Mechanic / Maintenance Advice? **Random Taco Pics** lol

Hey There,

2006 Tacoma 4.0 PreRunner, with 149K miles. Just did an oil change and inspection at the dealer and they gave me a crap ton of maintenance recommendations. I’ll list them out, but I was wondering if I could get some advice on how urgently I need to get these things done, as there really is no record of them being done from previous owners. Thank you!

• Brake fluid service
• Front diff service
• Rear diff service
• Transfer case fluid service
• Transmission fluid service
• Coolant service
• Tune up* assuming spark plugs / water pump etc
• Does have Timing cover leak

 

1. Brake fluid service - If brake fluid in reservoir is showing clear no need for service
2. Front diff service - it's a Prerunner. It doesnt have a front diff
3. Rear diff service - something you can do at home easily
4. Transfer case fluid service - Again, it's a Prerunner. It doesnt have a transfer case
5. Transmission fluid service - Another thing you can do in the comfort of your drive way
6. Coolant service - not really needed unless you have a leak somewhere
7. Tune up - Another easy DIY, sparkplugs, air filter, pcv valve etc
8. Timing cover leak - thats a known Taco issue for early model 2nd gens. Big job if you do it yourself but it's not mandatory. I bought a can of Permatex leak seal spray, cleaned the area and sprayed it down. Hasn't leaked since.

Its obvious that the dealer didn't even look at the truck when they're recommending service for a 4x4.

 

WOW... yeah, so don't go back to that shop!

 

Not sure what they are trying to pull if they indeed told you you need a transfer case and front diff service if you have a pre-runner (2wd).
As for the rest of the list:

Brake fluid: Ideally should be changed around every 5 years but in reality most vehicles never have it changed and few have issues as a result.
Rear Diff: Reccomended 60-100k (more often if you drive through high water).
Transmission: Reccomended 60-100k (30-60k if you do alot of towing)
Coolant: Reccomended 10 years 100k 1st change, 5 years 50k after
Tune-up: Plugs V6 30k Reccomended, 4cyl 100k Reccomended, Water Pump only if it's leaking, noisy, or has play in the bearing.
Timing cover leak is common, some members have had success cleaning the area very well and covering it with a good RTV otherwise it's a pretty big job to reseal the timing cover.

Alot of maintenance info and links to witeups in the thread below.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2nd-gen-diy-maintenance-quick-reference-guide.438945/

 

Haha 4wd service..

Without any record of prior service I'd do all of it except the timing cover leak

Up here where it rains a lot, I recommend brake fluid every 2-3 years. Being hygroscopic it soaks up moisture and gets contaminated. Also repeated heat can cause aeration in the fluid down at the calipers. Flushing it out can improve overall pedal feel and fade

 

Contact the bbb, see if they’d be interested in doing a sting. Go back and just get the transfer case and front differential services done.

I swear it’s places like that that make my life difficult. I once went to a place & did a oil change and preventative maintenance service on a forklift. Told them the rear axle is broken, I don’t know how you can use it like that. They declined repair. Then called my office to say they can’t drive it now.

Na taco typed out a good guideline to follow. Anything you don’t know how to do, you can find instructions in the stickies. Changing fluids early hurts nothing except your wallet. Changing fluids late can have adverse effects.

A couple things to add. Make sure your battery terminals and posts are acid free and clean. Follow instructions in the stickies to clean your maf sensor and throttle body.

 

• Brake fluid service

change your brake fluid every 1 or 2 years or when it looks bad. You can use a Motive pressure bleeder and

$71 power probe BA10 small adapter for toyota

power probe BA10 adapter

• Front diff service

you don't have a front diff

• Rear diff service

yeah. Gear oil. LSD oil if you have an LSD (early TRD Sport, sticker says LSD)

• Transfer case fluid service

you don't have a transfer case
I'm not really sure how the dealer came up with this. Sometimes there's a program that automatically recommends services based on time/miles. Or an advisor who wants to sell things, which is normally good. Like let's say you have an advisor who knows his stuff and knows you're due for a coolant flush meanwhile you didn't know that. Great! Now you've just been informed.
Only issue is, you don't have a transfer case...
Techs can also make recommendations, but they would see you don't have a transfer case...
It's also kind of a prerequisite to first ask you, "is it 4x4" which, depending on where you live, may not be. Like in CA, most Tacomas are not 4x4.I guess the trucks were bought to live on a dry highway.

• Transmission fluid service

Yes

• Coolant service

Yes

• Tune up* assuming spark plugs / water pump etc

Spark plugs are due. Water pump is not a bad idea. I plan to change mine. If you have any interest in saving money, you can do yours yourself. If you buy some cheap tools, they will serve you for the rest of your life.
A lot of people say "I don't have time." then play Call of Duty for 2 hours a day. You can fix the truck instead.

• Does have Timing cover leak

The valve covers leak. You should start with those first.
Timing covers can leak too. Probably labor intensive and not high part cost, which is great. Some people will say that is bad. But people say a lot of things.
It is better to have a job that requires you fucking around on a Saturday to install a $20 part, than a $2k part taking less time that still fucks your wallet no matter how experienced, fast, or well-equipped with tools you are due to the part costing what it costs.

I would not call the list a crap ton. In their mind, it is not. It is very shallow, easy, basic, cheap, bare minimum, and takes minutes to come up with a surface level common sense list like that.
You don't have to do it all the same time.

Fluids are usually $10+ a bottle.
I guess it does add up if it's all at the same time versus one at a time.

 

AMD, a Toyota Master Diagnostic Technician in Rust Belt Chicagoland, and his wife produce great videos on maintenance, DIY servicing, and vehicle reviews on "The Car Care Nut" YouTube channel. His advice is to not flush the transmission, just drain and fill at the 60k interval because some loose clutch material in the fluid aids engagement. I enjoy his service work videos done at his home garage evaluating and explaining what should be repaired/replaced out of necessity (safety), what should be watched to fix when it gets worse, and what looks bad but is nothing to worry about. As he says about Toyota's philosophy, Toyota's are engineered well so "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" My lo-cal Toyota dealer has the same philosophy, so I was pleased with the technician and his work on Barcelona Red's first annual checkup. Two days later I stopped by the Parts dept. and asked for oil drain gaskets (having seen dealers selling packs of ten on eBay), and a pair of wiper blade inserts. I learned they have the gaskets in a large box gaskets, so "How many do you want?" "Four," since I have four Fram gold synthetic filters for changes between dealer changes (forget JiffyLube since they charge the same as the dealer, who also provides a coupon for a free car wash next door). I looked and he'd added a fifth gasket in the plastic bag.

 

• Brake fluid service: nah
• Front diff service: nah
• Rear diff service: 20 minute job in your driveway
• Transfer case fluid service: nah
• Transmission fluid service: nah
• Coolant service: nah
• Tune up* assuming spark plugs / water pump etc: 20 minute job in your driveway/nah
• Does have Timing cover leak:nah

 

I also like Ahmed and his channel. He'll respond to comments on the vids.

 

Just wanted to thank you for posting "The Car Care Nut" been watching on YouTube since I stumbled on this - guy really know his shite. Thanks.