2011 Crewmax 5.7L Maintenance and Improvements Log Started Oct 2019

EDIT 10/29/19: I decided to turn this into a mini log of sorts to catalog the maintenance and improvements I make to this truck. Thanks to everyone who has been checking things out and offering up advice, suggestions and guidance. I appreciate it and hope someone can benefit from some of the info that comes out of this thread.


Hello!

I'm a new owner of a well used 2011 Crewmax with the 5.7L motor. I'm an avid DIY'er and will do 95%+ of my own maintenance. I have a number of questions and I was hoping you more experienced folks could enlighten me with some proper answers. Here goes:

Oil
Do the 5.7L motors prefer any brand, type or weight of oil aside from the factory recommendation?
I ask because my former turbocharged Subaru operated best on Rotella T6. Our current Acura burns oil like nobody's business (there's a recall for this) regardless of what you put in there.


Keys / Fobs
All my other cars were simple to reprogram fobs at least. Keys required a bit more.
Do I understand correctly that TechStream is required if a DIY'er were to attempt to program their own fob?
Can you also program a chipped key?
Is there a specific version of TechStream required for the 2011?

What cable is needed to work with a 2011 Tundra?
I have a VAG-COM 409.1 (Audi/VW?) and a VAG-KKL 409.1 (also Audi/VW?) and associated drivers on hand. I seem to recall using one of these on a Forester we had.

Is there anything else you can do with TechStream that's recommended from a reliability perspective?


Reliability
Are there any "reliability mods" besides the metal oil filter housing that are recommended or suggested?
My Subaru had a catalytic converter in the up-pipe to the turbo that needed to be removed to prevent destroying everything after it once it disintegrated as they would over time.

Is Seafoaming the top end recommended on the 5.7?

Does anyone use Seafoam in their oil before changes?
I've Seafoamed top-ends of various vehicles before but never used it in the crankcase. Too concerned of it thinning out too much.


Body Accessories
Do most/all accessories cross over from 2007 to the current year or did the Gen 3 stop that?

Will Step Bars / Running Boards (OEM) from a 2014 Crewmax fit a 2011 Crewmax?

Will a toneau cover fit all years of Crewmax from 2007 to current?

What are the biggest wheels I can fi..... Just kidding! I read the newbie thread



Thanks in advance for any answers you all can provide. It is appreciated.

 

Now that I've got a few days with the truck under my belt I can answer some of these questions on my own:

TechStream is required to program your own keys and fobs.
The TechStream cable needs to be a Mini VCI J2534
Mine's arriving today so I'll be able to check out the key and/or fob programming within the next 24-36 hours or so.

Toyota brushed stainless step bars from a 2014 Crewmax due indeed fit a 2011.

An Access Literider tonneau cover that was mounted on a 2014 Crewmax fits a 2011 Crewmax for sure. Just make sure you snug tight to the front bed rail and/or put in some foam rubber pipe insulation to prevent leaks up there.

 

Welcome from East TN! Good looking truck. Is that green?

 

You’ll be able to program both key fobs and chipped keys with TechStream. I bought all of my blank keys and fobs from Amazon and had zero issues.

other things it’ll let you do (not just limited to the following): turn off seatbelt chime, calibrate outside temperature gauge up or down, turn of the Toyota keyless confirmation tone (I added remote start that requires me to hit lock 3x and then it adds 2 more beeps to confirm, got annoying), program if driver door or all doors unlock when you hit unlock once on your key fobs, program TPMS sensors if you know their RF IDs (great tool if you swap between winter and summer set of wheels), real time sensor info for pretty much everything. List goes on.

 

Thanks for the welcome and additional info, I do appreciate it.

The truck is a dark forest green that's apparently called "Spruce Mica" by Toyota. I haven't seen too many of this color around but I also wasn't looking for them either so I'm not certain how common it is.

