Land Cruiser Oil Change Skid Plate Removal?!!

[Dr. M]

Can anyone who has taken delivery of a new Land Cruiser, First Edition (or otherwise) verify if it appears that the Skid plate(s) need to be removed before the oil pan can be drained? This has been mentioned in other places. Thanks!! Dr. M

 

[Teebo]

I just pulled mine up on my ramps to take a look. I would say yes. I can reach up and get to the oil filter but it would make a huge mess that way. I can't even see the oil pan with the skid plate. The front skid plat overlaps the rear one so that can stay put. The skid pan is held on by 6 bolts. Looks easier than the garbage I had to pull off my Highlander to change the oil.

 

[Dr. M]

Gosh! Thank you for taking the time to do that. That looks like a Land Cruiser trim? Guessing there’s no difference with the first edition trim. So it sounds like an order to drain the oil pan. You would need to pull the skid plate. Is that correct? Thanks a million!!!

 

[Nuke]

Speaking of the Highlander, ours has a very easy to remove access panel. Of course it is plastic, but there is no reason Toyota could have not designed an access panel into this skid plate. At least two of the retaining bolts have slots, where the skid plate can be first attached. Is the skid plate steel, or aluminum? Hopefully the latter, but thin-looking for aluminum.

 

[Dr. M]

I see now that you have a FE. Awfully nice looking skid plate. Titanium??? . Aluminum?. Does sound like the skid plate will need to come off for an oil change if I understand you. I can’t recall if Toyota includes some free maintenance as part of a new car purchase?

 

[Dr. M]

One other question (but, don’t feel compelled to respond, you’ve already gone above and beyond). Can you tell is this is a “First Edition” special skid plate, as Toyota indicated? Thanks!!

 

[Dr. M]

Yet another question. Do the mirrors automatically power fold-in when you lock the FE? Thanks, sir!! Dr. M.

 

[Teebo]

Yet another question. Do the mirrors automatically power fold-in when you lock the FE? Thanks, sir!! Dr. M.

Yes! There is a button by the mirror adjustment that you can toggle to automatically fold in or not. There is another button next to that to do it manually if your in a narrow trail or something and want to bring them in.

 

[Teebo]

Speaking of the Highlander, ours has a very easy to remove access panel. Of course it is plastic, but there is no reason Toyota could have not designed an access panel into this skid plate. At least two of the retaining bolts have slots, where the skid plate can be first attached. Is the skid plate steel, or aluminum? Hopefully the latter, but thin-looking for aluminum.

On my highlander I could drain the oil but to get to the filter I had to take of this aerodynamic panel. It had 2 little bolts and about 5 of those plastic push/pull things that suck to take out. I'd rather have the 6 big bolts easy to access on this. I'm pretty sure it's steel.

 

[Teebo]

Gosh! Thank you for taking the time to do that. That looks like a Land Cruiser trim? Guessing there’s no difference with the first edition trim. So it sounds like an order to drain the oil pan. You would need to pull the skid plate. Is that correct? Thanks a million!!!

I did get my back all wet because it's raining, but you're welcome.

 

[Dr. M]

Thanks for the timely and excellent response. Hoping to see my Meteor Shower FE within the month.

 

[Uncle_Spike]

I see now that you have a FE. Awfully nice looking skid plate. Titanium??? . Aluminum?. Does sound like the skid plate will need to come off for an oil change if I understand you. I can’t recall if Toyota includes some free maintenance as part of a new car purchase?

Here is a 1958 skid

 

[MudNGuts]

I have the same situation with the factory skid plate on my '21 4Runner TRD Pro. It's been hard for the dealer's mechanics not to cross-thread the bolts when re-installing the skid plate after servicing. It'll be interesting to see if the LC has a similar problem.

 

[Dr. M]

If a mechanic doesn’t know how to install a bolt without “buggering up the threads” as my grandfather used to say, I’d find another dealership. Or, pull the skid plate before bringing it in.

 

[Teebo]

If a mechanic doesn’t know how to install a bolt without “buggering up the threads” as my grandfather used to say, I’d find another dealership. Or, pull the skid plate before bringing it in.

That's exactly what I am going to do when I take it in for it's scheduled oil changes. I think they have it at 10,000 mile intervals. I'm changing mine at 1,000 after the brake-in period and every 5,000 miles. Oil is one of the cheapest ways to keep an engine healthy. Especially with a turbo that requires oil to cool it.

 

[agjake01]

That's exactly what I am going to do when I take it in for it's scheduled oil changes. I think they have it at 10,000 mile intervals. I'm changing mine at 1,000 after the brake-in period and every 5,000 miles. Oil is one of the cheapest ways to keep an engine healthy. Especially with a turbo that requires oil to cool it.

This.

Wondering if I’ll need ramps to get under there to do it myself though… previously had it easy with a Jeep on 35s.

Costco usually has good deals on quality oil, so no reason not to change it early and often.

 

[Teebo]

This.

Wondering if I’ll need ramps to get under there to do it myself though… previously had it easy with a Jeep on 35s.

Costco usually has good deals on quality oil, so no reason not to change it early and often.

Ramps certainly make it easier.

 

[EOD Guy]

With a little fabrication, I plan on adding a removable access panel to ease the oil filter change. I did a similar modification on my Tacoma along with an oil plug to valve conversion........ 20 min oil service.

 

[Dr. M]

What did the “oil plug to valve” conversion look like? Thank you.

 

[EOD Guy]

Ther are manual valves that replace the oil drain plug. They come with a spring loaded lever and a lock out pin/key that prevents the valve from opening until you remove the key and turn the valve. They normally come with a threaded barb, leave attached all the time, that you can slip a 8 inch piece of hose to, which allows you do a drip free oil change. If you get the Toyota oil change kit from Amazon (link below) you can change the filter almost drip free.

Amazon.com