What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

you use the same tired over used memes each week, come on man

 

I'm going to cut hard right soon

 

And cut right
Alive n Well.
No longer driving a Tacoma

Jimmy...Jimmy where are you? I'm on Oahu, HI.
Where are you?

 

I get the same in Colorado (obviously not from desert sand here, but from any hard particle in the air as I drive). Some bigger piece of gravel will put a chip/crack in it well before the pitting becomes too bad. I'm happy to get 2 years/30k out of a windshield. I got hit by a rock at 600 miles (thunk!) on my Tacoma and got a big pit and have a 16" crack toward the passenger side. Doesn't matter if it's OEM, Safelite, or PPG glass. At 3000 miles I can see other pits too. My worst was 5 days; our best is a '10 Camry we bought last year with almost no miles that still has Toyota glass. Just don't go to the cheap installers; not sure about the glass but a bad install can break the trim, chip the paint in the glass channel (rust!), whistle, etc. Learned that lesson the hard way.

 

I removed the matte black flag decal from my rear window and checked the oil. Loved the look of the flag from the outside but didn't like how much of my rear view it blocked. Maybe I'll get the Tufskinz black/silver flag tailgate letters instead.
My oil was clear golden and the truck goes in for its first 6 month checkup in 2 weeks. Thoughts/opinions on having it replaced anyway this early (3500 miles)? My dealership treats me well and I do trust them using the full synthetic.

 

Oil change at 3500 miles seems a bit early. I had mine done at the dealer around 8500 klms because I was planning a long trip the following weekend. You need to drive it more.

 

I dont think its too early. Im on a 6 month 5k schedule myself. People say its wasted money, but I have no problem wasting money on it.

 

Lots of people forget the “time” aspect of oil changes. I did my first one at just over 5 months. Happened to fit my schedule, and got to show the Parts guy and gal that the RAV4 radio knobs worked.

 

I've done 6 month oil changes on every vehicle I've ever owned. Usually works out to 5k~ miles in 6 months, my wife's car it's closer to 3k in 6 months.
Except my Miata, it gets yearly oil changes because I don't drive it in the winter and I only put 3-400 miles on it every year.

 

Changed my rear diff fluid at 9,600 mi. Seemed to quiet the Toyota whine a bunch. When I checked the level, I could not stick my finger in the hole (giggity) and have oil on the tip (giggity). So I think I was a bit underfilled at delivery. I've done some decent trailer drags in those first 9,600 mi, so wanted to change it out anyways.

 

My dodge and BMW e30 both get yearly, but they get maybe 20-30 miles a year put on them.

 

Do any of you all forego the 2 year Toyota care and just do the services yourself? Sometimes I feel like the dealers caused more problems on my highlander every time I brought it in.

 

I highly recommended doing your own maintenance work. This should help...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-diy-maintenance-quick-reference.406712/

There's many threads available showing the aftermath of dealer incompetence.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/no-oil-filter.748693/

 

Right on. That’s been my gut vibe. I’ve got 500 miles on it and don’t want someone on a bad day at work to f’ it up.

 

I let them do the initial and 12 month. I took over from there. Glad I did. Fasteners were so tight another service and things were sure to be stripped, or skipped.

 

Thank you!
West Africa pulls at ALL sorts of emotions. Yes, at times it is very nerve-racking. Pulling into the border crossings always gives us butterflies as well as stopping at a country’s first police checkpoint. Driving through streets completely taken over by people and their food stalls is scary - at times the Tacoma feels like I’m driving a semi. But seeing the everyone’s completely warm smiles is amazing - something that’s missing in North America. Its shocking that these mostly poor countries can have crazily complicated visa procedures. Thinking of you Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. Makes us wonder if they want tourists


Utter chaos but a bystander decides to help and direct us, he was a lifesaver!

 

I let the dealer do it. I sit in my truck while they are working on it. It's free why not you paid for it. Been doing this with 17 and 21 New TRD's.

 

Not a bad idea. Did any dealer give you any crap for wanting to sit in?