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March 2001 Ltd V6 AWD, 23450 miles, Mobil 1 5W-30 since ~12000, Toyota filters.
I’ve never torqued a oil pan drain bolt in my life, but when I removed the HL's today, I thought “Boy, that’s loose.” I usually just tighten them with whatever ratchet or box-end wrench I’m using at the time. So I checked the Toyota shop manual, and it says 33 ft lbs! That’s a whole lot more that I usually do. I used my normal method, then got out the torque wrench and started tightening toward 33 ft lbs. I quit before I got there, couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to strip it. Anyone have experience or thoughts on this? I use a new washer each time.
One thing I always thought was cool about the V6 is the little diverter under the oil filter, which allows oil to drop straight down without dribbling down the engine or hitting the frame. That is, unless you unscrew the filter too quickly – then it will hit the frame, and in my case, miss the drain pan!
There’s the paradox of getting the engine and oil a little warm for complete draining, and getting the exhaust manifold flesh-searing hot at the same time. So there I am on a Washington DC day which is heading into the 90s, with a long sleeve shirt and mechanics gloves on, getting the oil filter off. Comfy.
You have to add oil quite slowly to this engine, otherwise oil gets up into the well formed by the plastic engine cover, which is not quite sealed to the top of the engine. Then oil will slowly make its way down to the front of the engine. Unsightly, at best. Fortunately, the engine cover comes off easily. There are three 5mm Allen-head nuts at the front, and the back fastener is tricky – the Toyota symbol unscrews! It just pushes back on, but it unscrews to get it off. The engine cover is purely aesthetic – no function, except maybe to keep what’s under it a little cleaner and dryer. You can leave it off if you want to. Watch those Allen head nuts – I expected them to be bolts, and they practically leapt out of their wells as I was taking the cover off.
Good for another 3K+.
Jonas
"Hmmmm... by wwest Jul 05, 2003 (9:15 pm)
Most car service dealers buy their oil in bulk, many from re-refineries. Doesn't that mean that eventually all of the re-refined oil will be highly contaminated with synthetic?"
I don't believe for one second that dealers sell re-refined oil as new. Care to list sources of this information?
Time to fishing for links, although a search in Engine Oil - A slippery subject Part 2 may turn up something too.
Steve, Host
Can you honestly say one isn't just as "new" as the other?
Hoping for some input from HL FWD/4 owners.
I don't read much about off-pavement driving 'round here.
Wondering if I can 'get away with' a FWD/4 vs an AWD/6 Highlander.
I live on the edge of the Mojave Desert and will (sometimes) use the HL to access trailheads (death valley, eastern sierras etc) via (sometimes steep) rough rock road ('dirt roads' is too kind) also may run into the occasional snow storm.
The $8K difference between a FWD/4 and an AWD/6 HL has to make one wonder.
(fwiw, also considering Subaru Forester and Toyota Tundra).
tia/
-srp
The HL/RX300 AWD is all wheel drive from a marketing perspective only. On a 4WD dyno the RX checked out at 90/10 F/R torque distribution ratio, and only got up to 75/25 after many minutes of continuing front wheel slippage.
If the HL is available as FWD with the V6 and VSC/Trac that might be the optimal solution.
GregB
PS. Great points about the filling too fast and removing the cover. I too learned this the hard way.
Not that I'm advocating the AWD/6 over the FWD/4 or vice versa but note that the difference in price is about $3K, not $8K (see www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/highlander/price/highlander_pri- - ce.html).
Not knowing how steep the rough roads are nor the amount of snow you'll encounter (I only pass through Mojave in the Summer), my gut feel is that you might be happier with the AWD/6 (which is what I have). You don't see much discussion here on off-roading as the Highlander is a car-based SUV (unlike the 4Runner which is a truck-based SUV), and thus most people buy it for light off-roading at best. Ideal would be to test drive the Highlander (or any other vehicles you're considering) on the very roads you're concerned about (rent the vehicle if test driving one from the dealership isn't feasible). (Back when I used to live in a hilly area I made a point of test driving vehicles being considered up steep hills during my initial evaluation phase in figuring out what brand and model I wanted.)
