Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives 4Runner oil change

First 2 changes were free at the dealer. I asked the price of the 3rd and the service guy gave me a song and dance and said he would get me s quote. Anyway it was 300 bucks with BS stuff like checking the brakes and fluids. It always took aver an hour, so I went to Valvoline for 6.5 quarts of.0-20 full synthetic: it was 96.77 after a 10 dollar coupon. I don’t think they greased it, not sure if it has fittings.
I think I will get the special filter housing wrench and do it myself. The 4Runner uses a filter canister like a 1950 tractor, so that and taking off skid plates is a bigger job than a quick spin on filter.

Interesting. Our ‘04 has the same 4.0 V6 with a spin on filter on top of the engine. Stupid easy to change oil and filter and it only takes 5.5 quarts.
I wonder when they changed to canister style.

I don't know about the 4-Runner,but my 2002 V-8 Tundra is simple.Six bolts to drop the skid plate.Put a drain pan under the oil pan and remove the plug.Once it's done draining,put the plug back in,then I move the drain pan under the oil filter and remove the oil filter.I use those pliers designed for removing filters.They fit most size filters.Once the filter is drained,lube the gasket on the new one with a little motor oil and install hand tight.Don't use a wrench or pliers to tighten it or your might play hell getting it off next time,just good and tight by hand.So now,the drain plug is in,new filter back on,your ready to add the new oil back to the engine.I buy my oil in 5qt jugs,it's much cheaper that way.A couple of other things I use it an oil funnel designed for the job and also I use a two qt clear plastic container that has a lid and graduations on the side.The one I use I bought in the kitchen section of WalMart.This way when I add the oil back to the engine,I can pour the whole 5qt jug in,then I put 1.5qts in the clear container from another 5qt jug.So the first oil change you will buy two 5qt jugs of oil and the next two oil changes after that you will only have to buy one 5qt jug and your filters because you only use 1.5qts each time from the second jug.Once you put your 6.5qts in,put your fill cap back on and your ready to start your engine.Start it up,check for leaks,after a minute or two,if no leaks,shut off the engine and put your skid plate back on.Really a simple job that you can do yourself usually in less than 30 minutes.Another bit of advice,keep your funnel in a clean plastic bag.Oil is a dirt magnet.Keep all your equipment used for adding oil clean because you don't want to be adding abrasive dirt into your engine.

My dealer was charging me 82 dollars to do a 2017 Tundra 5.7. Can't remember if it was 7/12 quarts or 8 1/2 quarts . You need to find another Toyota dealer or like you said do it yourself.

They might have gone to it when the specs changed to 0-20 weight oil.

I have a 2006 4Runner and a 2015 4Runner. Changing the oil in the 2006 is stupid-easy, and I've been doing it myself since the vehicle was new. The 2006 has a cutout in the skid plate to access the oil drain plug. The spin-on filter sits right out in the open on the top in the engine bay. As mentioned, my 2015 has a new cartridge-style filter, and the skid plate needs to be dropped in order to access both the filter and the drain plug. I believe 14 bolts need to be removed, including some that hold the lower bumper fascia to the skid plate, but don't quote me on that. I have my trusted independent Toyota master mechanic who owns his own shop change the oil in the 2015. I think he charges me about $60 for a synthetic oil & filter change plus lube job.

Both the 2006 and the 2015 have six grease fittings along the drive shaft that need to be greased. There is one fitting at the U-joint at the rear differential, one at the front of the rear drive shaft's slip yoke and one at the rear drive shaft's U-joint where it exits the transfer case, one each at the front drive shaft's slip yoke and U-joint exiting the transfer case and one at the U-joint at the front differential. They are a PIA, but I can hit all of them without lifting the vehicle. There are no chassis or suspension grease fittings.

The 2006's oil filter sits just behind the radiator on the driver's side. Toyota moved it when the re-designed 4.0L engine gained dual VVT-i timing. The 2006 (236 hp motor) has single VVT-i with one sprocket on the passenger side of the motor. The second VVT-i sprocket on the 2015 (270 hp) at the driver's side essentially occupies the same space where the oil filter had been located, so it was relocated.

Don't get me started on the 20 weight oil scam....

