Stealership Oil Change...

Jajaja he said nipples.

 

Crap.... I forgot the newer Tacoma have the filter cartridge. However you can use a tamper proof marker to make sure they open it up.

https://www.vibra-tite.com/tamper-detection/vibra-tite-viz-torque-202/

 

In the future, I will probably let Toyota do the 10K and 20K oil changes just to get it documented under warranty. I will drop the filter housing afterwards to check the filter element. I will still do an oil change at 5K and 15K myself for piece of mind. Once out of warranty I always do all maintenance myself.

 

I have read many threads about dealership oil changes from various makes and models of vehicles and they all say the same thing in regards to bad work done, bad servicing, etc.

Does anyone know what type of training these techs get and what prior experience they have before they start work?

 

I did one freebie, my local mechanic did the next one. From here on out, my knuckles will be the ones getting scraped. With help from TW of course.

 

Recently purchased a 2024TRD Rav 4 for the wife. Since it came with @ 2 year "free" oil change program, we were asked if we wanted to extend it to five years for a minimal fee. My response was it won't be coming in for any service here, free or not. I'll do it myself with OEM parts and materials. I was told I was leaving a bit of money on the table, in my experience money well spent.
First actual oil and filter change @ 10,000 miles? Sorry losers, I did it @ 965 miles and will perform the next one @ 5,000 then every 5,000 for the life of the vehicle.

 

Don't worry about it. Each lube tech is extremely experienced once they start working, cranking out 90 oil changes a week...

 

These people aren't "techs". They are almost always laborers that have been promoted from sweeping floors and cleaning up. Training is up to the shop manager or foreman who hands off the training to a veteran oil changer or maybe a newer actual tech. Oil changes are easy things to perform with the lifts, drain containers, oil pumps and air tools at a dealership. To call them techs is an insult to a real tech who is a qualified trades person who undergoes hands on and formal training, schooling and exams.

 

Lube tech is just a sign of the times. Just like your building’s janitor is now a sanitation engineer, a secretary is an executive assistant, and the receptionist is now the director of first impressions.

The Stealership is only good to sell you a new truck or do warranty work.

 

Actually, if I had to guess, the cost of the service is built into the sale price of the vehicle, it just isn't called out anywhere as such.

Much like that product you buy off the internet that boasts: "Free Shipping!"... Shipping is never free, instead it is built into the price you pay for the item (quite often you can find the same item cheaper, but it'll then have a separate shipping charge).

That said, all my oil changes have been DIY since the beginning. No worrying about missing oil filters, stripped/crossthreaded/untightened bolts, scratches from idiots dragging things (tools, cords, hoses) across the fenders, headlights, and/or grill surround, a tech who has never before driven a manual trans, etc., etc., etc.

 

There is another thread that’s been going on here where a guy had an engine failure and upon tearing the engine down found extreme sludge in the filter housing and throughout the engine. He had been going to a Toyota dealer for all of his oil changes and it appears they had not changed the filter in a very long time.

That story, in combination with me wanting to use only OEM filters has caused me to start doing my own oil changes.

even buying the dedicated tools to make the job really easy the first oil change was about what I’d pay at a shop. all of the rest will be a lot less expensive, and then you know exactly what oil and filter were used and that everything was done!

 

if you are going to loose sleep over it (like i would) just take the filter out and if it is black then there is your answer. only oil loss will be just whats in the filter. when done just add back the amount that came out of the filter

 

Do you use a torque wrench? What brand if so? I've been looking at harbor freight icon or some tekton on Amazon I think.

 

Cheap Pittsburgh brand will do the job. I did cylinder head bolts with it.

 

I changed the oil in my ‘16 tonight after work. No jack, no lifting. Loosened the 4 bolts for the 2wd skid, dropped it, drained oil into jug (fumoto + hose), drained filter housing, swapped in new filter from Wally World, and added 6 quarts of 0w20 EVOO. Maybe 25 minutes at most? $35 in materials. I know it’s done right and I skipped my free visits too. Not worth the dealer hassle and add on sales attempts.

I believe this was 4x4 only. My 2016 (bought Jan ‘16) turd sport 2wd has none.

Zero. Node. Nada. Hence the problem.

 

So tomorrow OP will be moaning about tight canister, plastic usage and what's the part number for the aluminum one..

 

Yes, 4x4. However, if you have an early 2016 2WD there may be 3 Zerks on your rear shaft.

 

There is always the Baxter conversion adapter…….
This actually may be better for some.

Personally, after a few times changing the canister filter, I kinda like it, hate to admit that. Hardly more than a few drops of oil to clean up.

 

You don't need a torque wrench if you use a little common sense. Tighten down to a gentle snug and it's right where it should be. Been doing that with those canister filters for a while now.

 

HAH! Sounds familiar. I always change my filter through the access hole so have never had to take my TRD skidplate off. Well.. until last week when I did my front diff oil.

Both front 17mm bolts were so cross threaded in there that the impact took a little while to zap them off