New Previa Owner - questions regarding oil reservoir and oil change.

[Merlin]

Hello everyone,

I recently acquired my first Previa. I am going to change the oil for the first time in the next few days, and want to drain/disable to oil reservoir. My main reason is that I have concerns it could potentially overfill the sump. I am someone who routinely checks oil (a must with the 1970s and 80s vehicles I enjoy). In fact, I enjoy being hands on. So, unless there was sudden, drastic loss, I'd notice.

How does one drain the oil?

How does one disable the the system?

Also, as far as the standard oil change, I am planning on 10w-30 (the Previa has slightly over 200k). Does anyone here feel that oil with higher ZDDP content is necessary for this engine? I read oil capacity is around 6 quarts (considerably more than a 1st gen van). Is that accurate?

Lastly, does anyone have a link to an owner's manual in PDF form?

Thanks.

[timsrv]

Hi & welcome to TVT! Since the engine lays sideways, the oil pan is on the side of the engine. It has a drain plug just like any other engine. The engine oil reservoir has a little pump mounted on the bottom of the tank. If you want to disable it, simply pull the harness connection from that pump.

Due to it's unique configuration, the Previa engine takes a lot of oil. I don't recall the exact amount, but I'd say minimum 6 qts.......but seem to remember it's more like 8. I'm sure others will chime in with a more exact amount. Tim

[Merlin]

Much appreciated Tim. Thanks. :)

Interesting. That's quite a bit more oil than my Toyota Van. The oil reservoir also seems like an experimental idea which apparently didn't catch on.

Any idea on how to drain the oil reservoir?

[tbkilb01]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5IL5ORgwv4&list=PL9hYVorqw13q1SNp-19EZTqAPP1ZPVHDX

3302



My 92 holds quite a bit of oil too. About 6 quarts when I change filter. I too wanted to drain feeder but just decided that I would have to remove the oil feeder tank from car to drain it and clean it out really good, (since the oil was very old). I didnt find a way to just drain without having system run. (And havent found it in FSM) I found that It seems to run in short bursts. So I decided to save the oil feeder motor in case the 92 one day really needed oil! It has never really run on its own after 23 years. The 92 doesn't burn oil nor leak it. I frequently check the oil feeder level and also dipstick. Changing the oil regularly keeps my eyes on system too. I did let it cycle thru a couple of times after I worked on the throttle body (just to test pump) The sensor seems to signal low oil light when I raise the car just on the drivers side (really high), so I just raise it evenly, first starting on passengers side, then I move to drivers side and finally put it on the jack stands. If the oil sensor does trigger low oil light because I've lifted car,I pull the EFI fuse for 20 seconds and it turns blinking off but It's designed to eventually go off on its own after oil pan is filled?(but not immediately) I've waited and waited so I just pull the fuse. I'll revisit FSM again, its been a while. Humm, the Book states if the oil in the tank is the correct grade/viscosity, do not change it.:wnk:

[timsrv]

Every time you turn the key from off to run, the ECU checks the oil pan level sensor. If it detects low oil, it engages the pump on the reservoir for a few seconds (I believe it's 30 seconds). So if you want to empty it, one way would be to drain the sump, then with the drain plug still out turn the key on & off multiple times. The pump will move oil from the reservoir to the sump and it will end up in your drain pan.

My 91 Previa has close to 200k miles on it and has never burned a drop. Therefore my reservoir pump has never moved any oil, except for the times I've changed to a different kind of oil and wanted the reservoir to be full of the new stuff. In those instances I drained the old oil out by using my marine 12V oil pump, then got the last bit out by doing the trick mentioned above. Tim

[pdgizwiz]

My first Previa, a '91, developed a problem with the oil level switch and would pump oil into the engine when it didn't need it. I tried to fix the float switch, but my fix didn't hold. They're crazy expensive and I didn't have a spare at the time. I pondered the schematic with the intent of defeating the system, but ultimately just sucked the oil out of the reservoir with a thing like this. (http://http://www.amazon.com/OTC-2359-Oil-Suction-Gun/dp/B00FJT0304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454509253&sr=8-1&keywords=oil+transfer) I've since sold that van to a friend and harvested a spare from a donor to swap for him some sunny day.
I suspect that Toyota added this system for the sake of the great majority of owners who don't just ignore their oil level, but forget that their cars have engines at all, beyond a vague concept that there is something about the car that makes it go. Such owners will never open the hatch under the driver's seat, or even know that it's there.

