Hello From Toronto, Canada.

You are right, they waited till the truck arrived to order the extra’s. I’m still waiting for the nerf bars, painted hard tonneau cover, hood deflector. I don’t just complain all the time Jeff. If I have a good reason, I will express myself and I usually get results. When I worked for Xerox, they sent me for “The Art of Complaining” training. I use it to my advantage and get great results 95 percent of the time.

Thanks for the quick response on the break-in speeds. I’ve always kept the rev’s at or below 2K. I’ve done about 402 KM thus far. It’s coming along fine. The start up RPM’s are pretty high as mentioned on some posts. The heated garage at work is regulated at 77 degrees F and the engine still rev’s close to 1600 RPM on start up but quickly settles down. I’m disappointed that my tailgate cannot be locked. The shocks do a great job. I bought a outboard motor summer of 06. Boy it a pain in the neck to break-in. I’m not even half done and it’s put away for the winter. I can’t wait for the break-in period to end so I can play with my truck at our weekend hang out. There are some nice trails, hills and dirt roads. Some of my friends are drooling over the truck especially because it’s a Toyota.

Do you have experience towing another vehicle with a pick-up/SUV? I would like to know how and where to get the attachments. Is there a towing restriction right after break-in or should I put more miles before I can tow. What about pay-load during break-in. Is it advisable to transport about 1000 pounds of material on the bed during break-in period?

On oil changes, my Toyota dealer offers a synthetic oil change for $83 vs. $36 for regular oil. That’s almost 50 bucks more (with taxes) per oil change. I forgot to ask if change frequency can be extended. My guess would be, no. The guy at the service desk said, once you make the switch you can’t switch back. I think it’s an expensive plan many enthusiast will not stick to, as the honeymoon effect fades. Throughout this thread, we have discussed the importance of oil changes to preserve the engine. In Canada, the condition of the body rules. The common understanding is that the rest can be fixed but rust cannot be permanently eradicated unless you replace the body. However, there is something else (I believe) that may pre maturely side line our new vehicles unlike the good old days. Can you guess what that is?

 

SAM,

What’s up dude? You are MIA. Has the baby arrived? Keep us informed and you must visit TW often.

How many hours before start up do you bring the block heater on? Do you vary it based on the colder it gets. The ARB bull bar replaces the existing Tacoma bumper. I’m told it’s the only bull bar/winch mount system out there that would activate the air bags in an accident. The store in Burlington sell almost anything for the Tacoma. The guy mentioned he also sells a Supercharger for my truck. I didn’t inquire further since I’m not interested in making my truck fly. The bull bars come powder coated in black. It would match yours but I’ll have to get it painted.

Last December I hit a white tail on highway 49 while doing about 100 KMPH. I didn’t brake or attempt to avoid the impact because the roads were icy. The impact spun her around and she hit the front fender and the drivers side door. The front end and side damage was in the tune of $3K. I didn't report it to insurance. She would have been at least 250-300 pounds or even more. I miss deer and moose on a weekly basis. My question is, will an ARB bull bar help? After I installed a pair of “animal alert” units, the near-miss frequency dropped drastically. But the animal alert was on when I hit the white tail. She was blinded by the head lights. Since you have more experience on this subject, what advise can you give me.

I got a skid plate installed on my front end. Let me know if you find one for the rear. I agree with your concerns. Sometimes you wonder the logic behind certain things.

 

Themaster, my book says to wait till you have 500 miles on it before you tow anything. I would presume that includes hauling anything in the bed. I guess they figure the 500 is the magical # for break in miles.
As far as towing anything, I do not have much expierence other than boats. I think if you want to tow another vehicle, I guess there are a number of ways, by trailer, buy dollys or regular hitch. I would check with a rental/rec vehicle place as to how to get the right attachments to tow a car. Remember that if you tow a car or truck( without it being on a trailer), there are specific requirements for the transmission and axles, so it would be wise to check first.
I think there are at least one third of the TW members who have syn oil in there trucks, perhaps more, I am not sure if its worth the extra price, though I am a fan of Mobil 1 etc. I just do not want to spend that kind of money when I plan on doing the oil every three K. I am sure that you can extend the length of the oil change with syn. I also was told that you could change back, but would have to check on that. Again, most TV car programs suggest that the oil(petroleum based) and filter be done around 4-5K and regular fluids( brake, anti freeze, trans) be done according to manufactures spec or sooner.

If you ever had to work on a Chevy or Ford tailgate with a lock in it you would understand why they don't put locks in them although if you have a bed cover it would be nice to lock the whole thing.

I looked at your nerf bars for the front, that is sure massive and should protect the front end very well. It looks moose proof ! Hitting a moose, deer or cow at speed is like hitting a wet bag of cement.
Don't forget the pictures.

 

Themaster,

Well... no baby until April/May, so I have been very busy with extra-curricular activities while I still have spare time. !

