'05 Tacoma oil change madness ??

dealingdawg · #1 (**permalink**) 02-04-2005, 07:56 PM

I've got an '05 Taco 4-cyl. with 1,000 miles. According to the owner's manual, the 4-cyl. is called a 2TR-FE and the 6-cyl. a 1GR-FE. The spec for an oil change with filter on the 2TR is 6.1 qt. and on the 1GR it's 4.8 qt. So I'm asking myself how can the 4-cyl. take more oil than the 6-cyl. I called my local dealer's parts dept. and got no straight answer. Called Toyota and after a long wait, they couldn't confirm. Called dealer service and they looked it up and confirmed the spec is correct.

Here's how my home oil change went: Unscrewed oil pan bolt, let warm oil drain. Screwed bolt back in. Tapped nail in filter, drained and replaced, filling new filter 3/4 full of oil and smearing gasket with oil first. Forgot crush ring on pan bolt, so when I unscrewed it, a significant amount oil apparently was still left and drained out. I was surprised, since I thought I'd drained it properly. Installed crush ring and pan bolt. Filled with 5.5 qt. oil. Ran engine for a couple minutes. Checked dipstick and had trouble telling where I was on my level. Figuring I must have drained all the oil properly, I put the rest of 6th quart in. Checked dipstick and appeared to be way over, but still had trouble telling what the level was on the dipstick. I ended up unscrewing pan bolt and letting oil out multiple times until I felt I was getting an accurate reading on the dipstick. I drove around for a few minutes, came back and asked my mechanically inclined neighbor for his opinion. We both had a tough time telling exactly where the level was on the dipstick, but finally determined I was either a tad low or right on. When oil is that clean, it's really hard to read that dipstick. It's like there's a long half streak of oil going down to where the two measuring dots begin. I remember when I picked up the truck and checked the level, it was hard to read then too and almost looked overfilled a little. Am I missing something here?

How long does the engine need to run after changing the oil to sufficiently check the level? How long should I wait for the oil to drain into the pan before taking a measurement? My neighbor suggested checking it at night with low light would be easier. I'm sure I'm just insane, but any feedback would be appreciated.

dealingdawg · #2 (**permalink**) 02-04-2005, 07:57 PM

... by the way, when I refilled with the 5.5 qt. oil, that was including what I'd already poured into the new filter.

05Prerunner · #3 (**permalink**) 02-04-2005, 08:28 PM

This is all why i will have my dealer do it....they know exactly how.

dealingdawg · #4 (**permalink**) 02-04-2005, 08:38 PM

Generally, I don't have these kind of oil change days. Yes, on hindsight I blew it to some degree today. However, I've had dealers leave drain bolts loose, overfill ,etc. I could go into how my dealership has dropped the ball on a couple service issues before.

EngineerBoo · #5 (**permalink**) 02-04-2005, 11:47 PM

It sounds like you did a pretty good job! Here's some tips I've learned:

-ALWAYS ensure you got the old oil filter seal off the engine. (I've made a mess not checking and putting a new one over it and had oil spraying everywhere.)

-You should always wait at least 5 minutes after running the engine to let all the oil drain to the bottom of the engine.

-You do need a good light to check the dipstick. Take a rag and completely dry off the dip stick and then put it back in....pull it out quickly and look at the end of it in a GOOD light. I know Valvoline is pretty light oil but, you know, if you switched to a synthetic (Mobile One) it's darker and much easier to see!

-You don't have to drive the vehicle after changing the oil...just run the engine for a couple minutes. (You did look at both the filter and drain plug to ensure they weren't leaking, right?)

dealingdawg · #6 (**permalink**) 02-05-2005, 12:38 AM

Being that this is a base 2wd, it sits low, thus it was a tight squeeze for the whole job. I'll score some ramps for next time. I did have a good view of where the filter seal meets the engine, so no problem there. I hadn't considered whether Valvoline is lighter than other oils, but it sure looks about clear when new, which is what kept screwing up the judgement call. Also the thin trail of oil that goes way beyond the dots doesn't help and seems to some degree to be present every time I check. Running my finger between the dots I'm able to pretty much determine where the level is. The oil's so transparent, it's one of the ways I figured out where the oil level was for certain. I wiped/checked the dipstick a bunch of times. I'll try better light next time. I ran Mobil 1 on the Tundra and plan to go with it again. I read that it's best to change the oil a couple times with non-synthetic before switching. Of course there's many an opinion on everything here, so who knows. The darker shade will be welcomed. Definitely checked for leaks. Thanks for the input.

KLS · #7 (**permalink**) 02-05-2005, 07:05 PM

You can pull out the dipstick, quickly hold it horizontally so the oil does not run up or down the stick, and lay the tip on a rag or on your finger. You'll see where the oil pools on your finger or soaks into the rag.

Ken

lelandstanford · #8 (**permalink**) 02-15-2005, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dealingdawg

I've got an '05 Taco 4-cyl. with 1,000 miles. According to the owner's manual, the 4-cyl. is called a 2TR-FE and the 6-cyl. a 1GR-FE. The spec for an oil change with filter on the 2TR is 6.1 qt. and on the 1GR it's 4.8 qt. So I'm asking myself how can the 4-cyl. take more oil than the 6-cyl.

Oil capacity is not directly related to engine displacement or number of cylinders but application of the engine.

2TR-FE is light commercial engine. It's used in small pickups/trucks, and vans globally. Therefore, it's designed with larger oil capacity.

1GR-FE/2GR-FE are more of passenger car/light (personal) truck engines.