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For anyone who's owned a vehicle, you've probably learned by now that it’s generally cheaper and easier to perform routine maintenance yourself, than taking it to the dealer or the local Jiffy Lube. This includes a long list of things, especially, changing your engine oil.

Changing your oil is one of the most common DIY vehicle owning experiences. One thing I learned after I blew through my 25,000 miles is that changing the oil on a third generation Tacoma is a little different than other vehicles i've owned in the past, and there are a couple things you need to be aware of. Let's dive in!

Here’s what you'll need to get the job done:

• Oil (0W20, 6.2 US quarts with oil cooler, 6.1 US quarts with out oil cooler)
• Oil filter (with gaskets and o-rings)
• Ratchet and 14mm socket
• Torque wench (for best results)
• Oil filter wrench
• Oil filter cap drain tool (generally comes with your filter)
• Oil pan (for catching the draining oil)

After you have what you need, get started by removing your skid plate. This is needed to access your oil filter. After that’s off, put your drain pan under your drain plug. Loosen your plug, and be prepared to move your pan to catch the oil. After the oil is drained, put the drain plug back in with a new gasket. Torque it down to 40 Nm / 30 ft/lbs.

Now it’s time to remove the filter housing, and replace the filter. The housing is plastic, and many owners choose to replace the stock plastic one with an aftermarket aluminum one. The aluminum one is more durable and will last longer. While the skid plate will protect it while the truck is moving, it could be damaged during oil changes. You can get an aluminum one here.

First, remove the drain plug from the oil filter cap. This will expose where you screw in your drain tool. Once you thread it in, oil will drain. You don’t need to drain this oil before removing the housing, but it will make the process cleaner, as oil will start to flow in all directions one you start to loosen the housing.

Next, take your wrench and place it over the housing. You may need to use a breaker bar to remove it from the engine if it has been over-tightened. Once removed, remove and discard the old o-ring and oil filter. It’s best to clean the cap and threads to avoid dirt building up. Install your new o-rings and filter. Thread the cap/housing back into place by hand. Tighten the housing down with the wrench to 25 Nm / 18 ft/lbs. Thread the housing drain plug back in with a new (and lightly oiled) o-ring, and torque it down to 13 Nm / 10 ft/lbs.

After that, add new oil. You will use 6.2 US quarts of 0W20 if you have the oil cooler, and 6.1 US quarts with out oil cooler. Start your engine and check for leaks. Check the oil level with your dipstick, and top off if needed. After you’re done, replace the skid plate, and you’re good to go.

Changing your oil on your truck may have a few more steps over a conventional one-piece disposable filter, but it’s still pretty straightforward. In the event you are more of a visual learner, here is a good video that covers everything from start to finish. Remember that oil is the life of engines, so keep your Taco running well, and treat her right.

* Please note the following:

This guide is accurate for all the following third gen models: 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Some of these links are Amazon affiliate links and we make a small commission if you purchase the product.

Images Credits:

Oil Filter Housing – Tundra Solutions user Jowett Engineering

Exploded Filter Diagram – Posted by Tacoma World user tubesock

Most truck owners would be glad to tell you all the many reasons, from off-roading to customizations, why owning a truck is the best — but high-tech gadgets and gizmos are not usually high on the list of accessories needed for their Tacomas.

But if your Tacoma is older than a 2016, or otherwise didn’t come equipped with newer smart car tech, don’t worry: There are plenty of techy gadgets that can upgrade your truck and your driving experience without costing you an arm and a leg (or requiring you to trade in your beloved vehicle).

Here are 5 gadgets to smarten up your Toyota Tacoma: 

1. ZUS Smart Car Charger ($39.99)
   
   If your car doesn’t come standard with a USB charger for your devices, fear not: Cigarette-lighter chargers are faster and smarter than ever. The ZUS Qualcomm Quick Charge can charge two USB devices at maximum speed, faster than typical car chargers.  Bonus: With the ZUS app, you can find where you parked your car, set timers for parking meters, monitor your car battery, and track your mileage.
   
   Follow these tips for using a car phone charger to keep your phone and car batteries healthy.
   
   
2. Smart Vehicle Health Monitor ($59.99)  
   
   No one likes taking the truck into the shop and blowing cold, hard cash just to check an engine light. But with a car health monitor, you can interpret engine light codes right on your smartphone and stay knowledgeable about the overall health and functionality of your vehicle.
   
   
3. Garmin Heads-up Display Navigation ($149.99)
   
   Looking at the navigation on your phone while driving is dangerous — plain and simple. But new heads-up tech puts a transparent navigation screen in your line of sight while driving, so you can follow directions without taking your eyes off the road.
   
   
4. Viper Smart Start ($195.00)
   
   If you have an older car or truck, you probably don’t have a way to start it up remotely — which means warming it up on a cold, winter morning is a hassle at best. Now, you can use an app on your smartphone to remote-start your vehicle from the warmth and comfort of your house.
   
   
5. ZUS Smart Tire Safety Monitor ($119.99)  
   
   No one wants to experience a tire blowing out on a highway. To keep you and your loved ones safe (and save you some money and hassle), use your smartphone and a handy app to keep track of your tire air pressure and health. The ZUS Smart Tire Safety Monitor comes with the first-ever slow leak detector, so you’ll be alerted before your tire problems become dangerous.

* Please note that some of these links are Amazon affiliate links and we make a small commission if you purchase the product.

Installing your Tacoma decals isn't extremely difficult, you just need to have a bit of time and some patience.

Plan on spending between 30-45 minutes and follow the steps below.

Clean Area

Take a second and make sure that the area where you will be installing the decals is clean. I like to use rubbing alcohol, a paper towel, and a Q-tip to make sure that there is no dirt, dust or other particles where I will be working. Make sure to let the area dry before installing the decals.

