Advice for new taco that will be driven 5 miles a day?

idling an engine is almost the worst thing U can do........

driving such a short distance is not good = not using available HP & torque

back in Muscle car days many would drive around very slow on idle & low speed circuits

to save gas & belief l e s s wear/tear on the HI-Performance engine

only after many miles & time when the engine was eventually torn down

it became evident slow speed running was a definitve detriment

i would own & USE the cheapest 4 cylinder throw away i could find

.......U have 1000X the vehicle U need

id also walk to & from work everyday

U will live longer

 

Ceramic coating and fluid changes are your friend. Instead of going for mileage you need to go by months for fluid changes. Every now and then you should definitely take it for a longer spin 30 or so miles or 30 or so minutes. This is to keep the fluids flowing and the moisture out (evaporation) and also keep the battery charged. That's going to be the hardest part, the battery.

 

Bike to work and make the taco a weekend warrior.

 

I used to live 2.5 miles from my work, would ride the bicycle occasionally if the weather was nice, but it sucks in the pouring rain, blazing heat or cold. Kinda quit doing it because rather just do the cycling thing for recreation.

Had a street bike too, thinking I would save money on gas…but didn’t really because I would take it out on long rides in my down time, plus it is the same thing as bicycles if the weather is shitty, sure you can dress for it, but a pain in the ass just to go such a short distance. Where I could run out in shorts and flip flops in zero degree weather and jump in the truck…

 

You won't be doing that here. This morning's temperature was -12*F with windchill in the -20*F somethings..... When it goes below 0*F......its all the same....Fing miserable to me.

 

I love this post and it is so true. Time is the real killer

 

Get a golf cart.

 

I don’t live in an area where they salt the roads, so I’m no expert on undercoating. They use cinder rocks around here, which are so much better for cars, not to mention the lakes and other water systems. I don’t know why cinders aren’t used everywhere instead of salt. But I’ve read on here that the undercoat Toyota offers is especially terrible and it traps moisture between the frame and the undercoat shell, which leads to more rust and can be worse than if you did nothing at all. Fluid film seems to be the one most people use.

 

I’ll echo all the others with the “bike” comment—unless it’s utterly unsafe.

It’s such a short distance, and it’ll be good for your body and mind. I envy that commute. My shortest when I lived in NY was 5 miles, and that took about 35-40 minutes on bike even with all the bloody stoplights.

 

This is very true. However, I'd venture to say short trips where the engine never gets up to operating temperature is even worse. My Tacoma is the slowest vehicle I've ever had to get up to temp. Even with 10 minutes of warming up on a cold day I'll be about a mile down the road and it may just start reaching the "normal" temperature range but still not be at full operating temperature. A good rule of thumb I've always heard is that trips of less than 5 miles are horrible for engines.

But yes, too much idling can be a bad thing as well. My work vehicles see a TON of idle hours. The main issues they have are related to the catalytic converters plugging up and other emissions sensors.

 

Sure you can, remote start and have the truck already warmed up and I can literally pull right in by the front door of work.

Hell, it was -2 last night when I took the trash out in flip flops and shorts. Have done it even colder, just have to be quick about it.

 

Our Trooper is 20 years old, purchased new, and spent most of its life doing short trips, only thing I had to replace on it so far was the starter and shocks. Think people worry too much. Just drive it…it is a machine they are supposed to make our lives easier.

Out of all the vehicles I have owned this one warms up the quickest, the needle may not be at operating temp, but the heater comes on extremely fast, like within 2-3 blocks of the house, even my wife commented on it. Unless there is some sort of electric supplemental heater in there I don’t know about.

 

I AM the remote start. Shorts and flips......no fing way this time of year. Hot pants and sandals are for temps above 70*F.

 

I believe it comes down to $$$. In Michigan, I believe road salt is cheaper and they can only use that above certain temperatures anyway. Michigan has enough estimated salt to last the next 1000 years at its current use rate and I don't believe it has as easy of access to cinder.

 

LOL!

I’ll run out there and start my wife’s vehicle for her, that will get you awake in the morning!

 

I drive 4.5 miles to work...one way...I wouldn't ride a bike to work! lol

In the morning, I let the engine run for about 1-2 minutes...nothing too long...even though the engine is still revving at about 1200 rpms. The instrumentation system takes about a minute to load on the dash display anyway. I engage "D" and release the foot brake and she takes off on her own...I steer her on my trek and away I go!

Snow has yet to fall here in the TriState area but we are expecting snow at about 3am tonight. I'm thinking about putting some bricks from my yard that aren't being used and lay them in the bed of my truck...putting a liner (heavy plastic or tarp material) to line between the bricks and the new bed mat. (at the end of the bed by the gate)

I have not considered putting any protectant in the undercarriage of my truck. I've never done that with any new vehicles I've purchased. The new Elantra we bought in 2017 here in Delaware was never coated and the underside has survived the past almost 5 years of ownership.

Took my Taco for its first Scheduled MX oil change at just under 5K miles and am scheduled for the 10K mile MX in mid Feb.

My Drive Pulse on the Toyota app has a current rating of 87 using the following factors:

Fast Acceleration - 41
Harsh Cornering - 166
Harsh Braking - 43

I'm guessing this is data started from when I took ownership/launched the app.

Inspect your vehicle as often as you like...I do it because I admire my Taco and take pride in the little upgrades I've done.

Take my testimony with a grain of salt. Everyone enjoys their Taco in their own special way.

E
****

 

Wife had a similar commute, 1.6 miles each way for years. I'd take her vehicle as often as I could and
drive it on the highway a few times a month, get it up to 60-70 mph etc.

I'm retired, zero commute, but I take mine out for a spin now and again, small 1-2 hour trips heading to
the Superstitions or Tucson or where ever, camera at my side, exploring around. Buy yourself a good camera
(Nikon!) and find an excuse to roam.

 

I’m like you at times, and other times I’m a road fool. So, use your instincts and check the service guide as the reference it is. Use the date references rather than the mileage.

these are the statements I agree with. I try to run on the interstate for at least 10 minutes a week (helps get oil up to temperature to burn off oil crystallization). The oil/filter changes will do the rest. You will need to exercise that 4x4 at least once a month (all phases, including locker). It’s a use it or lose it item. I just take advantage of rainy mornings. Since your fuel consumption is low, remember to treat your gas with a storage treatment, so that ethanol doesn’t mess with your fuel system while sitting. That interstate run will help with this also, keeping the fuel injectors exercised.

As for the rust/sand/salt protection, everyone here vacillates between FluidFilm and Cosmolene. I recall plenty of undercarriage car washes when I was traveling the north. Perhaps get a undercarriage wash head for your hose/pressure washer.

Welcome and enjoy your TACO!

 

Short trips are just plain bad for a vehicle.. Get an electric fat tire bike and ride to work. How much time are you really saving driving 1.8 miles like maybe 5 minutes. Beside short trips like that are not good for the longevity of the truck, which you say you want to keep "forever". Short trips are also battery killers. It takes roughly 15-20 minutes for the alternator to regenerate the amperage used from one start up. There's sooooo much info on the web about this exact subject.