Air dam removal for Oil Maintenance?

Newb question here.

I’m fixing to do my oil change myself and needed to know if I have to remove my air dam in order to get the drain pan off. Or has anyone been able to just work around that? It seems a bit too tight for me to squeeze my hand in there and angle the drain pan out but idk.

Also should I just remove air dam entirely? I don’t off road yet only use it for hauling jet skis, bikes etc and material for some projects. And don’t hate the look of it on but not a fan either.

 

If you are talking about the factory metal splash guards underneath, then yes that has to be removed to access the oil drain plug (please don't remove the entire oil pan for an oil change, just remove the oil drain plug!!!).

But it's easy to remove the metal splash guard, just a few bolts. The frontal plastic air dam can stay on for oil changes, but most that have them remove them permanently for some reason (cosmetic I guess).

 

The air dam stays on, but is pliable without damaging it. You just need to bend it out of the way to access two of the four bolts so you can get the metal skid plate off. The oil filter is above the skid plate and there’s no way to do it without taking it off. The oil drain bolt is further back, right behind the skid plate when it’s attached. Don’t mistake it for the transmission drain, it’s been done many times. The transmission pan has 2 drain bolts while the oil pan has just the one.

you could also of course, as said, just remove the air dam, most SR5/Sport owners do. It doesn’t do much other than give Toyota credit with the EPA for saving a shot glass worth of gas over tank full.

 

I have done 12 oil changes and so far never had to remove front dam. Only the skid plate. If you only change oil without filter then no need to take off skid plate. I always change both oil and filter regardless.

 

Here is a good video from the Maintenance Map thread on oil changes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpp2iew5Wg8

A lot more How To videos in post #1.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-maintenance-maps-get-300k-miles.789809/

 

Please watch this video and maybe even a few more like it before doing your oil change, your use of words are making me very nervous... lol

Note, he is already missing his air dam, the big black shield thing he removes (hand is touching it at 1:53) is NOT the air dam, it is a gravel shield or rock guard, they can be replaced by thick skid plate for off roading later...



In this picture, top has the air dam installed, bottom it has been removed....


EDIT: Looks like a few of us were posting at the same time... lol

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/air-dam-removal-good-or-bad-idea.462837/

 

No, as others have said do not remove air dam. Remove the four bolts holding the skid plate on and move it out of the way.

Caution: pay close attention to the drain plug and make sure you don’t remove the transmission drain. This caution is only necessary if you have an automatic transmission.

 

My air dam was permanently removed when I installed a front hitch receiver.
I don't miss it at all.

 

My bad folks I have a bad habit of calling my guard the drain pan. But I was able to just push the air dam to the side and get that part off and do it just fine no issues. Just threw me off cause none of the videos I saw had it on.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf5ZSkw1Vk0
this by far was the best one I’ve seen and I bought all the same products

 

Most videos don’t show the air dam there because most people consider it ugly and unnecessary and end up removing it.

Off roading or not, I don’t see much real advantage in reducing your ground clearance with a piece of plastic.

 

I agree most have removed them, and the lifted and or bigger tired 4x4's and TRD or aftermarket skid plates and bumpers etc etc look better with it gone, but I keep hearing about how scary these Taco's are at higher speeds, but mine is very stable at 95-97 mph and I am still running the air dam... I think with the stock thin metal rock guard, and all stock suspension and 245's like mine, they look funny without it...

 

Your question has been answered multiple times in here already BUT I cannot resist offering my experience with removing the chin strap (air dam.)

I removed shortly after purchasing the truck (before the many modifications) and always monitored my mpg. The difference between the air dam on/off was practically imperceivable. ~ maybe ~ .25 mpg but wind conditions, traffic conditions and hills could've easily explained that difference over a full tank.

Take it off as the truck looks much better.

 

My Truck looks so much better with the Air Dam removed...looked like an Old Grandpa truck with it on there.

 

Edited: I deleted my reply, as Gen3TacomaOBX had replied to the OP and not my post...

Well, I am a grandpa, sooooo does that count for anything??


Besides, I don't think it looks all that bad, I might remove it one day just to see what it would look like, but not if it affects aero enough to make it unstable when I want to stretch her legs...

 

Your welcome but I didn't reply to you.

I posted for OP and the benefit of the forum so your 'I didn't ask for your opinion... ' stuff is silly.

 

Oops... lol My bad...

But on my defense, you replied right after my post and you didn't say who you were replying to... So it could have been taken either way...

But I will edit the post, thanks for the clarification...

 

If you trim off around 2” from the bottom it looks amazing and you can remove the skid plate easier.

 

i have to say I’m with you so far. I think I’ll take it off eventually but for now I’m gonna let it chill on there. I don’t have a garage to even store it and don’t want to go through the trouble of getting it off my hands. But perhaps after some truck upgrades I will then look into it. I don’t think it looks awful I’m a little indifferent. But I do love seeing the tacos without them. I personally think it looks worse on the 4th gens