway concerned with the MT90 in cold weather.

 

Man do I miss changing the oil on my 2011 Tacoma with the oil filter on top of the engine!

 

Where to find cheap crowfoot wrenches for 1/2 inch drive!

 

If your in Cali you should have many places to choose from. Being on the east coast of Canada I am limited in knowing what stores you have at your disposal.
What about Harbour Freight? I think that’s a US store.
My only other suggestion would be Amazon.

 

Harbour Freight on has 3/8" drive sets and they are super cheap!

 

Be careful with those. Cheap yes, but my set did not fit well, would not go on the square drive.

 

Not promoting anything, just answering a fellow members question. I've not used them.

 

10/4. Just sharing my experience as a warning.

 

Toyota isn't the only manufacturer that does this. I bought a new 2018 Toyota pickup, a new 2006 GMC pickup and before that a new 1991 Ford pickup. All trucks had the fluids checked the morning after I came home from the dealer. All trucks were low on all fluids except the transfer case fluids. Engine oil was almost a quart low in all trucks. Ditto for coolant, about a pint low on all 3 trucks. Grease fitings have had little to no grease across all 3 brands.

Over inflated tires (including the spare) seems to be a common theme. My Ford was 8 pounds over max inflation, my GMC was 18 pounds over max (48 pounds in all tires AND the spare). I bought this truck on 12/13/06. Can't blame heat from the sun for that. My Toyota was 6, (2)@7, 8, and 11 pounds over max for the spare. All tire pressures were checked in the shade, inside the garage and before being ridden. I assume the factory overinflates the tires to prevent air loss if the vehicles sit on the lot for a long time. My GMC rode like it had solid rubber tires.

Both the Ford and GMC were low on refrigerant ( I have all the equipment to do AC work). The trucks would blow cold air on a warm day and cool to slighty warm air on a hot day. IIRC the Ford was 5 ounces low and the GMC about 3.5 ounces low. I haven't had time to check my new Tacoma, but that is only 13 days old and blows air cold enough to chill meat on a 95 degree day.

Why do manufacturers do this? If they save $1 on each vehicle, ten million vehicles =$10 million dollars.

The old adage is true. If you want it done right, do it yourself. My trucks are only seen by the dealer for factory recalls. If they can't do something simple like checking fluid levels, they can't do anything complicated like changing spark plugs.

When I buy a new vehicle, I buy two things right away. A factory service/repair manual. Money WELL spent. The second thing is a 4X6 side spiral ring bound note book. I put lines every half inch inside the front and back cover. Inside the front cover is a list of maintenance intervals and common part numbers related to them, such as oil, fuel and air filter part numbers, one on each line. Inside the back cover is a list of tightening torques, wheel lugs and spark plug torque are at the top of the list. I also list less frequent wear items, such as brake pad brands and part numbers, belt brand and part numbers, etc. All sale slips are stored in a file inside the house. Two years of summer heat make receipts unreadable.

On the interior pages is the maintenance record, starting with purchase date, place and mileage, along with any defects in the vehicle when I took possession from the dealer.

This allows me to see that brand x belt lasted 5,000 more miles than brand z belt, etc.

I hope this helps.

 

That's some fine OCD right there.
When do you find time to drive your new vehicle?

 

It's called being organized, not OCD. When a vehicle is under warranty, accurate records reduce the chance of the dealer avoiding a warranty repair due to something that I did. I worked 32 years in the pharmaceutical field where you had to keep spotless records in the event there was a recall on a product, AND to cover your ass. Old habits die hard.

 

@drewhaus shared this might help some

 

That is Qi (chi), it is for wirelessly charging your cell phone.

 

If I put a fumoto valve, will I still need to drop skid for oil filter?

Never done it before, and thinking of putting the fumoto the first time I do oil change

 

on a Pro skid, Oil filter is via an access panel you can take off. the oil drain has a hole on the skid