ShiftSense Pro - transmission shift controller for Gen3 Tacoma

Hope those who bought these will offer up their reviews asap


Thx

 

Speed of review production can be increased influenced by beer donations.

 

^^^^ This^^^^

 

Will this let me lock the transmission in sixth gear when on the highway? So I can drive on the highway and keep the truck in sixth gear?

 

TW members are the worst! I thought the Jeep forums were bad.

 

No

 

what's it do differently than the ECT button?

 

Its not like the ECT button. That button changes shift points directly in the TCM and perhaps other things as well. This device automates S mode. It reads data from the OBDII port and based off what it sees will send the equivalent signal that bumping the shifter up or down in S mode would send. It's like riding around in S mode but their box does the shifting for you.

 

If "D" is really eco-mode and D + "ECT" is some approximation of tow mode, this new box is meant to request shifts in a manner that approximates what Toyota might have done for "normal" mode. It ensures a little more power is available before permitting an upshift.

Of course you could do this all yourself in "S" mode, but if you were that motivated you should have just gotten a manual in the first place.

 

So whats the difference between this box and putting the shifter into S6?

 

It uses the S-mode to control shift points, allowing you to stay in the powerband longer (whereas normal operation would have upshifted), and downshift faster (less pedal input). Optimized for being in the powerband.

 

S6 is same as D. This box will shift for you in S mode so depending on what it gets from the OBD port its going to shift around from S1 S2 etc based on the preset mapping that the OP has loaded on the microcontroller thats in the box

 

Does S not put shift patterns more "aggressive" than D, and being S6, you tell it to hit all gears, but with more aggressive shift points? Isnt that what this is doing? Or is it making S mode more like "manual" shifting, not specifying the highest gear like normal?

 

I cant say for sure but i dont think S mode changes standard shift points. As far as I know driving in S6 is exactly the same as D.

Last question, no. S mode is not altered at all in the way it functions. Its merely automated with the box.

Back to middle question. This device utilizes S modes capabilties to effectively set new shift points. So from a stop i assume itd have you in S1 and once it gets the data it wants itll shift you to S2. So on and so forth and in the opposite direction. So it holds gears longer than the TCM normally would. This helps keep the engine in the power band but will reduce mpg. There is one caveat which is the TCM will downshift (2nd down to 1st etc) in S mode (with or without this box) if it determines it needs to but OP says its set such that this would rarely happen. Even in such a case it wouldnt be a problem.. youd be near WOT at that point so

 

Go out to your truck. Turn it on. Point it someplace safe. Put it in S1 and proceed. At some point as you accelerate you might want to use S2, so right now you could bump the shift lever... or this little box could do it for you. This little box theoretically has a nice map that it uses to decide when to bump that shift lever for you. If hopefully keeps you in a better part of the power band, all the way to S6... and back down. D and Sx tend to shift a bit early, this is an alternative if D/Sx bother you. It's effectively another optional transmission mode for you someplace between "D" and "D + ECT", which takes nothing away from all your existing options nor defeats any of the inherent safety features of the truck/transmission.

 

This makes more sense now. Everything is backwards with the stock Sx (specifying highest gear instead of a traditional tap lever up to upshift manually until you rev it out) so I was thinking how this box would differ.

I dont have complaints with the trans and I have the option to drive in S or use ECT so no biggie to me.

 

^^^ the previous 6 posts here are right on point and completely accurate. It sounds like several of you are understanding the theory very well.

 

I'm really excited to see the feedback and reviews as they roll in.

 

YES --just like our Outback

 

Why didn't Toyota do this from the beginning? I so want one of these.