I picked up a set of winter rims and tires over the weekend but I don't know the TPMS RFID's that are installed. I've been trying to find an affordable scan tool to see if I could take care of it 100% on my own but no luck yet. My TPMS light is currently on (flashes first at startup, then lights steady). Not a huge issue for me but I do like the functionality of a TPMS system as an early-ish warning device for tire pressure issues. I've read up on how to trick the TPMS unit to think all is well but will hold off on that for now until I try to sort things out in TechStream first. The spare was low but doesn't have a TPMS sensor installed.

There are a few little things I'll be taking care of this week (door check, a trim piece, installing the obligatory LED's, etc).

A big thing I'd like to get remedied is a torn bottom left bolster on the drivers side seat. Some of the foam is missing as well. I've been searching all over for the proper automotive upholstery foam but have had trouble finding the right stuff. If anyone knows of a place to get seat foam and/or standard gray automotive cloth material, I would certainly appreciate a link.

This truck will eventually be going to my oldest son who'll be gearing up for his license next year. He's got to learn how to drive with it first. We'll keep the Tow/Haul button quiet from him for the time being

 

You probably have a bad sensor for TPMS to trigger the light. I bought a set for $50. As for RF ID, I had local Discount Tire read and program the RF IDs. Once you get TechStream up and running, you can troubleshoot the TMPS and program replacement sensors.

as for the seats, I had a similar issue and couldn’t find an affordable seat replacement so I ended up getting Clazzio vinyl/fake leather seat covers for a little over $200 after discounts so that took care of the driver seat and covered the rest of the seats as well. Looks factory. While I was installing the seat covers, I added seat warmers to front seats for $90.

 

Thanks again for the info. I've read that those Clazzio covers are pretty nice. I put out some feelers to a couple local salvage yards to see if a bottom seat cushion (foam, cover or whole thing) may be available. If a whole seat shows up or just the parts I need I may spring for that. But, I do like the idea of the covers and seat warmers too. This is my first car since the 1990's without factory seat heaters!

 

Welcome from South Texas.

 

I got Techstream installed on a Win10 64bit machine after awhile. That installation is not intuitive at all...
It talks with the truck fine. TPMS is giving outlier info on 3 out of 5 sensors. I have no idea where the 5th sensor is. I'll look into that a little more tomorrow as I saw a thread talking about possibly needing to replace the antenna for the system. This is not a high priority but was low hanging fruit within Techstream.
I'll try to get my fob connected tomorrow and if successful, I'll order up a couple flip keys to switch to.

 

@ZeRussian - Do you happen to have a pic of your Clazzio cover on your drivers seat you could share?
I was looking at the Clazzio's, FH Group and others last night and am trying to get an idea of whether or not they'll adequately cover the issue with my drivers seat. Here's a pic of the ugly and odd failed repair the prior owner did or had done. I'm assuming the gap that you see between the seat cushion and the plastic/electrics panel is due to the panel hanging low at the front of the seat? It seems to have a bit of a dramatic arch though so I'm not sure if that's stock or if something else is going on.
My concern is two-fold: 1) will a cover sufficiently fill the foam void, and 2) will a cover also fill the gap between the cushion and plastic panel?

 

I don’t know if it’ll fill the foam void, they are meant to hug the current seats, so you’ll probably still be able to tell. As for the gap, the seat covers are longer than the factory seats and you tuck the edge between the plastic and the seat. So I don’t think it’d cover it. Personally I’d shoot for a new/used seat to address your issues.

 

Thanks for the reply and pics - I appreciate it. The covers look good!

I just took a closer look at my seat and see that a screw is missing that holds the plastic panel up in the front. When I hold it up to the mounting point it fills that void between the cushion and the plastic. I'll get that fixed up today.

Looks like it's going to be a toss up as to what will be the best route to go. If a seat shows up for reasonable money I'll likely do that due to the simplicity. Although I do like the seat cover/heater combination that you installed. If 2 covers and sets of heaters end up being the same cost as a single new drivers seat, I may just go for the covers/heaters instead.

