Denver Area Taco DIY Mechanic Expert

Anyone in the Denver area that is mechanically knowledgeable about their Taco that'd be willing to help out a newbie Taco owner (me) with questions I have about it ("is this normal?" "How often should I do ____ ?" Etc.) and things I want to look over (there just some quirky things about it that I've tried searching and haven't quite found the exact thread.)

I have a 2017 TDR off-road.

 

Ask away.

 

Welcome to TW

 

Alrighty, sorry for the delay, I wanted to gather all my questions before posting...

So I'm a new Taco owner (got my 8/1/20) as well as this is the first time I've owned a truck. I had been researching and looking for the truck for about a year before I bought it so I would know how to take care of it or at least have an idea of what I was getting into with buying one. I've been reading through a bunch of the threads in here and watching youtube videos and whatnot about questions I have about my truck and not everything has been answered so I figured I'd just make a new post and see if people could link to resources.

I have a feeling that the previous owner put this truck through the ringer (based on the amount of mud stuck to the underside, missing screws and plugs etc). I had my mechanic do a comprehensive exam on it whichs checks all the fluids and things that are pretty vital to making it run, but not much outside of that. She mentioned that there was a ton of mud under it that I should probably work on cleaning off. I have been doing just that and came across a whole slew of things along the way that I need more clarification on.

1) Chirping sound from the engine.

- My recording of the noise from my truck: https://youtu.be/JwHXGPmopa0
- What is it?
- It sounds like this https://youtu.be/nLQktar6quI found in this thread https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/engine-chirp.458756/
- That thread talks about it potentially being the fuel injection pump or high pressure fuel pump - does the grade of fuel make a difference for this? Is this something that I could get checked and potentially covered under the powertrain warranty?​

2) Leaf Spring concerns
- Should my leaf springs look flat/bent/curved over the rear axle? (I don't have a great picture of them, I'll get one when I take the rear wheel off)
- I have been reading through threads about leaf spring packs needing to be replaced as well as ways to change them out. Mine don’t look anything like some of the ones that you can buy and replace.
- I imagine the ones with more of a curve lift the back end up more - I don't want that, but I feel like the leafs are more bent than they should be?
- If they look okay, can I lube or grease them? If so, how and with what?
- It looks like there is some kind of cushion between the leaf springs that looks like it’s falling apart - is that an indicator of something concerning?



3) Squeaky Suspension - It didn’t squeak when I bought it, it only started squeaking recently after I cleaned off all the dried, caked-on mud from the previous owner. Now I’m (irrationally) afraid that the dirt was holding it together in spots….

- My recording of the noise from my truck (it's not as loud as it was previously because I went through a carwash yesterday): https://youtu.be/RnnEfVsZKXc
- I’ve read about people using WD-40, but that seems like a bad idea and not a permanent solution. But what about white lithium grease(https://www.crcindustries.com/products/white-lithium-grease-10-wt-oz-05037.html) or Heavy Duty Silicone grease (https://www.crcindustries.com/products/heavy-duty-silicone-lubricant-7-5-wt-oz-05074.html) or Blaster Multi-Purpose Lubricant (https://blastercorp.com/product/multi-purpose-lubricant/) ?
- The front suspension is squeaky too but I haven't figured out where that is coming from yet.​

4) Tow Hitch - should that be bent like that?


5) Dried, Caked-on Mud

- Should I try to scrape off the dried on mud from the exhaust? Or will that damage the metal?
- Once I do clean off all the dried mud, is there a way to protect the metal from rusting/corrosion? I’ve read that certain protectants can actually be really awful for the underside and cause faster corrosion because it locks in moisture. ​

Miscellaneous things….

- Exhaust Screw Replacement - It looks like one screw on the exhaust line connecting to the muffler has been replaced? Is that normal, or did the previous owner royally mess it up?​

 

The leafs look a bit flat but could be normal. There may be a TSB for the rear leafs. There is for previous 2nd gens. The suspension seems normal after cleaning all the mud off and you say it has quieted down since cleaning. It should quiet down once the two metal parts rubbing find a happy medium. The hitch looks as if it was bashed on a rock. It's fine and should be safe to use as a hitch. Many of ours looks the same. The 'damaged' portion looks to be where you would connect the safety chains.

The engine noise is concerning to me but I don't own a 3rd gen and it may be perfectly normal due to direct injection.

Maybe spend a few hundred dollars taking it to a Toyota dealership and have them go over it. I assume there's still some drivetrain warranty left so much of what they may find, specifically the engine noise if it is malfunctioning, would be covered. But let a 3rd gen owner listen and reply.

You could also start a thread in the 3rd gen forum for much more views and responses.

Hope that helps. Sorry I couldn't remark on the other items.

*The dried, caked on mud looks normal for those conditions. Shouldn't really effect performance. Keep cleaning.

 

??? presuming you have an Auto and not Manual? Either way you should be sure it has had all the TSB's preformed to the ECU. These are not required to be updated by the Dealer and most will say no - get a copy of the TSB and take it with you when you go in - describe the symptom and tell them to apply the TSB. They are at no cost unless you are over the Emission mileage limitation (? 80,000 miles). If they won't do it there are ways to get it done. There are also ways to determine which ECU update you are on - hopefully 04B04 (Auto) or 04B14 (Manual) - if either of these you are all up to date. If the shifting logic (AT) is wonky don't worry -- that is stock. There is a way to correct that too if you are 04B04. You should also find out if the prior owner re-geared the differentials - likely not (3.90's stock). DM me or @johntoyota if you want more information on fix'n wonky shifting.

Power wash the entire undercarriage and real leaf springs and see if that helps the noise issue.

GL!

 

Where are you located? Its always fun to sit and stare at others peoples truck issues!

 

Englewood area!

 

It's a manual

 

Should be 04b14 if it is up to date. Get with John and he can verify and let you know performance tune options. How many miles on the truck?

 

I’ll DM you