What Have You Done To Your 2nd Gen Tacoma Today?

Man i cdnt get those plugs off for the life of me, tried doin it w my oil/tranny fluids last week. No clue when/if prev owner ever did the diff

Worried im gna strip em going too gung ho

 

I hosed them down with PB Blaster a couple times the week leading up to this.

Rear - I used a small 1/2" impact I have to get the rear diff fill and drain plugs off. Those came off fairly easy. I wouldn't be too worried about putting a breaker bar on those since they're actually hex bolts.

Front - The front was scary because they're known to seize and the plugs are 10mm hex socket head bolts, much more prone to stripping. My small impact wouldn't break them. I got the fill free with a 1/2" ratchet and a lot of groaning. I had to put an 18" breaker on the drain plug. I made sure to clean the bolt as best I could and gave the 10mm hex socket a few taps with the hammer to make sure it's fully seated in the plug head. When I put the plugs back in I used the tiniest coating of anti-seize around the outside of the head of the plugs where it seems like they rust to the diff case. Hopefully that helps in the future.

I'm going to tackle the tranny drain and fill at some point in the next couple of weeks. That one scares me the most. 5mm hex socket head overfill plug, wtf was Toyota thinking.

 

installing fog lights in my 2013 where they never came with them. they are pre-wired so just need a relay, the lights from the kit and an oem button in the dash.

 

best advice already given by @Thergood - use pb blaster and soak them a few times and make sure you clean the plugs so the socket/rachet seats really well. I used pb blaster twice a day for a week. Before I drove to work and again after I parked it at work. Every plug came out without a problem.

 

Finally broke down and bought the 2011 paint matched grill

 

So blast em twice a day for a week, got it.
It is pretty darn warm here in FL so maybe that'll cut a few days out. I'll start it tomorrow and give er a go Sunday

 

One of my other rides is a 2006 MINI Cooper. MINI uses a bus electrical system that is very susceptible to weird electrical "gremlins" when the battery gets low. What you describe should not happen with a healthy battery but could have happened because of what you described. When chasing electrical gremlins it is always best to eliminate the obvious first. I would take the truck to your FLAPS(Favorite Local Auto Parts Store) that has a battery condition analysis service that they offer for free and have them bring the device out and hook it up to your battery. Then you can at least determine if the battery is healthy and has a good charge. If the problem happens again after the battery checks out ok then you at least know what it is not. My money is either a battery on its way out or your battery was as you suspected, run low then charged up by the alternator.

 

New Lexus drain plugs in front diff. F-those hex key ones that came with Tacoma. Had to use 24" breaker and hammer in the 10MM key. When the drain plug finally broke loose, mud and dust vibrated off the undercarriage and the noise was so loud it scared the shit outta bystanders. ROFL

Six new spark plugs
Brake fluid flushed (32oz, DOT4)
Coolant flushed 2Gal. AISIN Red went in, new radiator cap.
New gear oil in all three boxes.

Worked on truck. 89,699 mi.

 

Bumped up from worn out 285s to 35s today. I’m loving the new stance.

 

sometimes a pull of the battery cables and leave for 15 min to reset stuff also resets a false alarm. low voltage between the sensor and the CPU can also cause an issue and sometimes the battery reset fixes that too. if it comes back I would pop off your wheel speed sensors (they are on the fronts of the knuckles single bolt hand tightened) and give them a quick look. the o-ring can go bad on them.

 

Thanks for the reply!

 

Just be aware that if you do "reset" the battery by disconnecting it after you reconnect it and start it up the first time it will typically shut off right after starting. While I am not sure why Tacomas do this, it is normal. I replaced by battery last night and that is what happened to me. My wife had a bit of a concerned expression on her face when it happened.

 

Could you be so kind and post the part number for the grill? Should be a direct fit for any '05-'11, yes?

 

Wut?

Mines never done that. I've done this multiple times and also changed the battery for a new one and never had this happen.

 

Interesting. ^ mine does the immediate shutoff after disconnecting the battery. Every time ‍♀️

 

5 speed sticker for the tailgate.

 

Maybe yours was not disconnected long enough for it to "reset"?

 

I disconnect my battery regularly and this happens pretty much every time.

 

Removed my RXT Leaf pack to:
- Go from Option 2 to Option 1
- Address squeaking by greasing and installing bicycle tubing between the leafs.

Going to Option 1 was probably the biggest felt change yet in ride comfort. I thought I'd make more use of Option 2, but I'm still able to haul and tow my boats without much loss in height and no sagging. And...no squeaking so far. I've been in this setup for a couple weeks to make sure I'm good with it. I'm itching to take it off road now.

 

Had an oopsie