Regarding your question about the blockheater, I normally place it on a timer that runs for two hours prior to start-up. I find this to be a sufficient warm-up with past vehicles,however, if faced with consecutive days of -25C or more, I will set the timer for 3 hours to ensure the oil is completely warm. I would never own another vehicle without having a block heater... especially living in these neck of the woods. I cringe everytime I hear an engine start after sitting overnight in frigid temperatures without being plugged in.

Thanks for following up on that ARB bull bar. I will most likely be contacting the boys in Burlington this spring when it comes time for the bull bar. I love the way it looks and the fact that the airbag sensors are still compatible with . Are you still considering getting the bull bar? Have you looked into any winches yet or are you thinking of the non-winch model? I am sure that the ARB bar will handle most deer easily.

I am still searching for rear skid plates and will post links once I find a supplier.

I hope that you are enjoying your new Tacoma as much as I am mine.... I will try and keep up with this site. It is awesome!

SAM

 

Jeff,

All is well with the truck. It’s got about 1250 Km now. Have you experienced your ABS kicking in? If not, check it out soon. It’s not funny when you hear it the first time . Thanks for the info on towing.

On the subject of engine oil, I am now beginning to lean towards synthetic after I read the write up on the car with a million miles. It’s posted on “off topic discussion” if you missed it. I plan on changing oil every 5000 Km same as your 3K hence synthetic is too expensive. That could mean that I’ll be changing my oil every 7-8 weeks. That’s almost $600 per year for oil changes. I don’t know about that. Preserving the engine is very important, I’d agree, however these new Tacoma’s wont last 15 plus years like the older Toyota’s and Nissans, I am sad to note. It’s because of excessive electronics jammed into our trucks. I know there are laws governing the auto industry that manufacturers are obligated to have parts available for X numbers of years but as these electronic devices begin to fail or malfunction, it wont be feasible to spend $2,000 on a chip or circuit board when your truck is 15 years or older. I experience this on a regular basis in my line of work. One of my 19 year old industrial chillers worth $300K had a malfunctioning mother board. However, the manufacturer does not support that hardware/software system anymore. I had to spend $19K to upgrade the entire interface panel. The same goes to my fire alarm system, security access system, automation system, elevators etc. I get letters from service providers all the time informing me that they will not support existing hardware/software application after a certain date.

I suspect our trucks MAY have an expiry date that we are not aware of at this point. Far too much electronics in these hunks of metal. Simplicity has gone out the window. Having briefly read the owners manual, I see many warnings that state; “should this light come-on or this condition occur, pull over and call Toyota” Our trucks are totally dealer dependant for service. So, do you think our trucks will stand the test of time with so much electronics in them? I will post my pictures as soon as the weather breaks allowing me to wash off the mud and snow off for a cleaner look. Cheers

 

This is how toyota vehicles work after ten years of ownership the electrical workings will deteriorate. 15 years the engine workings will deteriorate so as the body will start to rust. well this is ofcourse you have not done any mods and if you take good care of your vehicle. i know my corolla lasted 12 years. so i would like to see how long my truck will last.

 

SAM…

Wuzzz up…. I forgot to unplug my block heater on Friday morning and yanked everything off the wall when I drove off. When I first heard the noise, I stopped but didn’t know what it was, so I drove off. As my engine warmed up and thawed my brain, I realized what I had done . Must devise a way to beat the system. Has this happened to you? I find 2-3 hours is sufficient. But have to see what happens when we drop to extreme temperatures. That reminds me, we need to determine the freezing point of 5W30 with which we can come up with a safe oil temperature for the oil to be at, before start up. If you agree/disagree with this convoluted BS I’m suggesting, lets discuss it. Jeff, if you are reading this, jump in and we'll chew the fat together. With the block heater, we are only warming the coolant and the oil slightly via conduction so a mere 2-3 hours of heating may not be doing anything to the oil in the pan. It could very well be a feel good exercise.

Yes, I’d like the ARB bull bar and will get it. If you want me to, I can delay the ARB purchase till you are ready. I have done some research on winches and would like to buy the hydraulic Mile Maker. I would advise you not to buy an electric winch unless you really know what you are getting into. We’ll trash it out when you are done with your extra curricular activities . However, the ARB does not support the winch I want. I need to see if the manufacturer has some sort of adapter for the ARB application. Dude, you sould see the white tail’s in the Kawartha’s. They are like baby elephants without the trunk. The ARB may help a little but damage could be extensive.

Yes, I’m enjoying my Taco . Got 1250 Km on it. As I type this, my truck is stuck on a pathway and can’t get out. It happened last night and I quit at about 10pm. Will try again sometime today. It appears I didn’t know how to switch to 4LO, so it kept beeping with the indicator blinking. But still the ice is so slippery, that all the wheels spin and the truck slides sideways (ditch on both sides) It’s a high incline . I took a chance going down. Over confidence is to blame. I must get some tire chains. The stock tires suck for our winter application. Do you know where I can get some tire chains and the best type and ease of putting them on? Wouldn’t hurt to keep them in the truck.

