Scheduled Maintenance on fluids questions

Between the manuals and a service dealer saying different, guess I’m confused on when to change fluids and appreciate any input…2018 Tacoma 4x4 79500 miles. Never off road
Front and rear differential
Transmission
Coolant
Brake
Any other fluids?

 

Just my opinion but service reps can be and are wrong. The manual won’t be.

 

Follow Toyota's recommended service schedule as outlined by the website linked below... just enter your vehicle and mileage...

The service writers are only concerned with how much money they can pry out of your wallet... not your vehicle service needs.

https://www.toyota.com/owners/parts-service/maintenance-schedule

 

The Dealership will recommend stuff to make money, just stick to the Manual.

 

Go by the book. Just don't ignore the severe duty section, just in case it applies.

Constant sort drive cycles like a couple miles to work each day is severe on engine oil IMHO

 

Owner’s manual’s job: to keep your truck in good working order

service writer’s job: to keep his lake house mortgage current and his boat in good working order

 

Can you do any of your own services? Two of the four noted are easy IMO (Differentials and Transmission), and if you can measure and replace what you drain/fill then you should be able to do 3 of 4. The brakes - I would have the dealer do. And while you are at it do the power steering fluid full flush and fill too - easy as checking your oil. Or just drive it and don't look back until you trade it in for something else (Tundra).

 

Lol , no not able to do it myself, never had the front, rear differential changed, or transmission, brake , power steering. At the dealer today for oil change and of course they mentioned to do front & rear differential, coolant change , brake flush. The manual really only states to check the front & rear diff @ 30,60,90 didn’t see a change. Truck is a pavement princess, never off road or tow

 

Brake fluid is 3 years tops.
Trans is 60k miles
Coolant is 7 years or 100k

 

Find a reputable independent mechanic and forget about the dealer. Do what you can yourself and take the truck to them for what you can't and tell them what you want done.

 

sounds like mine - but it can't hurt to change the fluids - just like oil changes. No judgement here, I get it and am lucky I have the time, tools, knowledge and resources to do services. I just changed the Power Steering fluid - was struck by the nasty fluid that came out at 60K and how easy and light the steering wheel turns now. If you were local I would help you out. That is what TW represents. GL.

 

Appreciate that

 

For power steering fluid, just suck out what’s in the reservoir and replace that amount. Do it a few times over a few weeks and you’re good. Same with brake fluid.

 

honestly the book sucks , really written for consumers report to show how cheap maintenance can be, but toyota list all fluids as inspection in most cases, so if someone actually checks them, they will find my list below is fairly normal.



Here is what I have stuck to since 2008 for my toyota's at one point I had 3 with a total of 680,000 miles ( for all 3) so it seams to work just fine



coolant, 5 years , 100k , after first change every 50k up to 4 years

Brake fluid 2 years, funny a lexus of the same model will list it, but cheaper toyota's have no brake fluid interval listed?? ( new BMW's are now 3 years 1st time, then every 2 years... bet that is because the car comes with 3 years of included maintenance , so whose interest is being served )

Transmission fluid ( any WS car/truck) 60,000 miles , non-tow or easy life car, 90k, then every 60k

Diffs - even my 98 4 cy camry had a servable front diff ( AT only) every 30k , truck with lots of tow time--every 15k ( german rav4 show 15k!!)

T-case - 30k , ( rav's highlanders, sienna , all the car based "all wheel drive" only hold a quart - do them , they also are the front diff in a since for those cars/suv)

power steering at 60k, then every 30, unless dirty prior to 60k , then do it



it all depends on how long you expect something to last - if you punt cars/trucks by 60k, or lease them, follow the manual, but actually follow the manual including reading the severe , almost everyone falls into that for one reason or the other.





Engine oil, well 10k, just not into it, 6 months -- up to 7500 in most cases @ 6 months I am not even at 5k but over a 10 year period, an extra 1000$ on what may be unneeded oil changes... I don't care, I am doing it at least every 6 months!



As a father son project, my son and I rebuilt a 1993 22re @ just under 300k, had been serviced similar all it's life - when I turned the engine on its side to push out the pistons , The first when went flying out and hit the ground, I was expecting the lip on the cylinder to cause some resistance.... The dam motor still had cross hatching and no ridge... ruined the piston that hit the floor so it got bored , balanced and a full build when it could have been ringed and gasketed!( new mechanical word I swear) why, this thing was maintained its whole life!

To each his own, but I believe in fluids and the book being stupid if someone keeps a vehicle

 

Regardless wether you off road or not, go by the manual! And as far as brake fluid, does anyone really change that????

 

Never have... except during brake service work...

 

Once the fluid in the reservoir takes a certain percent of water content, I for one absolutely change it.

 

GL5 gear oil 90wt
Toyota WS
Toy pink
Dot 3/4

Transfer case, Redline 75wt https://www.redlineoil.com/mt-lv-70w75w

power steering, https://www.redlineoil.com/power-steering-fluid

 

lol, all the service writers i know have the job to keep their 1994 honda civic operational while paying child support to their ex-wife. i haven't met any service writers that can even afford a boat, let alone a lake house

 

I do mine every 3 years. I'll need to buy a scan tool that will turn on the brake bleed option on the Tacoma.