Also why I avoid all the quickie places - they don't take the time yo fully drain the old oil, or clean up after themselves. How else can they do it for $19?
When I do an oil change, I remove the plastic "skid pan" thats between the roll pan and the crossmember. It's just a few 10mm screws, and only adds an additional 5 or 10 minutes to the job. Makes it real easy to access the filter.
Yeah, that little chute under your oil filter is a nice little touch... just make sure you also put a rag on top of the crossmember - there's a hole right in the middle of it that will get oil in it guided by that little filter chute as you loosten the filter.
What a pain for a simple operation.
The fill and drain plugs are 10mm Allen heads (what's the generic term - recessed hex?) and all I have are sockets of that size. So I had to use various extensions to find room to access the fill plug, then it wouldn't budge with the little 3/8 ratchet I first used. FYI, always loosen/remove the fill plug first, otherwise two things might occur - the fluid will glug, glug, glug out of the drain and splash all over the place, especially nice with hot, smelly gear oil, or you find you can't remove the fill plug after you've already drained the fluid! Not a good thing. Anyway, an 18" breaker bar broke the fill plug loose. Drain plug, too.
Wait, wait, where's my pump? Couldn't find it in the garage, tried the basement (why would it be there?). Break for dinner, got dark, drag out the dropcord. Find the pump hiding in the first place I looked for it. Grumble.
Removed the drain plug, which has a magnet on it. A whole lot of gunk on the magnet. I didn't analyze it, nor get out another magnet to check the content of the gunk, but I assume it's magnetic particles from the gears. I was surprised, and it makes me think I'll change new car gear lubes earlier in the future. I always change the engine oil within the first 500 miles just for cheap insurance, but I haven't done other lubricants very early.
So, I expected to change the transfer case tonight also, but that'll wait. Redline doesn't make a synthetic automatic transmission fluid which meets Toyota specs, otherwise I'd do that, too.
On the underside of the spoiler, exactly in the center of the spoiler there is a hole. The hole does not look perfectly round.
When I asked the service manager about the hole, he told me it was for the harmonic effect. If there was no hole than you would hear a hum.
1) Is there supposed to be a hole located on the rear spoiler at that location?
2) Is the harmonic effect a bunch of b.s.?
Thanks in advance.
Rob
If such a hole needed to be there for some reason, Toyota certainly would have made it look like it was supposed to be there... either a perfectly round molded opening, or with a gasket around the edges or something.
I'd be back there the next day to talk with the general manager, demand a new one, and not go back to that service department again.
1) This is a Toyota manufactured rear spoiler and not a aftermarket item.
2) Have contacted Toyota via phone and email, and still no answer from them. Has been 3 days now.
3) I knew the service manager was slinging b.s., but wanted to confirm especially from Toyota's end.
4) This has definitely not been a good experience either from the local dealership or corporate Toyota. When I purchased the vehicle originally, they had to order in the spoiler and some touch up paint because of a couple of chips on the hood. Well when the spoiler came in, of course the touch up paint did not come in for over a week later. Instead of one trip to the dealership, had to make 2.
5) Thought that buying a highly rated vehicle, in this case a Toyota Highlander, would stop some of the b.s. I have experienced from American brand models.
Rob
Just caught the service manager in another lie concerning the rear spoiler. When I was at the dealership, I asked if there were anymore Highlander's on the lot with a rear spoiler. He pointed out that there was only one. A green one that did not have a spoiler. Stupid me did not drive through the new car lot and confirm for myself. Well, I decided to check their website just now. What do you know. They have 10 Highlander's on the lot. 3 of them Limited's with rear spoilers. I will be going to the dealership after work and check out the rear spoilers on them. Thanks for letting me rant.
