How many liters of engine oil does the Highlander require for an oil change?
3 Answers
The Highlander requires 5 liters of engine oil for an oil change. The method for changing the engine oil is as follows: 1. Remove the drain plug to drain the engine oil; 2. After draining, clean the drain plug and then reinstall and tighten it; 3. Use an oil filter wrench to loosen the oil filter; 4. Apply engine oil to the O-ring of the new oil filter; 5. Hand-tighten the new oil filter onto the oil filter bracket until the O-ring contacts the mounting surface, then tighten it with the oil filter wrench; 6. Add the engine oil. Taking the 2020 Highlander as an example, its body dimensions are: length 4890mm, width 1925mm, height 1715mm, with a wheelbase of 2790mm and a fuel tank capacity of 72.5 liters.
The oil change for the Highlander mainly depends on the engine model, and most models on the road now are the 2.0T version. My 2020 model requires 6 liters of oil for each maintenance. The mechanic will try to drain the old oil as thoroughly as possible, and then fill the new oil to the middle mark on the dipstick for optimal performance. It's especially important to note that turbocharged engines have higher oil requirements—0W-20 full synthetic oil is a must, as using the wrong viscosity can easily damage the engine. After the oil change, remember to check the oil level again when the engine is cold. Once, I didn’t check after the change, and the oil warning light flashed while I was on the highway. It turned out that half a liter was missing when I returned to the shop—a scary experience. I recommend personally checking the amount of oil used during maintenance to avoid careless mistakes.
I've been using the Highlander for three years with its 2.0T engine, and I always remember to buy 6 liters of oil for each maintenance. Although the manual states 5.7 liters, in reality, you always need to prepare a bit more because it's hard to completely drain the old oil. Just last week during maintenance, the mechanic mentioned that the residual oil trapped in the filter alone can account for half a cup's worth. Now, I've made it a habit to keep a 1-liter bottle of the same oil in the trunk, just in case the warning light comes on. Also, a reminder to fellow car owners: don't trust shops that claim 5 liters is enough. I tried that once, and the low oil pressure warning came on after just 2,000 kilometers. Turns out, being short by half a liter can be quite dangerous.
