Fed up with my Taco

I guess it’s perception. I talked to a guy who has a 2017 dc or. He told me regularly tows a 2k boat to the Great Lakes (4hrs) with the truck loaded and 2 people. He said its no effort and not to believe what I’m reading.

 

The F-150 will really depend on how you use it. The V8 will run for years without too much fuss but the Eco-boost engines take a little more care. If you constantly beat on it and neglect its maintenance then you're in for a world of hurt. The problem with everything going to a turbo now is that you still should care for them like you always should have - religious maintenance and letting the engine run to cool the turbos cool after prolonged or hard use.

 

Bingo!

 

When you do sell it, you can at least say "I tried".

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHHOTSmC3jA

 

Yeah, mine has issues with alot of weight on hilly roads, and when cold ( below 35*) had Toyota upgrade software and not much better. Im getting my trans fluid replaced because I dont like not really knowing if its level is correct. But otherwise Love My Taco..

 

What mileage are you doing the trans fluid at?

Are you DIY, dealer or shop do it......and how much?
I figure with how busy the trans is I'd like to get or change the fluid around 50k.

 

Ive got 18500 on it, bought it last year as Certified. I want to have dealer do it, think it’s around 3-4 hund. I just feel its a fluid level issue and have fought with them to check, but only said they’d keep it ALL day on the rack with sensors on it heating up the fluid. Want to before 20k

 

That's kind of what I gathered from reading around here.....the price and being an all day thing. I think it's a huge mistake to not be able to change the trans fluid or even easily check it, especially considering how much it shifts. It's obvious that they geared it for mpg and the gaps between 3-5th are just too far.

It's the one thing that has always bugged me the most about the taco and I don't tow anything or carry much more than a dirt bike.
I use S more often and alter my driving, just wish it did better than 19 mpg overall.

 

55mph sweet spot.

 

I always heard the stories with the newer ones, not sure if the older 2011's ever had these issues. I have mine loaded up weighing in at just over 3 tons and it handles the huge climbs up north like a champ.

 

No maker gives you a tranny dipstick these days. It’s been missing on most cars, including the Tacoma, for over a decade, so I don’t know why it’s talked about so much here. It is to increase reliability of the transmission in the hands of the unskilled, and to reduce oxidization of the new “lifetime” transmission fluids.

BMW doesn’t even give you and oil dipstick, so we should be happy.

Like every other paranoid TW’er, I took it upon myself to check my transmission fluid level. It was filled perfectly from the factory, to within a thimbleful, and beyond what I could accurately measure with a graduated cylinder.

 

I love my taco. I have a '17 taco trd sport RWD. I'm at 48700 miles and no problems. My neighbor and I just changed my brake pads to powerstop, and changed my shocks and uca to fox 2.0 all around w/ camburg uniball uca. We didn't have any problems besides the uca bolts. We did a little tweaking but didn't have to chop them off at all. Overall no problems with my truck.

 

Didn’t know that, I came from a 93 pathfinder with a mt and haven’t owned any auto in maybe 25 years.

How’d you check the fluid level?

 

This guide works perfectly. It is daunting to read, but not bad to do. I was nervous, but everything happened exactly as per the thread, and if I had to do it again, it’s easy-peasy. Only difference is my truck took 17 minutes to reach the check temp and not 8 minutes as it was for the thread author.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-automatic-transmission-fluid-level-check-diy.547455/

 

Cool, thanks for that!!

 

My truck is great up to 60mph. Anything over that and the slightest incline I have seen it drop to third gear numerous times with an empty bed. I have not had any transmission updates nor took it to the dealer for that issue. So as of now I won't fault my truck completely. Still surprised it struggles uphill as much as it does. Just my 2 cents.

 

Most trailer tires are rated up to about 65 mph. Asking for a blowout.

 

Hey man, the OP has been driving for 44 years. You can't tell him what to do!

 

Sorry. I will put on the cone of shame.