Friendly Reminder: Inspect your truck after Toyota service or lose your skid plate filter door! PICS

A few possibilities, right?

1. O-ring was missing.
2. Old O-ring was used.
3. New O-ring was used, but got damaged when the housing cap was reinstalled (can happen because O-ring is thin and the cap is large diameter).

 

Have to know what corners you can reasonably cut...for most places, come backs are a big deal. They definitely push these guys and some book times are ridiculous, but some are easy to beat. Then there's usually politics with senior mechanics and service writers and who gets the best $$ making jobs. It's kind of a fucked system. Some guys make a killing working flat rate, even some lube techs. Some guys barely make it at all.

 

Find a good independent shop, the type like South Main Auto in upstate NY (see https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAGzm9e_liY7ko1PBhzTHA/videos )

The drawback is these shops are typically heavily backlogged, so you'd have to leave your vehicle with them for longer than with "big box" dealers.

 

Torque? 3 Ugga-Duggas.

 

And thats why i service my own vehicle

 

That's why I use a great "indy" at Expert Tire in my home town. I buy the oil (Mobil 1) at Walmart and the filters (Toyota OEM) from Amazon. The mechanic lets me stand there and watch and I help (a little) by holding up the skid plat while he removes the bolts. While he is changing the oil I wipe out the inside of the skid plate (anal for sure!). He then sprays all around the filter and pan with brake cleaner and wipes it all down. He then lowers the lift, runs the engine for a few minutes, and then checks for leaks before replacing the skid plate. They charge me $10 for the labor and I supply all the parts and I tip the guy $10. It normally takes him about 15 minutes (sometimes longer as he likes to bull shit up a storm!). I figure an oil change/service costs me with parts and labor about $60. I'm 40 miles from the nearest dealer but wouldn't let them do an oil change anyway. That dealer has a great tech who has done all my TSB's but he said he doesn't do oil changes. That's given to the "newbies."

 

That's what I like about small towns, people are friendly and reasonable. If it was out here in CA, people would be scared of getting sued and stuff.

 

Damn, good thing you caught it before it got worse..and on another note, love the screen name and pic.

 

Hey,
Does anyone know the bolt size for that small panel access. Dealership is asking me over $80. They say it comes as a kit and they don't sell those bolts by itself. He didn't know the part number or the size.
Baxter Toyota of La Vista. In Omaha, NE

 

This thread is so old, even Smitty was here! (RIP bro)

Here- searched it up:

“The filter cover screws are M8-1.25 x 25mm, 5 mm drive flat hex socket head, 4.4mm head height, 16mm head diameter,grade12.9, zinc plated, fully threaded, standard profile (90 degree)...”

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/stock-skid-plate-bolt-size.572942/#post-23510007

 

Even if there is no leak, one more worry is did the Tech put an oil filter in the housing.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/no-oil-filter.748693/

If you are going to pull the filter housing to check the O-Ring and filter, you might as well change the oil yourself.

 

I did a Google search and this thread came up lol.
Thank you!

 

I don't trust my local dealer for warranty work, no way I'm trusting them with maintenance.

 

Thank you!!!

 

you can get a bag of 20 from Amazon for about $10

 

well since it's revived....am I the only one with a 3rd gen 4x4 trd off road whose skidplate never had the door? Cause my plates don't....got the engine and trans plate but no door *shrug have to take the front one down each time...at least it's not like the older tundras, trans plate was attached to the front plate if I recall...had to remove BOTH a lot...but I think you could just take off the front...eh I don't remember it's been over a decade since I've messed with one XD

 

the door is only on the TRD Pro skid plate...

 

I find it hard to believe these threads have been tracking problems at the dealerships for some time...that's just me...I expect dealerships to do the best for maintenance on our trucks.

My first experience wasn't terrible...I paid for an oil change and the young technician found the air dam cumbersome and torqued the bolts in at an angle and messed up the threads on the remaining bolts holding up the OEM skid plate on my Sport.

I bought the TRD Skid and during the 2nd Toyota Care Service (10K/at a different dealership), checked the work done afterwards and all was good.

This month, I have my 3rd visit (15K) at the same dealership as my 2nd visit. I foresee a good outcome establishing good rapport with the service department.