Engine shut off on steep incline

Have you seen the real-life pictures of the trucks at crazy roll angles? Trucks being so deep in turtle mode that only winches and crawl mode gets them free? People have rolled into Death Valley at both up and down a "waterfall of rocks" at 45 degrees at leas?

But these trucks were moving constantly, not sitting idling for 20 minutes.

If you have spent any time watching the videos posted you would know that many people are not being "careful".

 

Wow

I had the "check fluid levels" light up once on a steep decline but never a shutdown. I don't like parking at a steep angle on trails through and tend to just send it once I commit to the incline/decline.

 

I will say I've had it in a slope downgrade with the driver side mirror almost touching the top of the rut and it did the same thing but never shut off same as down hill on flat surface no ruts but uphill is the only time it's done that I read on here a while back when it occurred one of the members said its because the drain hole is so small it can't cycle it fast enough or something like that they drilled the whole out bigger never had the issue again that was on a 3rd gen but I wanna say a 16/18 model but I absolutely can not bring myself to drill anything internal.

 

Well the send it part was in affect till I took a different approach angle and had to stop back up get restrapped and take a different approach that's when lights came on I ignored it went to hit throttle and it died in 4lo

 

This video series has a fun explanation of why gravity affects engine oil systems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FI0VYx7JHs

 

folks say that the 3.5 is designed in a way that it basically chokes itself on oil, when at an angle

as another post here has echoed

my question is how/why

 

All automobile engines have this issue. The oil system is dependent on gravity to bring the oil back to the pan and pump.

 

Local "peddler" attempted Hot Tub in his beat up 3rd gen. Nothing happened.
https://youtu.be/z5_vyA466f0?si=g2w5R19RSRETh0zA

 

I think it's poor engineering just to get you back in the dealer later on to run their finger around your ass and give it to ya in all honesty. I bought this truck new in 2020 paid cash got a very good deal almost 20k under due to them putting wrong msrp sheet on the window for a Sr standard cab 5 speed and I fought it the whole way till they sold it to me. I've never in my life paid some of the expenses for parts as I have with this truck I mean seriously my audi rs4 was cheaper on some shit then this truck ‍♂️

 

Some have much better return designs, this is a known issue with the third gen engine pooling the oil in the heads

 

I've tried sticking to the maintenance program to save my warranty but I'm slowly starting to DIY things myself with parts and labor I paid 380$ for front pads and oilchange lmao and never even looked at the rear every time I go in I ask about the break fluid being below the level and I'm told well it's probably due for pads with them being changed less then 10k miles ago wanted a 1k dollars with labor to replace a driver axel did it myself for less then $300

 

I’ve heard the anecdotes, but being an engineer it’s hearsay to me until someone puts a Tacoma and some other car in the same situation and Tacoma behaves differently.

 

supposedly it's the 3.5 with the issue

other Toyotas with different engines pull higher angles without a problem.

 

I suppose you could go and oil starve yours next to one of the older generations, I'm sure they're up to the task as this "anecdote" never presented itself in their years of production. Be sure to wear a lab coat so it's scientific tho

 

Dumb question but where are you running the oil level itself?
If frequently running on inclines, would it make sense to run more toward the top mark instead of in the middle or the bottom?

 

doesn't look like an anecdote. Looks like a feature, as they say.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/cylinder-head-oil-scavenging-pump.778314/

I mean...oil is normally set to normal level, with a margin for error
to include street driving. So that it's not overfilled causing it to be splashed by the crank into a frothy aerated bubblefest that then fails to lubricate resulting in damage

 

I do find it interesting that in an interview with the chief engineer for the 4th gen he said they specifically torture tested the new engine at all sorts of different angles and orientations. Maybe because of the known issues with the 3rd gen.

This doesn’t seem like a common issue or one that many people will experience.

 

Or perhaps the re-use of an engine primarily used on flat streets but now for greater angles required the due diligence of verifying performance at greater angles.

Sorry ... must get back to reading information about a certain "grassy knoll" ...

 

Yet, here we are continuing to have this conversation about the 3.5l that was designed for mini vans and has issues starving itself of oil at relatively low inclines…

 

I just run what's recommended by the dealer it's never over or under filled