Ease of maintenance?

How easy is it to work on these things?

Spark plugs easy to get at? On the top or bottom of the heads? It doesn't look like the engine is tucked back into the firewall like a lot of trucks which should help.

Oil easy to change?

Any other routine maintenance stuff that is a a PITA?

 

Easy, Easy, Easy!

 

Easy. Just pay someone else to do it. I don't even know how the engine looks like. There's no need for me to pop the hood.

 

And that is pretty much the opposite of me.

 

How long is it going to take you to get to 120K miles? There's your plug change. Around that time is auto transmission fluid change too. 30-45K for diffs. 10K for engine oil. Dude, there is not much to maintain anymore so if it's difficult, at least it's not frequent. While the post about "not even looking at the engine is in jest, it's almost true with these trucks. I look at the engine and fluid levels and battery terminals when I add washer fluid, which could be months. Seriously.

 

Spark plugs dont look easy to get to, but then it may be years before you have to change them. Oil and filter, worst Ive ever experienced and Im 64. Have to remove a skid plate under the radiator to get to the oil filter. Messy removing the oil filter. At least an hour or more to do it all.
Duane

 

It is also basically a new truck so there probably isn't a whole lot to do yet.

Current truck is a PITA to change plugs, do it every 70k (supposed to do 100k but there is a noticeable performance difference at 70k and it is easier on the ignition) so yeah like you said you don't have to do it often but every 70k it really sucks to do. I know it won't be like my old tractor where you can change them with a crescent wrench but I wondered if they gave any thought to serviceability or not. Not having the engine sunk back in the firewall with coil over plug coils should help.

Same goes for oil changes, generally where I live is in the "extreme" range of oil change environments. Can be really hot (100*+), can be really cold (-17* this morning), really dirty/dusty (I live on a gravel road) Usually just gets warmed up to the point I turn the heat down when I am 3/4 of the way to work. I usually go shorter rather than longer on duration.

Same with air filters, gravel dust does a number on them.

 

I thought our plug change is every 60k, that is a benefit over the old 4.0 which was every 30k.

 

Of course you can change it whenever, but with 0W-20 synthetic, the viscosity really does not change much between -17 and +100. It feels bad for us humans and it takes a long time to warm up but the oil is still nice and thin at low temps and pretty much the same at high temps. Now dino oil, sure. Not synthetics. Just curious, it takes me about three years to get to 100K. How about for you?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-diy-maintenance-quick-reference.406712/ 60K is the "severe" recommendation, but unless you pull a trailer every day or you are racing the Baja then I doubt most of us come close to needing the severe schedule. Although, many of us like to think we drive in severe conditions lol we truly don't. I've seen the engine durability testing. None of us come close to WOT for several hours every day in dusty conditions.

 

@hikerduane The oil filter doesn't have to be messy if you use the little plastic drain that comes with a new filter before you unscrew the filter housing.

 

Not too hard just wait for them to recall and keep your taco for months on end ...not much to maintain when you can’t drive it

 

Super easy with plenty of space in the engine bay to access most things.

 

Current truck had 25k when I got it in June of 2005, 160k on it right now. I am pretty easy on putting miles on but I keep them forever. Running 5W-20 in it. Not worried so much about viscosity as the moisture and and crap that builds up from an engine that doesn't get hot enough to evaporate all that stuff out.

The computer throws more fuel at a cold engine to get it up to temp faster which pollutes the oil too. I don't let it sit and warm up but they still do it to a certain degree. I usually take it easy until I get to the highway to kind of give it somewhat of a chance to warm up (they warm up much faster doing doing something than just idling)

On Toyota's website with manuals for a 2017 they say to change oil and filter every 5k miles if driving on dirt roads or dusty roads. I live on one. I drive on gravel quite a bit.

Toyota also calls for plugs at 60k with no mention of severe or dirty environments.

 

I will never understood the messy part. I've never changed a canister style filter and still figured it out. It was heaps cleaner than changing my old accord that drains on the flex pipe of the exhaust when u spin the filter off. It was quick and painless. Literally no big deal.

 

They are still a cartridge?

 

Oops I mistyped that. The taco is cartridge (obviously) and the accord is canister.

 

The pain is the transmissions that have no dipstick. Both 2nd and 3rd gen.

Of course some folks believe the 'lifetime fill' tripe, or just trade frequently.

 

I am hoping to track down a manual if I get one.

 

I do the same but the dipstick is damn near impossible to read so if it has oil on it that is good enough for me!