On a different note, if you don’t know already try not to buy Esso or Exxon supplied gas. It has the highest sulphur content (approx.600 plus ppm) of all gasoline sole in Canada. It kills your emissions components and kills asthmatics. In 2003, 287 asthmatics died in Canada most of them in big cities with high pollution levels contributed partly by the high sulphur content. If you fall under the provinces Clean Air program or know any asthma sufferers, you now know how you can help. Shell and Sunoco offer the lowest sulphur content in Ontario.

Clear skies and plenty of 4 wheeling.

 

Jeff,

Hope all is well. My truck has 1500 Km on it now and I haven't driven it in over a week. I was entering a parking garage and the gate arm closed prematurely and whacked my hood just before the hood scoop. I saw it coming and brought the truck to a stop so the scratches are all in one line . Thankfully there are no dents. Sucks to be me. How did your first “home made” oil change go. Does your oil plug have a magnet? If so, did you find any metal filings? Did you switch to synthetic?

 

Themaster,

Hey bud. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you but with Christmas parties and pre-holiday visiting, I haven't had much time for 'surfing'.

Forgive for laughing but pulling away with the block heater plugged in is extremley funny! Reminds me of the picture of the person who drove away from the gas pump with the gas hose still in the filler pipe. LOL!

I am very sorry to hear about the gate arm hitting your hood. Same thing almost happened to my wife's Civic last Wednesday. YIKES!

As for the heating of the oil, I am not sure on the most efficient way to warm the oil in the oil pan prior to a cold start-up. The only option may be to set the timer on the block heater for a little longer and try to raise the temp. in the oil pan a little. I found that the block heater in my old F-150 cranked out a lot more heat than the heater in my previous 2000 Tacoma and it seemed to do a good job on warming the oil via conduction. I could usually tell if I had to adjust the length of time the block heater was on by the pitch of the engine during cold start-ups. I found that the truck did not emit a high pitched, oil starved whine if I had the block heater on long enough over night. As you eluded to, on extremely cold nights it may be worth setting the timer for 4-5 hours just to be sure. I will experiment on the 2006 Tacoma timer this winter once our temperatures start reaching the normal seasonal lows.

One thing to add with engines and oil... Does anyone know of a manufacturer for an electrical oil pump that can be turned on to circulate oil through the engine prior to start-up. I thought that this would be a great idea for anyone concerned with long-term engine life, but I searched around for one a couple of years ago to no avail.

Themaster, I am very interested in buying the ARB bumber we discussed but have no idea on when I may be able to pick one up, so go ahead and order whenever you are ready. Thanks for the opportunity to piggy back the bumper order though! It looks like I am going to spring for a lift kit in the near future despite my reservations of possibly creating some pre-mature wear and tear on my driveline. I like the looks of the 3 inch lifts and would really like to upsize and upgrade my tires to some BFG 265/75/16's without the possiblity of rubbing. So the bumper will have to wait for a little longer.

Thanks for the heads up regarding Esso fuel. I normally run Petro-Can and or Shell. Do you know much about Petro-Can's sulphur content in their fuel?

BTW, that really blows about getting stuck! Were you able to get out with 4LO? Or did you have to wait a few days for the ice to melt? I hear you about the factory tires. They are simply brutal and I can't wait to get some decent All Terrains on my truck. It is going to be hell trying to tow my snowmobiles around this winter while running the stock tires.

Well... I will try to keep in better touch after the busy holiday season. Have you posted any photos of your truck yet? I would like to seem them! Have a great holiday season everyone and watch out for those mammoth Kawartha deer Themaster.

Cheers,

SAM

 

gosh sorry to hear about your truck TM also what happened to you. Snow is a bummer, thread lightly looking forward on seeing you guys on our taco gathering.

 

Sam and Themaster,

Just a few words on block heaters, my friends live in Alaska and they plug in all the time, of course there winter is more severe than most of us in the continental US. So I would suspect that if you come home at night, just plug in and leave it on all night.
Car makers have been operating for many years and I have not heard about oil recycling with a pump. I would be it might be available in the aircraft industry, perhaps. I am not sure if it would be practical, on that subject I had a 80's subaru and I was in Bangor, Me. one winter visiting my sister, it was "ugly" cold -25 with a 25mph wind. I could not get the Subie going until I warmed up the oil via a small fire underneath the pan. Not a bright thing to do but necessary as I had to go home to Mass. Took a while but it worked.
I would think that the block heater and synthetic oil combo would protect you as much as possible.

Interesting talk about gas, my mother in Augusta Maine, seems to get better gas mileage with Exxon and has for the last 10yrs and believe me she has tried lots of different gas and is a stickler on fuel mileage, even at 86yrs old.
I would suspect that Canadian and US gas may be formulated differently, as Calif. gas is always being tinkered with.

Boy you have to watch those gate arms, they can be hazardous to paint jobs and windshields.

Ice is always tricky especially when its snow covered, as far as chains are concerned, you usually need a jack to put them on or learn how to roll the truck forward just enough to get them linked up. After the chains are on( rear wheels) its easy does it on the gas in low gear. Perhaps some of our norther TW friends have a bit more experience with chains. Take care, and I wish the whole TW a merry christmas and happy holidays from balmy New England