Tacoma Differential and Transfer Case Fluid: What 2016-2023 Actually Takes
Quick safety check before you begin. Required: safety glasses, gloves, and the truck level on a lift or on jack stands with the wheels chocked. Recommended: a drain pan, a torque wrench and a fluid pump — these fills go in from underneath, through the filler hole. Toyota's own notice on the transfer case: too much or too little oil will lead to transfer problems, and the vehicle must be level when you add oil.
What you need
Parts
Tools
- Torque wrench: 39 N·m, 49 N·m and 37 N·m
- Fluid pump for filling through the filler hole, and a drain pan
- Lift, or jack stands and wheel chocks; the truck must be level
- New gaskets for every plug you remove
- Safety glasses and gloves
The numbers
| Front differential fluid | Toyota Genuine Differential gear oil LT APL 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Front differential capacity | 1.45 to 1.55 liters (1.54 to 1.64 US qt) |
| Front differential filler plug | 39 N·m (29 ft-lb), with a new gasket |
| Rear differential fluid | The same 75W-85 GL-5 |
| Rear differential capacity, BD20D EX long wheelbase | 2.85 to 2.95 liters (3.01 to 3.12 US qt) |
| Rear differential capacity, BD20D SP long wheelbase | 3.00 to 3.10 liters (3.17 to 3.28 US qt) |
| Rear differential capacity, BD22A EX long wheelbase | 3.75 to 3.85 liters (3.96 to 4.07 US qt) |
| Rear differential capacity, BD22AN EX long wheelbase | 3.75 to 3.85 liters (3.96 to 4.07 US qt) |
| Rear differential capacity, BD22AN SP long wheelbase | 3.95 to 4.05 liters (4.17 to 4.28 US qt) |
| Rear differential filler plug | 49 N·m (36 ft-lb), with a new gasket |
| Transfer case fluid | Toyota Genuine Transfer Gear Oil LF or Equivalent, Viscosity: SAE 75W |
| Transfer case capacity | 1.0 liter (1.1 US qt) |
| Transfer case filler and drain plugs | 37 N·m (27 ft-lb) each, both with a new gasket |
| Transfer case level | Oil between 0 and 5.0 mm (0 to 0.196 in.) from the bottom lip of the filler plug hole |
| Differential level | Oil within 5 mm (0 to 0.20 in.) of the bottom of the filler plug opening |
Step by step
Get the truck level and find the three plugs
Toyota's first instruction for the differential check is to stop the vehicle on a level place, and its notice on adding transfer oil says the same: make sure the vehicle is level. Put it on a lift, or on jack stands with the wheels chocked, and keep it level side to side and front to back. You are working three separate units — front differential, rear differential and transfer case — and each has its own filler plug and its own gasket.
Front differential: 75W-85 GL-5
The front differential carrier is a 4WD-only assembly. Remove the differential filler plug and gasket. The fluid is Toyota Genuine Differential gear oil LT APL 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent, and the front carrier holds 1.45 to 1.55 liters, which is 1.54 to 1.64 US quarts. Check that the oil level is within 5 mm (0 to 0.20 in.) of the bottom of the filler plug opening, and fill through the filler hole if it is low. Install the filler plug with a NEW gasket at 39 N·m (29 ft-lb).
Rear differential: same fluid, different amount
The rear carrier takes exactly the same 75W-85 GL-5, but Toyota prints six different capacities depending on the axle in your truck. BD20D EX long wheelbase: 2.85 to 2.95 liters (3.01 to 3.12 US qt). BD20D SP long wheelbase: 3.00 to 3.10 liters (3.17 to 3.28 US qt). BD22A EX and BD22AN EX: 3.75 to 3.85 liters (3.96 to 4.07 US qt). BD22AN SP long wheelbase: 3.95 to 4.05 liters (4.17 to 4.28 US qt). BD22 is the carrier fitted with the Differential Lock. Level check is the same as the front, and the rear filler plug takes a NEW gasket at 49 N·m (36 ft-lb) — a different figure from the front, so do not carry one torque across both.
Transfer case: filler plug comes out first
The transfer is 4WD only. Before you start, Toyota's notice says to wedge a cloth or similar item into the transfer case lower protector so oil does not stick to the protector cushion. Then remove the filler plug and gasket FIRST — if the drain comes out first and the filler will not, you have an empty case and no way to fill it. Remove the drain plug and gasket to drain the oil. Install a NEW gasket to the drain plug and torque it to 37 N·m (27 ft-lb).
