So I get in my 03 sport after not driving it at all yesterday but the day prior to that having drove it from Iowa to Chicago. 2.5 hour drive. So I go to start it up and hear a knock at start up and the truck is like misfiring and shaking like crazy. Turn it off and ZERO oil on dipstick! Checked it thrice too! No oil. Strange because it doesn't leak and sure as hell hasn't been burning it! I checked it last weekend and it was perfect. I go to my local advanced auto a block away and buy two quarts. Pour those in and BOOM it's filled all the way to the top? How?!?! I know it takes 5.5 quarts. Anyway go to Just Tires, my old job, and get the oil change done since I was actually planning on doing it today anyway since it's due. Everything was fine! No signs of leakage! Any thoughts on what the hell went on this morning? Has anyone experienced a weird situation like this? Vehicle is driving amazing with 190k on the dash. I hope the automotive ghosts aren't haunting me his Halloween.

i cant say why there was no oil on the dipstick or that it was ok a week ago, but maybe you were ready for a change & for some reason your engine consumed 2 qts over that time. there could also have been fuel & water in the oil & your 2.5 hour highway trip burned that off? engines can use oil but you wont see any smoke or signs that its burning oil, just gradual use, & long highway trips will do it more than in town due to the higher rpms for a longer time.

the reason the dipstick was dry, is that it only reads about the top 2-3 qts, it doesnt go all the way to the bottom of the pan so there was still 3.5+ qts in the engine, that why 2qts brung it to full.

keep an eye on it & see if it starts using oil after 1000/2000/3000 miles.

2 quarts down is a hell of a lot of oil... I can't explain the misfiring and shaking, but it could have something to do with the low oil/low oil pressure... When was the last time you changed or topped off your oil?

I would be checking PCV valve and system. It controls pressure in the crankcase and can cause oil consumption.

I am not looking at my dipstick so can the round part that stops the dipstick from going down any further have slipped?

Is it possible your last change was from a shop that only put 5 quarts in ?

could someone have messed with the truck ? (maybe 4runners owners are known to keep such perfect oil we have become targets)

I would think sputtering may have been lifters not filling which kind of kills idea of dipstick stop slipping.

Just an FYI, with overhead cams there are no lifters, there a cap on the top of the valve which is is direct contact with the cam lobe.

Last time I had changed it was 4K miles ago. Never have had to top it off. Drove it back to Iowa and everything seems fine. I don't understand what it could have been but it's only happened to me one other time that it shakes after start up. And both times was after a 2.5 hour driving and letting it sit for a day. After that I daily drive it and have no issues what so ever with shakes or misfires or low oil level. Just weird and thought I might share it w you guys. Don't know if anyone else was experiencing the same thing.

Can't be PCV. Changed that like 10k-14k miles ago. Still had the OEM one in. Changed it because I realized my air filter had oil on it and that later transferred to oil in my spark plugs. Changed PCV, changed valve cover gaskets, plug gaskets, and the plugs. And I worked at the shop that did the last oil change lol. I used 5.5 quarts and OEM oil filter.

Was it an OEM PCV valve? And I would think yes, It could be the PCV valve even if oem. In reading other problems of pressurized crankcases it looks like a bigger problem would be constant and not intermittent. Crankcase ventilation has been effected somewhere or pressure/flow has increased..

I would spend the very few dollars it takes to change the PCV and check the hoses. Do you have one of the blow by collection tanks? A crimped hose?

I would now think rough running would be cylinders/plugs cleaning out first thing at start up as oil has made it to cylinders or oil was clearing from throttle body.
Maybe a cleaning of MAF sensor would be needed also.

Sorry for long winded guesses, just trying to help.
.

2003 Toyota 4Runner V6 engine 4.0
Emission System
PCV Valve - Toyota (12204-31030)
2003-2015 Toyota PCV Valve 12204-31030 | OEM Parts

$ 4.45 . 5 bucks is worth the investment and rattle test is not always perfect.

Thank you @AuSeeker for correcting me on the lifters.
.
.
.
.
.