Looks like 2010 4Runners got Dual VVT-i. Was hoping it was later than that. We’ll probably replace this ‘04 in the next 2-3 years and we’ll look at 2012-2014 model years, before they made the grill look like something out of Star Wars. I was hoping to retain the spin on filter. Oh well.

At least they retained the single VVT-i engine in the Tacoma until 2015. Maybe I can find one of those for my son when he gets close to sixteen.

What’s your beef with 0w-20?

Probably just me being paranoid. 20 weight (and new 16 weight) oil is fractionally better for corporate average fuel economy ("CAFE") standards set by the government, but that does not mean that it is best for engine life. The first vehicle I purchased that spec'd 20 weight oil was my $17,200 2008 Honda Civic. That same year, high-end Ferarris and BMW "M" series performance vehicles were rolling off the assembly line with Shell Helix Ultra synthetic 10W-60 oil as factory fill. Am I to believe that my cheap Civic's motor was built to higher standards and "tighter tolerances" than a $400k Ferrari?

At that time I was a BITOG motor oil forum regular reader. Honda Accords being sold in the U.S. were specing 20 weight oil. Australian BITOG members posted pics of their Australian Accord owner's manuals with identical motors specing 15W-40 motor oil. If I lived in the American southwest, should I feel as comfortable running 20 weight oil as an Aussie living in the Outback running 40 weight oil? These examples also seem to refute the argument that the engineers who designed the vehicle know "which oil weight is best for the motor". Why would they have spec'd 20 weight in the U.S and 40 weight in foreign countries for the exact same motors? My guess is they were trying to meet ever-tougher CAFE standards.

Here is a link to a current website identifying which oils are approved by Mercedes Benz. Most are 40 weights, with a few 30 weights and 50 weights thrown in for good measure. None are 20 weights. I doubt my '08 Civic's motor is engineered to "tighter tolerances" than a modern six-figure $ Mercedes.

Mercedes Oil Specs

Chances are a motor will do fine with 20 weight oil, but I believe a thicker oil (at operating temps) of equal quality provides better protection, especially if pushed hard and/or in the heat. Modern heavier oils protect well at start-up, too. For the record, I run Mobil 1 0W-40 in my Civic, and it has 292,000 trouble free miles on the motor, and it's still going strong. The motor has never been touched other than to have routine maintenance.

I love Toyotas and I hate dealers. Passed on the two "free oil changes" and had my normal guy do it. Way easier lol.

yes....4.0L Toyota motor is so easy to change.......

my next two oil changes on my two Taco trucks....

going to test out this mega Wix filter.....good..bad or ugly ?

Tacomaworld has lots of info over there......

https://www.tacomaworld.com/forums/4runners.127/

Costco has Mobil One for <$30 /6 quarts.

Toyota brand filters on Amazon for $3-$6 in six packs.

2016 4 Runner dealer synthetic oil change $60.09 + Tax.
Includes multipoint checks.

Hey VernAK You can get full synthetic 5 quart jugs of Amazon oil 19.95 They tested it and its as good as any......

Wally world has Mobil 1 synthetic 0/20 for $22.00 in a 5 qt. jug. I replaced the cheezy plastic oil canister with an aluminum replacement from eBay. Much more better. And WIX filters from Amazon.

My wife has a Lexus GX460 which is the Toyota Landcruiser Prado that is available in Europe. Anyways, it has the 4.6L V8 and the thing takes 7.5 or 8.5 quarts of oil. It is scheduled next Wednesday for its second and final oil change from the dealership. I will have the wife ask the dealership how much an oil change is, as I might end up doing them myself if they are over $100.

My Owners Manual on the 4.6L 2UZ-FE with filter change, reads 6.4 quarts.

5.7 quarts with out oil filter...

Wal-Mart does a bulk full synthetic oil change for under $60 with either Pennzoil of Mobil 1, depending on the viscosity.

If you want bottled oil of your choosing, you can buy the oil and filter and the W-M TLC techs with change the oil for around $25.

I just got back from having W-M change the oil in my Son's 2003 Honda Pilot with 162K miles, $42.70 for bulk Mobil 1 5w-20 and a Fram filter.

