Too much oil from factory

I checked my oil today at 3900 miles and it is 1/2 quart over full. Has anyone else had this problem from the factory? The dipstick must have a hard bend as it's hard to insert fully. I'm thinking I may just change the oil now, myself, and forget the Toyota free maintenance, especially after the trouble @Rannyhill had. Hope he checks the level on his new truck before he drives it off the lot.

 

I wouldn’t worry about 1/2 quart too much.

BTW, It’s good you actually checked the oil. Most people don’t

 

How did you check your oil?

Sounds like a stupid question but I have heard you need to pull the dipstick out and let it sit for a few minutes to let residual oil drain back down that tube, then check. If you check right away it’s alleged it can cause a false reading of your true oil level. Of course, you do this with a level vehicle.

Toyota has good quality control and there is a small chance you got unlucky, but the vast majority of their vehicles come out of the factory ok, and then gets checked upon arrival to the dealership. As little as TW trusts dealerships, most of the time they do good work - albeit at a higher price.

 

Mine takes 6qts even to be right under full mark, once to operating temp its right on full. Manual calls for 6.2qts.

Pull the stick and wipe it and then wait a few minutes before inserting for best reading.

 

I can see that some oil is pulled up the tube with the stick. The level is more legible on one side of the stick versus the back. I'll wait longer to check next time but I think that will only make the level higher. I was surprised that the stick is so difficult to insert. I had to turn it over so it would go in without forcing. And I think my garage is pretty level.

 

You don't expect that you need to on a new truck, but I think we should. I'm not a big fan of waiting to 10000 miles on the first oil change.

 

The dip shit stick is wonky. I've drained the oil and filter, refilled with 6qts, started up, shut off for several minutes then check the oil a few times and it'll still be a bit over the top line. Whatever.

 

Do you use the same dealer as @Rannyhill ??

 

It does take 6 1/4 quarts on my dipstick to be full between the marks. I think thats allowing for the filter to.

 

Of course not. The five hundred people here at Tacoma world know a lot more than Toyota and the millions of Tacoma owners that change it at 10K.

 

I don't think so but I don't believe he ever named his dealer.

 

I don’t think their is any scientific way to really check the oil in a home environment with a dipstick. I would leave it and drive it versus crack it open and drain it

Edit, check your bill of sale, you may have been charged for that extra oil

 

I did my own oil change at 1k, old habits die hard and it’s worth my own peace of mind. I’ll continue to do my own changes every 5k since they’re easy enough but I do plan on taking my truck in at 10k and 20k for the free ones, but I’ll continue to do them every 5k after as well.

 

No that is not necessary. Pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, put it back in and immediately pull it back out. Usually one side of the dipstick will have a more visible reading than the other. I've never seen a case where the tube can retain oil over and above what is in the pan, including my Tacoma.

 

What is happening is that an oil film inside the dipstick tube can get rubbed onto the dipstick as it is push in and pulled out. That is also why one side of the dipstick will have a more visible or more clear reading than the other. The side with the lower more clearly defined reading is the correct one. Also, since the dipstick must curve as its pushed in, it has to be oriented correctly so that it can make that bend.

 

Unlikely, check it after 15 minutes of running.

Most factory filled are slightly below full when checked. I've checked thousands and have never seen one overfilled. Unless your PDI tech topped it up for some reason.

If you check it after an overnight sitting it may show slightly above full.

 

The problem with the 3.5L dipstick, is when you first pull the stick (for the initial wipe) it pulls oil up into the stick tube. You must wait for this oil to drain back into the pan, or reading the dipstick can be a real bitch due to oil from the walls of the tube being all over it. I went on a very long trip in my in truck (to the Arctic Ocean and back), so was conscious of the oil level and checked it every morning. After three weeks of daily checking the oil, I developed a routine, but never found it easy. For sure waiting 5 or more minutes, after you pull the stick, to dip the level, helped a great deal.

All in all, the 3G is the greatest truck ever made by humanity, but the dipstick is a total fail.

 

Fair enough, then all OP has to do is make sure his vehicle is level. I have read arguments for both sides but I fall into the “wait it out a minute” group

 

I don’t like the idea of 10k OCI either.

BTW, I own a 2nd Gen. Be happy yours is over full.
Us 2nd Gen guys usually had LOW fluids (mostly in the Rear Differential and Automatic Transmission)
I’d rather have a little too much oil, than not enough.

 

3rd gen issue as well. The extra engine oil is Toyota's way of making up for the low oil levels from the factory in the diffs & tranny.