Refill the transfer with SAE 75W, not 75W-85
This is where the 75W-90 question goes wrong. The transfer case takes Toyota Genuine Transfer Gear Oil LF or Equivalent, Viscosity: SAE 75W. That is a straight single grade — not 75W-85, not 75W-90 and not ATF. The standard capacity is 1.0 liter (1.1 US qt, 0.9 Imp. qt). Add oil so that the oil level is between 0 to 5.0 mm (0 to 0.196 in.) from the bottom lip of the filler plug hole. Install a NEW gasket to the filler plug and torque it to 37 N·m (27 ft-lb) — the same figure as the drain plug on this unit.
Set the level, then drive it and check again
Toyota's general-maintenance version of the check is the simplest one to do in a driveway: remove the filler plug and feel inside the hole with your finger, and check that the oil comes to within 5 mm (0.20 in.) from the bottom edge of the hole. If the level is low, add oil until it begins to run out of the filler hole. The manual is blunt on both units: excessively large or small quantities of oil may cause problems in a differential, and too much or too little oil will lead to transfer problems. After replacing the oil, drive the vehicle and check the oil level again.
Rather we did it?
We service differentials and transfer cases at scheduled events across Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, and we carry the 75W-85 for both diffs. If you would rather hand it to someone, book a slot.
Find your exact tune →Questions owners ask
No. In the Toyota repair manual for the 2016 Tacoma, 75W-90 appears as manual transmission oil — API GL-4 SAE 75W-90 for the R156F, and SAE 75W-90 for the RC62F. It is not the spec for either differential or for the transfer case. The differentials take Toyota Genuine Differential gear oil LT APL 75W-85 GL-5 or equivalent, and the transfer case takes Toyota Genuine Transfer Gear Oil LF at viscosity SAE 75W.
Toyota Genuine Transfer Gear Oil LF or Equivalent, Viscosity: SAE 75W. A straight 75W, not a multigrade. Standard capacity is 1.0 liter (1.1 US qt). AMSOIL publishes no recommendation for this position, which is why we tell you to buy the Toyota fluid or a genuine SAE 75W GL-4 equivalent rather than selling you the closest thing on our shelf.
The fluid is the same — 75W-85 GL-5 in both. The capacity and the filler plug torque are not. The front carrier holds 1.45 to 1.55 liters (1.54 to 1.64 US qt) and its filler plug is 39 N·m (29 ft-lb). The rear holds between 2.85 and 4.05 liters depending on your axle code, and its filler plug is 49 N·m (36 ft-lb).
Six quarts covers a front and a rear on any Tacoma in this range: the front takes at most 1.64 US quarts and the largest rear listed is 4.28, which is 5.92 together. If you know your axle code you can buy closer to the number.
No. This truck has no mechanical limited-slip differential. Some trucks have an electronic Differential Lock on the rear carrier — that is the BD22 axle — and Auto LSD on this platform is a brake-based traction system in the brake control chapter, not a differential. The phrase "hypoid gear oil LSD" does appear in the manual a dozen times, but every one of them is an assembly lubricant for coating bearings and pinion threads during a carrier teardown, never a fill spec.
The Toyota repair manual we work from prints the differential FILLER plug torques — 39 N·m front, 49 N·m rear — inside a differential oil ADJUSTMENT procedure. It does not print a drain plug torque for either differential, and we do not publish a figure we cannot source. Ask a Toyota dealer for the torque for the plug on your carrier, or bring it to us. The transfer case is different: the manual prints 37 N·m (27 ft-lb) for both its filler and its drain plug.
The repair manual sets no mileage interval for these fluids. It says maintenance requirements vary depending on the country and to check the maintenance schedule in the owner's manual supplement, and that following that schedule is mandatory. Ours is a 30,000-mile interval on trucks we tune, which is our recommendation and not Toyota's figure.
More for the 2016–2023 Tacoma
Fluid specifications, capacities, torques and level checks are quoted from the Toyota repair manual for the 2016 model year Tacoma (production 08/2015 onward), which covers the 2016-2023 generation. Confirm the specification for your exact year and axle code, and torque to spec. The manual does not print a differential drain plug torque, so we do not state one. AMSOIL's coverage of the differentials is AMSOIL's published claim; AMSOIL publishes no recommendation for this transfer case and we do not substitute one. Tuned Yota is an independent AMSOIL dealer; parts links are our store.