The W-M TLC techs can and do screw up oil changes and you usually do get what you pay for, but changing oil isn't exactly rocket science, or is it?

I changed mine for years, but the independent mechanic I've been using for the last few years does it for $10 if I furnish the oil and filter. For $10 extra I let him do it. He greases any fittings and checks everything out while he has it and will apprise me of any issues. I buy 5 qt jugs of Mobile 1 from Walmart for $25-$27, filters are $4-$6 depending on the vehicle. I've also been going with 8K-10K oil change intervals for the last 15 years with synthetic. From everything I've read that is conservative.

I am amazed at the prices charged where some of you live. In western South Dakota they run about $40 for my GMC 5.3 and a little more for the SUV that uses Dexos rated oil.

The dealers standard price is around $45.

JMR40 is smart to let his mechanic change his oil for $10. I want somebody who knows something about cars looking mine over every 5000 miles or less.

Finding a mechanic around here that would charge 10 bucks for an oil change would be like stubbing a toe on a 600 lb gold nugget.

BMW went to 10W-60 in their S54 engines because they had a problem with rod bearings failing, it was a band aid approach to a design deficiency that didn't really work. If it had been designed correctly from the beginning there would be no need for that oil.

I'll go out on a limb and say a Civic motor is almost certainly built to "higher standards and tighter tolerances" than the Ferrari engine. How many Ferrari's do you see regularly going to 300K+ miles like a Civic? More expensive doesn't mean better.

BMW's issues were a combination of hi RPM (8000 redline), over 100 bhp/liter output, and rod bolts that were stretching and failing. To their credit, they did initiate a campaign on affected engines to install upgraded bearings, but if you wanted better rod bolts, you had to spring for ARP's.

Two changes using Mobil ONE filters from Walmart.. $10 each..
and supposedly good for 20,000 miles...

So I tested it out on my old 93 Camry.... sent the oil in to be analysed

They recommended running it to 23K and resend it in...specs and TBN were still good.

Oil was Mobil 1, 0W30.. which was left in there for 20K..

Same thing on the wife's 04 Camry, which she drives around town mainly...
20K on 0W20, and Mobil ONE filter....

analysis at Blackstone came back strong... filter was doing its job..
oil still had a fair TBN life left in it....run it 3K more and sent it in or run next change 23K and send it in...

neither engine showed any sludge or varnish when looking down the Oil filler cap, or at the place you screw the oil filter in at either....

I use the extended mobile 1 filters... they work great in my Tacoma.

One word of caution on the Wix air filters, they are too restrictive and can make you taco engine whine at high revs.... replace it with an Fram and it goes away.

BTW - I oil gets dirty and goes bad before it breaks down (at least synthetics) so I still change mine out around 5k.

If you ever want to see what accumulates in the bottom of your engine, try changing your old oil into a white refrigerator vegetable crisper pan. Oil changing was never much of a priority for my daughter and just seeing the difference a couple thousand more miles made in accumulated sludge in her engine oil and my engine oil has me changing more often to get rid of the dirt. I've got an extra $20.00 or so lying around for new oil with filter and the time to change it, so the peace of mind of having cleaner oil has always been worth it to me.

I changes oil for my 4runner every 5k, Mobil one 5w30.

This is the filter for my '18 Toyota Highlander. It also takes a special filter wrench to get the canister off. I'm just coming up on the 1st oil change since we bought it this summer so I haven't actually done it yet. The gizmo in the upper right is a plastic thing you stick in the bolt hole. It apparently opens a valve in the filter housing so it drains.

My tacoma is a 4.0. filter right on top . Don't even need to jack it up.

That is what I have. You also have to take off a shield that has 1/2 dozen bolts. They make an easy job difficult. I just ordered the oil filter wrench from Amazon, the better one is machined aluminum. I think it was 25 bucks.
I also think there are still grease fittings. So I'll be on youtube for first time pointers.
I prefer to do it myself, so I know it was actually done.

these have to be a real PIA for the DIY oil change guys...

Prob why Toyota designed it that way

nuthin like the 4.0L motor

It's probably like $28 to do it yourself.

My 5.7 Tundra has the same filter setup. Biggest pain in butt is getting the wrench. Autozone had one.

