Regular scheduled maintenance (should and should nots)

Hey guys,

I came from a 4runner and on that forum people were pretty adamant about not doing certain maintenance until x number of miles or at all even if the dealer recommended it and I wanted to see what the consensus was here. I just got my tundra about 3 weeks ago and unfortunately I have no idea of the previous maintenance and wanted to get some of the big stuff done just incase it was neglected.

Where should I start?

What are some of the major things I need to know and be aware of on my tundra? For example anytime anyone purchased a new to them 3rd gen 4runner we told them to make sure and replace the lower ball joints if they looked old because that's a major weak point on them.

What should I not do unless a problem arises? Some say to never flush the transmission fluid even though it's recommended at certain milestones.

I bought my runner at 65,000 miles and just passed 237,000 and I'm hoping to take the Tundra just as far so. Any help and personal experiences are welcome.

For reference I have a 2017 1794 edition with 86,978 miles. Dealer changed the oil and that's all I know right now. I will be switching over to a high mileage full synthetic after about 4,000 miles. Replaced the air filter and cabin filter with k&n. Suspension looks to be in decent shape but I don't have a reference point to know If any of it is in need of replacement but because it feels good ill keep it for now.

 

Since you really don't have a reference point on the service other than the oil, I would recommend changing the front and rear diff oil along with the transfer case oil. Not big jobs or really expensive, but at least you will have the peace of mind that they were done.

 

IMO, maintenance is cheap and most of it is relatively easy.

Personally I'd do,

Engine air filter
Pollen filter
Some sort of fuel tank additive prior to oil change
Engine oil change (+BG cleaner)
Trans fluid change
4x4 sevice
Spark plugs

That's just me.

 

Should I get toyota fluids or is there an aftermarket thats better? I use royal for engine oil

 

Lots of quality products for the front and rear diffs, but lots of folks here recommend using the factory Toyota fluid for the transfer case. Haven't done mine yet, but will probably do that.

 

Best for diff imo

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/tundra-maintenance-guide.315/

 

Ravenol works just as good and it's a fraction of Toyota's T-case cost.