ECT button use and living in the Mt's/Pulling boat?

I just got a 2017 TRD sport 4x4 last Friday and for the most part love it. Huge upgrade from my thrashed 2005 that I beat to death. The 2005 was a manual and the new one is an automatic.

I live in the same county as Yosemite and it has many steep grades which I notice the V6 struggling to keep power. I hit the ECT and problem is solved, but I am curious for those who live in hilly regions or go the Mt's often do you find that is absolutely mandatory to use?

Also who is pulling boats with your V6 Automatic? Strategies for power and to not stress the tranny? In my 2005 manual I would have to use 4 low to pull the ski boat out and to back it up a steep driveway. I have not hitched up the 17 to the ski boat yet.

Thanks for feedback,

Don

 

Most for towing will tell you ect on and s4, keep at the typical towing speed limits etc. I live in the rockies, and find the truck does shift alot while going through hills/valleys etc but i just leave it be the shifting doesnt annoy me that much. Its the holding a gear once it flattens out that annoys me.


Edit: ive also only towed a couple seadoos and a 14' cargo trailer pretty loaded maybe 6klb and the truck did fine. But i deffinetly knew it was there.

 

Cool thanks for the reply. My 2005 was def maxed with my Ski boat (18' Ski Nautique) so I just assumed the newer more powerful engine and slightly more tow capacity should do better. That's why the need of the ect surprised me.

When the Rpm's started to really ramp up just going up the 10% grade of a road I live on that got my attention. But as you say ect/s4 will be a good guideline to keep the engine torque where it needs to be.

-Side note does anyone know the difference in the 2005 S5 4x4 tow capacity and engine horse power compared to the 2017 TRD 4x4?

 

ECT OFF=EPA fuel economy no balls driving.
ECT ON= More sensitive throttle mapping and holds gears longer, gas mileage can be worse.

ECT is a legal way they can get around the EPA castration of the engine.

 

2005 tacoma with tow is rated around 6500lb, new tacoma is around 6800 not much different. Going from my 2014 manual to the 2016 auto there is deffinetly a different feel towing. The truck always let me know i was towing but deffinetly able to guide the engine better on the manual trans. The auto does just fine and this engine likes to be in the higher rpm range

 

@Broccoli awesome thanks!

 

My truck is 30 days old with 1000 miles. Mostly city driving with ECT turned on 95% of the time. It is getting 17.5mpg.