Manual transmission Fan Club and BS thread (All Generations Welcome)

I figure if I'm ever towing or starting on a hill I will use 1. 2 is good enough for my normal driving however. Also, I had to put a deposit down to get one in (refundable) so I could test drive it. I never found one at a dealership when I was looking.

I did drive several automatics when shopping, and I hated the transmission on them. Very happy with the manual though.

 

How are you starting in second? I have to be rolling or on a downward slope to start in second.

 

It's possible to start in second, I've done a few times. You have to slip the clutch a bit to make it happen though. I would think you would wear out your clutch faster starting in second all the time.

 

Starting in 2nd on my truck feels like starting in first on the car I owned previously (never had to replace a clutch in 22 years of driving a manual, and all of the vehicles were 100k + miles, 2 of them over 300k miles). It actually feels just about right in most cases where I drive. If there is any uphill, I use first, but a lot of the time I am starting in 2nd without any change to how I release the clutch.

 

Start in 2nd just give it more gas.

 

Starting in 2nd gear is hard on the clutch, I wouldn't do it unless you have to.

 

The amount I have to slip the clutch just feels wrong. Again, on rolling starts or downhill starts no problem but flat just feels bad to me.

 

Sometimes I can't for the life of me get going in second without a lot of slipping, and sometimes I'll get going from a stop and realize I was in second or even third and it worked perfectly...

 

Mixed drive through 3 towns.

 

I fondly remember the old days of the 4 speed granny gear transmission. You could start in 2nd gear without a load with no extra clutch slipping. It was really a 3 speed transmission with a low gear like low range.

 

An easy way I used to see what stock was where, was to use online apps like cars.com with search terms. It helped to find where some of these trucks were instead of searching their dealer websites or calling.

 

Picked up my '17 Off Road two weeks ago - loving it! Manual was the only option - so I had to order it. Manual for life or until I can no longer shift. Mileage isn't bad. 20 mpg mixed and 22-24 on country roads.

 

Yes please, I'll take a FJ60 with an H42 any day...

 

I have a '16 TRD OR 4x4 and I feel like I am some issues with my drivetrain. I was hoping that someone here can shed some light for me. I scanned this thread and I couldn't find anybody with this specific problem.


I would describe the feel as there being some type of slack in the drivetrain (tranny, transfer case, or diff). When I go from no throttle to easing on the throttle (any gear) I feel a slight delay and then clunk before the wheels get the power. Like there was "slack" in the gears.

Also, when I go real slow in 1st, like driving over a speed bump, I get a shudder that feels like the wheels are bouncing on and off of the "slack" in the gears. If that makes sense.

I have driven manual cars my whole life and I have never experienced such a loose and clunky feeling vehicle. My last vehicle was a '09 Tacoma 5 speed (2wd). It was much smoother.

I will add....this is my first 4wd. Could the loose "slacky" feeling be a normal thing with a 4wd (having a transfer case)? If so, that's fine. I would just like to know if it is normal.

I am asking because I am trying to decide how to approach toyota about the problem, and how to accurately describe the problem.

Any insight and advice is greatly appreciated. Cheers!

 

I've never driven a 4x4 that felt "loose and clunky" as you describe. The 4x4 drive train won't do that. My 2009 regular cab 5 speed feels tight under the conditions you describe.

 

Mine does this a bit if I do not ease into the throttle. Seems normal to me, but what do I know.

 

Mine does it too. I crawled under the truck and tried to rotate the rear driveshaft back and forth expecting there to be noticeable rotational slop, but there wasn't any. I'm not sure where the slop in the driveline is.

It bothers me, but I don't worry about it. My 95 Tacoma did the same thing but then again that one had 250k miles on it.

 

Is it me, or is downshifting completely useless/pointless in this truck? I mean, it doesn't slow down the truck at all.

In other vehicles, I would use a combination of downshifting + brakes to slow the vehicle down for either stops or cornering (especially corning that way you're in right gear when you come out of the corner).

Doesn't seem to work as intended in my '16 Tacoma.

 

Totally agree. My WRX and Ranger both engine braked really well. Not sure if its the VVT/fo-Atkinson cycle limiting compression, but I bet it has something to do with it.

 

Hmm...I'll look inot the Atkison cycle thing. I do remember looking it up once, but then my A.D.D. kicked and went on to something else. I too would engine brake in my Ranger and it worked as intended with the 3.slow.