3.27 - What do I "feed" my Tundra ? (Gas) (All)
Description
This article is from the Toyota Tundra FAQ, by Steve Yee with numerous contributions by others.
3.27 - What do I "feed" my Tundra ? (Gas) (All)
The owners' manual states that you can put plain 'ole 87 Octane Unleaded Gas.
Do that and your Tundra will be very happy. There is no mention of not putting
in fuels laced with MTBE or Ethanol, so it seems that seasonal additives
required in some areas will not damage your engine. MTBE may be phased out due
to groundwater contamination in some areas (specifically the Southwestern and
Western United States), so Ethanol will probably be the only oxygenation
additive in the future.
On a side note: Many owners have asked some questions about Octane levels.
Octane levels are a method of determining how fast the fuel-air mixture burns
in the piston cylinders in your engine. The higher the number, the more
resistant the gasoline is to igniting due to compression and heat before the
spark plug ignites the fuel (known as "knocking"). Your Tundra engine is
calibrated for 87 octane fuel, and unless you are getting severe knocking in
your engine, don't buy higher octane fuel.
Subject 3.28 - What is this plastic stuff under my truck? (Skid Plates) (All)
Some varieties of Tundras utilize either all metal skid plates, all plastic
skid plates, or a combination of plastic and metal, with metal being used in
the heavier theoretical "impact" areas of the Tundra, such as the front engine
and transfer case areas. (The FAQ Author's personal Tundra is the
plastic/metal combination)
In reality, there really is no difference between the all metal variety vs. the
all plastic variety. Both versions will do what they are supposed to do:
Prevent damage to the powertrain components. Some people prefer the theory
that "all metal will be better because of load bearing capabilities", where
others prefer that "all plastic will allow the plate to bounce back rather than
being hammered back into shape".
Composite plastics have proven to be as strong as metal in many cases, with the
advantage of a possible lighter weight. Newer metals (such as Easton's
Scandanium) offer the strength of steel with lightness of Titanium and
Aluminum.
In any case, this debate will probably go down into the realms of the
discussions with Chevy vs. Ford vs. Dodge vs. Is the Tundra a full size
truck...etc.
Subject 3.29 - Oil Gauges (All)
Many owners have noticed that when the truck is at idle, the oil gauge is
nearly at zero. According to the Phoenix area Toyota service departments (yes,
I called every single one of them in Phoenix), the oil pressure is very low at
idle and the gauge is accurate. Oil pressure will increase as engine RPM
increases.
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