Create A Soapy Water Solution

In a small bowl, squirt a pump of hand or dish soap and mix with water. This will be used to apply the decals and make positioning easier.

Apply Soapy Water Solution To Area

Take your fingers and dip them in the soapy solution and rub all over the area where you will be installing the decals. Make sure it is good and wet.

Remove Decals From Backing

Take some tape, any type will work, but masking tape works the best and touch the corner of the decal and lift up. 

*** YOU DO NOT WANT TO TRY AND PEEL WITH YOUR FINGERS OR TWEEZERS. IT WILL PEEL THE BACKING AND RUIN THE DECAL ***

Dip Decals In Soapy Water Solution

Once the decal is removed, dip the entire thing in the soapy solution. Make sure you know which side is the sticky side.

Position Decals

Now that everything is wet, align the edge of the decal with the edge of the chrome ring, ensuring that there is no chrome visible around the edges of the vent ring. The soapy solution will allow you to slide the decal around and position it exactly where you want it. Do not press firmly or the soapy solution will push out and it will stick.

Push Out Soapy Water Solution

Once positioned exactly where you want it, hold one area with your finger and take a paper towel and start wiping the area opposite of your finger. This will push the solution out and begin the curing process. Switch sides with your finger and push the solution out of the other side.

Let Cure For 24-48 Hours

Please note that you'll want to wait 24-48 hours before trying to touch them again. Yes, they will be sticky and probably won't move, but it's best to wait until they are completely dry.

If you have any questions about the installation process, please contact us.

BEFORE INSTALLING YOUR GRILLE, PLEASE MAKE NOTE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO OVER TIGHTEN ANY OF THE BOLTS. IF YOU DO, YOU WILL SCRAPE THE POWDER COATING AND INCREASE THE CHANCES THAT YOUR GRILLE WILL RUST.

Here are the instructions for installing your new grille insert.

Tools Needed

• Dremel Tool with cutoff wheel  (or some other form of cutting instrument)
• Flat head screw driver
• Short phillips screw driver
• Ratchet
• 7/16 inch socket
• Needle nose pliers
• Small pair of pliers or 7/16 crescent wrench
• Soft blanket

Step 1

Remove the entire grille and outer surround from the truck by removing the two bolts with a phillips tip screw driver, the two push pins with a flat head screw driver and two clips about half way down on each side of the grille with needle nose pliers. With the two push pins, just pry up the little round tab and pull it out.

Grab the top of the grille and start gently wiggling. Once it starts to break free, grab the front and pull straight out.

Step 2

Remove the surround (front piece) from the grille. 

Step 3

Cut out the center piece in each of the marked areas with some form of a cutting tool. I used a Dremel Tool with a cutoff wheel.

It's always better to start with a smaller cutting area and continue to cut back more material until it fits the way you want it to. Remember, once you've gone too far, there's no going back.

Step 4

Bolt mounting hardware to the insert using a 7/16 socket wrench and a pair of pliers or crescent wrench. You'll use the six, 90 degree brackets for the top and bottom of the grille and the four "s" shaped brackets for the sides of the grille. If you knick any of the powder coating, you'll want to touch that up before you mount to the grille.

Please note that you won't want to tighten them all the way down. You need them to have the freedom to swivel and move up and down so you can get them in the right position when mounting to the grille.

Step 5

Lay the insert on the cut out grille area, make sure that everything lines up and flip it over. 

Making sure that the grille didn't move, put your hand underneath, push up and mark the middle top and bottom holes with a sharpie.

Drill out the holes and use the screws to mount the grille with a short phillips tip screw driver.

Step 6

Once screwed in, go from corner to corner, putting your hand underneath and pushing the corners into place. While holding each corner in place, mark the corner bracket and surrounding brackets with a sharpie marker.

Remove the two screws, drill the rest of the holes and screw in all of the brackets.

Step 7

Attach the brushed stainless steel back plate to the grille using four of the included locking nuts. You may need to pull the laser paper if yours came with it. That will be the side you want facing out.

Step 8

Reinstall grille and surround to truck.

Please note, powder coat will chip like paint. This grille is made out of steel and will rust if the powder coating is chipped or scratched. If you notice any chips or scratches, please make sure to touch it up with touch up paint as soon as possible.

These door emblem replacement decals are meant to complete replace the factory badges on your truck. To learn how to debadge your truck, you can read this resource. Before you debadge your truck you should place masking tape along the bottom, top, right and left edges of each badge so that the decals can be properly aligned in the exact location of the removed badges.

If the emblems of your truck have already been removed, you should use masking tape as a guide to the desired horizontal and vertical placement on your truck. If you have a laser level, you might use that to ensure that everything is level. 

Before applying your decals, you should clean the area thoroughly to ensure they stick to your truck. Use rubbing alcohol and cotton balls to clean the area allow the area to completely dry.

These decals use transfer tape to remove the vinyl from the backing paper. Before trying to remove the decal from its backing, rub your finger or a credit card over the transfer tape to ensure that it is completely adhered to the decal. Slowly peel the transfer tape from the backing paper, ensuring that each vinyl letter separates from the paper with the transfer tape. If not, press down again until it takes.

Align the decal with the vertical edge of the tape and slowly lay it down on the surface of the truck from right to left, aligning it with the top strip of masking tape. Apply pressure with your fingers or run the edge of a credit card or other plastic edge across the surface of the transfer tape to make sure it sticks to the truck. 

Once the decal is applied, slowly peel the transfer tape away, making sure that the decal does not lift up with the transfer tape. Once on your truck, use your fingers to press down on all of the letters and mountain to ensure they have adhered properly. 

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to remove the mountain graphic from the decal simply cut them off prior to the installation instructions below.