Rob
I think I would like a black limited with all option when it comes out. I once ride in a 4 cly with another guy, we didn't even notice it is a 4 after the day of driving. and my wife own a RX300, honestly we both can't tell the different between the two engines. Great car.
Has anyone experienced this???
"This week on our lousy show, we got a call from Dave in Bellingham, Washington. (You can hear the call in the Our Lousy Show section of the site.) Dave has knee problems-- and his new Toyota Highlander wasn't exactly helping matters. He's finding it hard to push down on the pedals, which only serves to make his XXXXXX knee worse. We suggested hand controls... but we also thought that some of you guys might have a better idea. What do you think? Post your suggestions for Dave right here.
And thanks.
Tom and Ray
Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers"
I don't recall reading anything relating to that on any of Edmund's Highlander boards -- my guess is Dave would experience the same problems with other SUVs, not just the Highlander!
I have a dealer who's trying to tell me they have some/one but I don't believe him.
GregB
Mike
Now have 25K on the HL in 8 months...really very satisfied...had it in to the dealer for the only time yesterday to adjust rear door latch (clamshell on latch was hard to sqeeze). Slight coolant leak (little bit of red coolant on plastic cover and from water pump hose), tightened hose clamp, and what sounded like window air leak in back seat and occasional howl was roof rack adjustment...they checked for dry axle seal and suspension for cause but roof rack was the culprit..gone now. Came that way from the factory..never used or changed it.
I recently test drove the 4 cylinder highlander for its smooth ride/ I have heard so much about. I am going back on monday to drive the 6 to see the difference in power. The Highlander 4WD 4 cylinder I drove had the tow pkg, quick order pkg, floor mat pkg, rear spoiler, body color mud guards and a few other things with a MSRP of $ 28,040.00. I got the price down to $ 24,530.00.. The 6 cylinder version would be at least $ 2000.00 more from what I am told.
For the four cylinder 4WD owners out there... do you wish you got the six? Is the price I received good? Any info is appreciated. Thanks
Steve
Thanks
1. production be starting or just about the start, and
2. shouldn't dealers (or at least regional distributors) have order sheets now?
I used a good stiff putty knife, good butter knife might work, BE SURE TO COVER THE TOOL WITH TAPE to reduce chance of making scratches on the trim. A good place to start is the lower corners. Slide the knife into the gap between the black radio frame and the gray/wood grain facia, and pry slightly. When you can make a gap big enough to hold onto, put knife in another corner and make a small gap there, do this all around until you get it out enough to pull it straight off.
After removing this facia, you'll see the frame that holds the radio and heating controls are held to the dash by three large screws on each side. I think you'll need a nut driver or small socket with extension to remove these. After removing these screws you'll be able to pull out this assembly with the radio.
From what I recall, there's not much under the radio to rattle except the antenna cable or radio wiring. You might be able to put your hands on these without removing the radio. You might be able to put your hand in from behind the console just to the right of the gas paddle--not sure.
Anyone done this? Or could tell me how it could be done?
Thanks in advance!!
So now I use the fog lamps as DRLs. The DRL circuit "opens" when the headlamps are on high or low.
Obviously I can still turn the parking lamps and fog lamps on and off in the normal (factory) fashion.
In the RX300 the DRL's voltage dropping resistor is mounted under the battery support platform. I opened the DRL circuit at one end of this resister in order to wire in the relay coil.
While you're in there you might want to check the condition of the halogen high beam bulbs. At 12k miles mine had soot covered the entire interior of the glass capsule and the glass itself had begun to melt and bubble as a result of the heat buildup.
Someone said the halogen gas filament regeneration cycle doesn't "fire off" at the low DRL voltages and that results in the premature failure of the HB bulbs. And poor HB lighting as they begin to build up a soot coating prior to actual failure.
Thanks to everyone for all the comments on this board - it's a great resource for folks like us.