Remove skid plate with impact driver. Drain pan like any other vehicle. Remove the drain bolt in the filter cap. Snap in the plastic “spout” that comes with the filter. Drain filter. Spin filter cap off. Insert new filter. Spin it all back together. No mess from a full filter because it was drained before removal.

It is 6.6 quarts synthetic 0-20W, and the filters were something like 7 bucks on Amazon for OEM Toyota filters.

Tikka, that bigger Wix filter you show in your pick, is just a Napa/Wix version of the good old Ford FL1A.....like Ford I 6 and V8s has had since the 50s...

I've done changes on the Toyota's 4 .0 V6 ( 2012 range )....for that I use what I use on my old 88 4 Runner... Mobil One Filter from Wally World, its the narrower Ford Filter but almost as long....Ford's number was the Fl 400.... the Mobil One Filter number is # M 209 A.....Mobil One says they are good for 20K.... I've ran a batch of them on my vehicles 15 to 20K... oil analysis with Mobil One Oil ( and Walmart Synthetic Oil), have still come back with good TBN numbers in the 2.5 to 3.5 range... with recommendations to run them 3K more next time and send them in for analysis...

those filters are $10 at Walmart.....that is where I purchase my oil and filters.. always synthetic...

so far on the high mileage vehicles I drive, 280K on the Pilot, and 570K on the old 22 RE in the 4 Runner...

in the type of mileage I do, like 30 to 40K a year on the Pilot, and now will be also putting 30K a year on the 4 cylinder Camry I picked up...

For those that hate 20 wt oils, look on Mobil One's site and they have the spec for the oil at 32 degrees F, and 212 degrees F.....
Mobil also makes a 0 W 30 and also a 0 w 40....the specs on the 0 w 40, its one hell of tough oil, viscosity index of 186, and TBN of 11.0 or 12.0

Test 0 W 20 in a high mile 94 Camry, with 300K on it, to 350K on it... its consumption was no more or less than 5W40 diesel truck oil....Delvac Mobil One.
20K oil changes with good analysis after sending in to Blackstone...still usuable TBN, and other items within specs...

change valve covers every 50K, which I am ridiculed for around here,. each time show that those 20K oil changes still have zero sludge or varnish build up....

so Mobil One and 10K oil changes with those Mobil One filters, analysis says that the oil can go twice that mileage and more....

That 94 Camry had 350K when I gave it to a gal I knew in need of a car for her and her 3 kids....at 400K, it was stolen by some local meth heads and totaled by running it off the road and down a steep bank....the motor out lasted the car sadly due to that...

This...^^^^^^^^^^^

I've done a bunch of those also over at the college showing 1st year automotive students...

its not that complicated... but I miss a good old spin on filters, and especially when they mounted them on the top of that 4.0...

I am sure 4..0s in other markets still have the filter on the top....USA dealers complained their service shop weren't making enough money....is what I'll betcha.....

I have the dealer do my 2015 Silverado. 8.5 qts 0-20 Dexos full synthetic, filter, tire rotation, check and fill fluids, multi point inspection, $59.99. Right around 7000 miles I have the service done, oil monitor reads about 3-7% oil life. Takes about 45 - 60 minutes while I wait. Best thing since sliced bread. If I buy the 9 qts and quality filter ?? $45....I'll let the dealer do it for the $15.

I did the 4Runner oil change on a rainy day. It was not too bad. I guess it took 10 more minutes to take off the 3 shields. I took off a plastic air dam to get to the skid plate, and of course the shield for the oil plug. The process of the internal filter and orings is a bit silly and naturally takes a few extra minutes and a special oil filter wrench. The item I missed was having new oil plug gasket/washer. I reused the original. I'm going to NAPA and get a handful. I also ordered 3 factory oil filters from Amazon, so that was pretty cheap, maybe 7 bucks a pop.
So I really can't say it was difficult, but it just takes more time, and is really silly compared to a spin on filter on top of the engine like the older 4.0 motors. Cost was probably 35 bucks for 6.6 quarts 0-20 synthetic and filter.

I ordered a factory Toyota filter from eBay for $7. Should be here today. Now I see that Walmart has them on the shelf at same price