What I have learned about 3rd gen transmission.

Tape a coaster over the Tach?

 

Somebody made a tongue-in-cheek comment about the ECT button vs. an Economy Button (Believe they called it the Gutless button).

Why not equip the truck with a "gutless" aka Economy Mode button rather than having to push an ECT button every time you want to drive your truck? I like that idea.

 

Compare the trans shifting options to a True stereo equalizer of old . Some just want to turn on the music and listen . Some want to change and fine tune it for the tunes they are playing . Different road conditions = different tunes. Where I drive local it is very hilly up and down and I use S5 , 35 miles east it is flat and I use D or S6/5 depending on the wind. It is nice to have the options .

 

When Car & Driver, Consumer Reports and pretty much every other major review source rips the auto transmission....preeeettttttty suuuuurrreeee there's an issue. When Toyota is issuing TSBs and software updates to change the characteristics of the auto trans, pretty sure there's an issue.

Where there's smoke there's a fire.

 

Hundreds of threads with the same people giving their 2 cents, or the ones that don't want to feel left out, or turn in their 'bro card" if they disagree. Said it before, I'll say it again, nothing wrong with the transmission, its just different from what yall are used too.

 

See post #24. You're certainly entitled to your opinion, however.

 

Preflight Checklist??? Smitty, It brought me back. Did you work on planes in the Air Force? I worked pretty much all the heavy aircraft over my career.

 

Fact: Toyota Issuing TSB's for their auto transmission to rectify a known issue.

 

@gamason Facts are major review publications have criticized the Automatic Transmission for this vehicle. Facts are that Toyota has released multiple software updates to try and remedy the transmission performance/behavior. Those are not my opinion sir. I'm not making it up.

 

It's a good idea in theory. Have you driven this thing in the mountains?

I'll put it in S4 and it'll still constantly shift between 3rd and 4th gear. You start losing speed in 4th, downshifts to 3rd and you take off like bat out of hell, back off the accelerator because you're going too fast, upshifts to 4th and you start losing speed fast, downshifts back to 3rd... and this continues in a loop until you crest the hill.

I like my truck but there's no way around the fact that this transmission is absolutely fucking terrible in the mountains.

I've found the best way to limit the hunting in actual mountains is to put it in cruise. It'll hold gear even at 3000-4000 rpm rather than upshifting and starting the shift loop. But that's still a pain in the ass when you constantly have to change speeds for tight curves on a winding mountain road.

Agree with Smitty it should have acceptable performance in D. I shouldn't constantly have to be thinking about limiting the trucks excessive shifting while driving in the mountains. It's a pain in the ass.

 

I agree . The trans has already had 2 updates that mask manufacturing errors for some of them out there . Mine is fine now but would really be helped by more low end torque , and this cannot be helped much now with the short stroke engine we have . Toyota screwed up on this but I do enjoy the MPG's , and it pulls my toys just fine . I think maybe a lot of owners feel the same .I did not have a Gen 2 so I guess I am more forgiving .
Welcome back Smitty!

 

Heavy lift vehicles (Cape and Vandenberg )

 

I get the same performance, daily. I don't think it's the transmission though, I think it's the lack of displacement in the torque-less engine.

 

The valve body sucks on these models so consistency between VIN numbers is unobtainable. I feel bad for the TCU programmers. They have a near impossible task.

 

I wonder how many 3rd gen owners don't know their trucks are total pieces of shit because they aren't on here to find out?

 

Hard to quantify how many are having complaints but if you look at Consumer Reports it can give you some perspective.

Also check out the facebook groups. No lack of criticism there either.

My sister has one and for the most part has had no issues with hers. Though she is on the recall list and has a howling rear diff.

Also worth mentioning, she came from a 2001 Toyota Echo with 160k miles on it and mismatching hub caps.

 

No, no. The 100+ threads on TW that Smitty loves to point out are 100% vindictive and an accurate representation of the hundreds of thousands of 3rd gen trucks out there.

 

Agreed, but we're stuck with the engine. It seems like it could be fixed with some tweaks to the transmission programming. Maybe the ECU isn't that sophisticated.