[timsrv]

Yes, and those people also need a reservoir due to the fact there's places like Oil Can Henry's who refuse to touch Previas. Once while on a trip our oil change came due. We were stuck in traffic and saw an OC Henry's right next to a diner. I figured we could get a bite while OCH changed the oil (1st time I ever asked anybody to change my oil). As soon as they saw the Previa they refused to perform an oil change on it. Probably just as well as they would have likely screwed something up anyhow, then my wife and kids would have had to listen to me rant the rest of the trip :(:. At least I had the security of knowing I had some extra oil up there and the sump wasn't low. With the bigger oil system, you could technically go beyond normal oil change intervals (more oil = more suspended contaminants before change is required). Tim

[tbkilb01]

I've pulled a few oil pan level sensors out of previas and found the float really doesn't float anymore. Seems the rubber swells up and prevents floaty from moving freely up and down the shaft designed to allow it to move On. So basically its froze in full position? When I try to free it up, more times than not, the rubber parts crumple. Ive also found good ones too, always good to have spares. Time takes it's toll on this sensor (mostly rubber) too just like other rubber gaskets and parts 23 years later. Making it a habit of checking the dipstick often is really the best practice...oil pressure guages are nice too.

[Merlin]

Thanks for the owner's manual page and link TB. Appreciate that. Thanks again Tim.

[Merlin]

That's likely what I'll end up doing, along with unplugging it if possible. I've never seen another vehicle with such a system, I wonder if one exists.


My first Previa, a '91, developed a problem with the oil level switch and would pump oil into the engine when it didn't need it. I tried to fix the float switch, but my fix didn't hold. They're crazy expensive and I didn't have a spare at the time. I pondered the schematic with the intent of defeating the system, but ultimately just sucked the oil out of the reservoir with a thing like this. (http://http://www.amazon.com/OTC-2359-Oil-Suction-Gun/dp/B00FJT0304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454509253&sr=8-1&keywords=oil+transfer) I've since sold that van to a friend and harvested a spare from a donor to swap for him some sunny day.
I suspect that Toyota added this system for the sake of the great majority of owners who don't just ignore their oil level, but forget that their cars have engines at all, beyond a vague concept that there is something about the car that makes it go. Such owners will never open the hatch under the driver's seat, or even know that it's there.

[Merlin]

Stopped by the dealer today (they're only 1.5 miles away) and picked up a filter ($4.99). Just out of curiosity, I asked what they charge for a Previa oil change. Answer: $74.95 (+tax). Eeek. Even with a good oil, I'll be less than half their price.

I actually enjoy doing my own oil changes. That way I get to know the vehicle a bit, feel a bit more 'connected', and know it was done right.

[Kurtanius21]

Given the age of these vans, I would expect a large majority of owners are previa enthusiasts. Most people don't seem to care for owning and DDing really old cars, especially one as slow as a Previa. I am one of those enthusiasts who doesn't care for newfangled things. Who dedicates half his entire garage to store his Previa over winter to keep it from salt and slush? I do. That being said, I too, also enjoy changing the oil on these things. It satisfies me to know I have such a unique and cool van. RWD? Mid engine? In a Van? Awesome. I like looking underneath the car at how rust free my CA van is, even though I am out in Michigan while I am doing an oil change. I also agree that I like knowing the job was done right. I want mine to hit 30 years of age!