Is my truck doomed?

Cascadia

Undecided
Location
Orem, Utah
Is my truck doomed? Should I just trade it in now? I have a 2013 toyota tundra. Two weekends ago I was pulling our camper home from Moab. Headwinds were terrible. I averaged 7.9 for the whole trip. Worst tank I have ever got in anything. On the drive home it didn't matter how fast or slow I was going, it would stay in third gear and be stuck at 4300 rpm. So I just kept the cruise at 70. My oil pressure started running a little high but figured it was just the drive.

Fast forward 2 weeks. Ever since that trip, it doesn't matter if I'm pulling my big trailer or one of my smaller enclosed trailers. Oil pressure runs high. I can even not be pulling. If my rpm's go up, my oil pressure goes way up. If you look at the gauge low is on the left, high is on the right. It will register at 3/4 with any throttle.

Did I ruin my truck? Will it be like this forever? I feel like it seems tired compared to before when it has plenty power.
 
Do you have a lift with bigger tires? What weight oil are you running? For comparison, my oil pressure gauge stays just above the "half" line....something ain't right.
 
7.9MPG!!!!!!!


I'd love to get that high :D

I don't know much about the tundra, but if it doesn't 'feel right' to you, i'd pay attention to that. That engine doesn't come with a fancy turbo or anything, right??
 
No fancy turbo. No lift or bigger tires. It's just stock. I don't know what weight oil. I bought it new and get it serviced at toyota everytime the light dings.
 
Just curious if you've checked the dipstick to see what the oil looks like.

It hasn't happened to me in a very long time and wasn't on anything that could even remotely be considered "modern", so I'm not saying I think this is you. But two times I've experienced suddenly higher oil pressure, it was coolant in the oil, head gasket once and bigger head issues on another.

- DAA
 
I am assuming you are still under warranty, I would take it to the best toyota dealer around and let them figure it out.
 
Yes it's under warranty. I'll check the oil. And Kevin I agree. I should sell it ASAP. I don't know why I paid for the extended 10 year warranty when I've never kept a vehicle over 18 months.
 
Not doomed. I'd do some research and read up on the tundra forums. It sounds fairly common, and people aren't viewing it as a problem. If you find out it is an issue, I'd get it covered by warranty and continue loving that great truck. I'd trade my taco for a tundra in a heartbeat.

Don't let a little hiccup ruin a good thing. It seems like as soon as something goes a little wrong with a vehicle you want to dump it. Stick with it. You have a fantastic truck and it's worth solving this and sticking with it. That being said, it seems that once you get the idea of selling a vehicle it's already too late.
 
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Maybe that's what I meant. My truck is doomed to the future with someone else. I've treated it well but I don't like when I get treated crappy in return. I expect a lot more out of a truck that can tow a space shuttle. ;) I haven't had a chance to research it yet. But maybe during lunch.

I will definitely get it in to toyota. But even if it's fixed I am still in the market for a diesel. I don't dislike my truck in any way. It's just time to step up to something better suited for towing heavy. When toyota has the cummins in a year, I may be back.
 
If you're in the market for a diesel, then it sounds like you've already made up your mind. Just don't blame your want for a new truck on the tundra's oil pressure. :) It sounds like it's normal for the oil pressure to occasionally be above halfway on these, so I don't see it necessarily "treating you crappy in return."
 
The crappy part is it's acting like an old tired motor and it's not barely above half. It's 3/4 to hi pressure. It acts as if the tach is connected to the oil pressure. Not real bad. But bad enough. And mentally worrying about it everytime it downshifts that something might happen on a long trip. I will get it in to the dealer and see what they say.
 
Put a mechanical gauge on it and see what your pressure is really going, not what a dash gauge or computer says it's doing. It takes well over 100 psi to wipe out a bearing. Do you have an oil cooler? Is it leaking? Any new oil leaks? I'm guessing no leaks. So no pressure high enough to blow out a seal. I'm leaning towards electrical. As the oil warms up, the pressure will drop, at idle. Do you see this happening on the gauge or is it always showing at the same spot?
 
That fuel mileage is pretty poor. But that truck rips, ton of power.

(borrowed from a Toyota forum)

Toyota AB60F transmission gear ratios:
1st: 3.333
2nd: 1.960
3rd: 1.353
4th: 1.000
5th: .728 (First overdrive)
6th: .588 (Second overdrive)

Toyota puts a 4.30 in the rear end of 5.7L Tundras with the Tow Package but it's supposed to be "rated" for 10,300 pounds and they wanted to give you a good gear for getting off the line, and to compensate for such a ridiculously low rear end gear, they give you a double overdrive transmission to help with fuel economy and speed. But, you are driving a 5.7L, 345 cubic inch engine.


Toyota PDF
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=e8dDQZ341in4jt95QFawtA&bvm=bv.69411363,d.b2k
 
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Even problems aside I have never seen a gas engine get very good mpg towing. Hills, headwinds and other small factors also seem to make large impacts on MPG for a gasser towing. On the other hand I always make jokes about the guys driving lifted diesel trucks for commuter cars.


I say weight the options. If it was me and I was towing a trailer out racing once or twice a month I would likely have a diesel truck built to do the job and not a half ton that can do the job. Im also the guy that would almost never drive that diesel truck aside from using it as a truck.
 
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