2013 Tacoma V6 6-Speed Oil Consumption

Hey guys, I need some help trying to figure out whats going on with my truck. I'm no stranger to toyotas or tacomas. I bought this truck new January 2013. Its a 2013 Double Cab SB, 6-Speed manual 4x4, with tow package. I commute with my civic so the tacoma only has 21k miles on it. Yes it sits in the garage most of the year. I do drive it around a couple times a week just for fun.

I do all the maintenance myself, I don't trust the dealer or any shops, ALL PARTS AND OIL FROM TOYOTA. The last oil change was done back in September 2015, and I have put about 1200 miles since then on it. I check the oil all the time, literally, whether its been sitting in the garage or not. I noticed that the oil level was about 1/4 in below the full mark. I know for a fact that I had filled it up properly during the last oil change.

What could be going on here? There is no way this motor could be consuming oil at this milage. I don't do short trips with it even when i drive it, I usually get it on the freeway for at least 30 minutes twice a week.

Could it be a bad batch of oil from Toyota, 5W-30?

I don't want to take it to the dealership, plain and simple they suck, haha, and I don't want them to touch my truck...OCD.

Any advise on resolving this issue would be great!

 

There is no issue to resolve with the exception of your OCD. As long as the oil level is between the marks on the dipstick you are fine. 1/4 inch isn't much even if it did drop a little.

The dealer is going to laugh at the 1/4 inch.

When you checked was it on level ground?
Had it been running prior to checking?
How long between running and checking the level?

 

My main concern is that it dropped 1/4in only after 1200 miles, yes it was checked on level ground after the truck sat for a bit to allow the oil to level off in the pan.

 

I say for what it cost for an oil change, do it and then you will know for sure.

 

I'll do it tomorrow, what could it hurt

 

Check it next morning after you've driven it (if really ocd take the dipstick out when you park it, and check the next am - leave the hood up as reminder). Mine is kinda low mileage (59k in 7 years). Have never had to ever add any oil, including a couple of 2k road trips with a lot of Colorado mountains. Normal driving is a 200 mile road trip once/twice a month, plus 300-400 miles city/urban per month.

With your low usage, are you changing oil by miles or by months?

 

Turbofed, same deal on mine as with yours. I believe it is the oil filter. Follow me on this. The filter sits nearly upside down and even though there is a check valve on the filter oil can seep through the media in the outter can to the perforated center tube (the return tube of the filter) and start dripping back down into the engine.

 

I've been changing the oil based on time not mileage

 

As mentioned, 1/4 an inch is really nothing at all. The darn dipstick smears so much it's tough to get a perfectly exact reading. IIRC, 5.5 quarts is the amount for a V6 4x4 when putting a new filter on. Every time I've changed the oil, after running for a day or so, it seems to be just slightly below the full mark. But I know I put 5.5 quarts in (or whatever the book says, can't remember without checking), and I know it isn't leaking since there's no puddle under the truck when I park and the drain plug/pan is clean. If it went more than 1/4 of the way between the full line and the add line I would put a dollop of oil in for peace of mind.

Before I stopped letting the dealer change my oil i discovered that they had underfilled it once and not even changed it another time....I changed it myself immediately upon realizing this and sent a sample of that oil to Blackstone. They said there were no issues whatsoever. I'm about to send another sample to them just to make sure. But the more I read about this engine and the more I drive it, the more impressed I am with its bulletproof-ness. No worries, my friend.

While I agree the engine is fine anywhere between add and full, I believe that it does run smoother and quieter at the full versus the add line. I ran it 800 miles on the interstate at the add line....there was a perceptible difference once oil was added.

 

On the v6, most models (maybe not xrunner) Full to Add is 1.6 or so quarts.

 

All engines loose oil evaporated by the valves rings pcv pulling it back into combustion cambers.I believe it mentions it in your manual.Some other manufacturers warn you about oil consumption.Look up oil consumption on line neat articles.Hope it helps Ps it is normal.