The key fob won't be getting programmed today. I opened it up and the internal lock button has come un-soldered. The unlock button is sitting a little cock-eyed in there too. Instead of messing with it and trying to solder it again I just ordered up a couple flip keys as well as a black regular key and fob to cover all the bases. Should be here by the weekend so I can get all those programmed up.

 

I did a quick edit to the title and first post to change this thread into a log rather than only asking the questions I did initially.

 

I cinched up the plastic on the drivers seat by adding a wider washer to the screw that pulled through. It's still ugly with the prior owners fix but it's tight now and looks like it could accommodate a cover better.


Also got the door check installed. No more popping when opening and closing the door. There are a couple good videos on Youtube showing both how to take the door card off as well as change the door check. This card has been off before and there was an odd surprise inside...

Broken door check:


New, non-popping door check installed:


Lifting glove stuffed under the door controls...Note the embossed "Toyota" in the leather where it's been pressing against the switch for so long.


The glove was there to put pressure on the controls so they wouldn't fall when you press the buttons. One of the screw posts was broken. It's curing as I type with some JB Weld for a more permanent fix. While the lifting glove was a nice bonus, it's hanging out in the trash with the broken door check...

Quick Question
On the door card removal videos, everyone is unplugging a light at the bottom of the door as they take the card off. I've got a red lens at the bottom of the door but there is no light to be found. I can't even see where there was wiring to ever have a light. Am I missing something?
Here's a pic of the door and it's associated wiring. Nothing for a light in the lower left. No cuts in the harness that I can see either.

 

I got my Techstream issues sorted out and was able to successfully program two flip keys for the Tundra.
Got them cut at Home Depot in their automated machine. You have to 1) tell the machine it's not a chip key and, 2) scan the steel key bar code before you put in the flip key blank.
From there it cuts it up in about 30-45 seconds and you're on your way. I ended up buying the steel blank to pay for getting the cutting done.
All told, here's what I have into it;
(2) flip keys $67.90
2 day Fedex from China $8.99 (this was optional)
VCI Cable $34.50
Key Cutting $2.98
Total $114.37

My understanding is that's about how much the dealer would charge for a new standard chip key and fob and the time to program it. I'm justifying it by de-cluttering my pockets, having a remote that actually works now and the ability to diagnose and alter settings in the truck all for the same cost as having the dealer program a key.

 

Greased the driveshaft today and have a question for those who have done this before.

How many grease fittings are there on a 2011 5.7L 4WD?

I saw the PDF that's floating around for a 2007 4WD and it apparently has 7 or 8 zerks.
I only found 3 on mine and there all on the rear shaft.
Couldn't find anything on the front. Nothing on the double-cardan joint.
Looks like Toyota may have migrated to sealed joints on the front shaft by this point of production?

I'm also fairly certain this is the first time the driveshaft has been greased. If nothing else, it has been a long time since it has seen this service.
All three zerks wouldn't accept grease at first. I first cleaned them then tried to get some Lucas Red-n-Tacky into them to no avail. While still coated in grease, I hit the center of the zerk with a small philips screwdriver to free it up. Didn't take too much and didn't feel crusty/rusted which was good.
I pumped in a fair amount of grease. Enough to purge a good amount from each seal but not enough to completely replace what was in there. I'm figuring I'll plan to hit these pretty frequently until I can see nothing but red grease coming out.
The stuff that was in there was dark black but was still sticky and had it's "grease qualities" to it. At least to the touch and on the rags.

 

Welcome from ND. Where did you order the techstream from? Pm me if you want. I had a vagcom and vagtacho that was helpful on my VW golf

 

I got the VCI cable on Amazon that came with a "complimentary" version of TS: https://amzn.to/2NNOsyI
It has accomplished everything I've needed it to do so far (with version 10.30.029 anyway). Time will tell if I dig into it too much further. I'm sure I will for the diagnostics tools it has at some point but that will most likely be once an issue arises.