6 spd manual disappointing

New here, and I apologize up front if this is already a topic, but I haven't found one specifically on this transmission.

I've got the 6 spd manual on my 08 access rugged trail. Been a stick guy for 25 years, but am disappointed enough in this tranny to inquire on what others are experiencing. Here are the issues:

1. When backing out of drive or parking spot, it can be tough to find 2nd, especially if rolling back while doing so. It seems that backward motion makes the reverse cog softer.

2. If rolling to stoplight in N, about 10% of the time 2nd gear is not there initially, needing to pump the clutch and grind to get it in gear.

3. RPMs race between gears, esp between 2-3 and 3-4. I've not experienced this before in a manual. Maybe this is normal, but I still don't like it.

4. Gears are too short, esp 4-5-6. Yeah, I know. If I used it for offroading this would not be an issue. As a surveyor, I do use it for offroading on a daily basis, but I've never used 6th gear offroad. I wish it was out there a little more. Everytime I hit 65, I'm looking for another, but it's not there.

Is anybody else disappointed in the 6 spd. Does anybody love this transmission? Maybe I got a lemon. All feedback is appreciated, especially anything I can take to my dealer, or maybe you know a way to change the gears. Also, maybe I need to suck it up and take it like a man! That's fine too. Thanks for reading.

 

I think it could be geared a bit taller-I was thinking overall tho. I get up outta the hole to second in no time and then shift quick thru the whole gear set.

Other then that...I love the transmission. IDK what kind of stick rides you've hard before now-but this truck tranny is far different from the sport tranny in my Scion tC- so it takes a different type of driving to drive the truck well compared to the car.

 

i've been a manual guy for 9 years and was planning on getting my taco in the 6 speed. but i drove the auto, then after that i drove the manual and i hated the feel of hte 6speed. nothing about it was smooth and it is geared way too low

 

Toyota manual transmissions are notorious for being stiff/rough/clunky when new. They usually improve dramatically over time. My 5 speeds 1st to 2nd shift was so bad that I was sure something was wrong until I drove my fathers truck and it was identical. Somewhere between 10K and 15K miles the issue completely disappeared.

 

1. Not sure what you mean by this. I don't look for 2nd when rolling backwards so....

2. I usually use 2nd or 3rd if I can do a rolling stop. Here's a tip DON'T GRIND THE GEARS. Use gentle forward/backward pressure and let it slide into whatever gear is easiest. I tried fighting mine for the first week with the result being grinding gears. Once I learned to just push/pull and let it decide left/right things worked better. Like it's gated or RPMS make it slide easier into the correct gear which may not be the one YOU think it should be in.

3. RPMs hang between shifts for emissions reasons. Burns gas in the cylinders instead of dumping it out the exhaust by dropping to idle speed immediately. Or something like that.

4. Try towing something or offroading or get bigger tires. I have a 3" lift with 285 tires and it's perfect for me. Granted, a better OD gear would be nice for highway travel, but then again the manuals can hold speed on hills with CC while the autos downshift.


Also keep in mind this tranny is brand new right? You need at LEAST 5k on it to break it in. I noticed improvements at 5, 10, and 15k. The more miles, this smoother the transmission becomes. I have just over 50k on my 06 now.

Oh, and it does take some driver adjustment. This manual is different from all the other's I've driven over the last 13 years.

 

Its not a perfect, but really not much different than my previous trucks. It'll get smoother over time.

1 & 2: First I've heard of 2nd gear issues. If keeps up, may need to see dealer.
3: Unlike other vehicles, the Rpms don't drop when clutch in. Done for emissions purposes. You'll get used to it.
4: They probably could have gone taller in 6th for better interstate mpgs, but its perfect when you tow a light trailer, climb a mtn, or haul
full load and never have to downshift on the hwy.

 

i agree ^^^^^^^^^^^^ TOTALLY!!!!!!!!! ive got 45k on my taco. ive owned 3 stick tacomas b4 i got this one and i KNEW i was doin something wrong when i was test driving it. but it just took some getting used to. 45k miles later im pretty happy with it. it just might not be yal cup of tea tho. its deffinately a different style transmission tho. lol

 

I luv it!! BTW I never use 2nd when going from reverse. 2nd, 3rd and 4th are great, I can't believ the pickup in 4th at 80 or 85 kph!! The engine racing between gears is something that takes gettin used to...don't worry you will. I can go thru all 6 smooth as silk especially when accelerating to highway speeds!Its a great tranny

 

You are right! Toyota's manual is a sorry ass excuse for a stick! To bad you learned this so late in life!
​

 

i've driven stick for about 18 years and i too had a hard time getting used to this truck. i am now pretty used to it but it could be a little taller in the gearing. i drive a lot of highway. i also use 6th on main roads for the most part. 5th is the least used.

 

I totally agree with this. I rememeber my last truck ('91 that I drove for 17 years) was similar. It was tight when new and loosed up real nice over the life of the truck. I drove it hard as hell too on many occassions including many trips over jeep trails in the high country of CO. It finally loosened up enough that I needed to hold it in first just before I sold it.

As far as the 6 speed, if you drive it hard and fast, you won't notice

 

Is that why it RPM's between gears...emission related? After driving 4 other Toyota trucks over the last 25 years I thought It was the fly by wire throttle that was doing it since I never drove one before. You just have to re-train yourself in letting off the gas a little earlier before shifting. And I think 6th could be taller but I love how it's geared....feels like a truck!

 

With Tacoma's I agree (had an '01) but not all Toyota's. My last vehicle was an '05 Rav4 that was fun to drive, zippy, effortless to shift, handled beautifully from the get go. If I hadn't only been in it long enough to save for our double cab... I would have kept it if I could have afforded three vehicles. Now in an automatic Tacoma I miss driving manual so badly at times.

 

As a owner of a 5 lugger, Myself and others wish 1st and 2nd were geared lower. With the a/c on unless you rev above 2500 RPM, when you hit second it lugs and the truck vibrates, even with a firm throttle application. With A/C off it is better. My feeling is the clutch won't make it to 100K, because it is so highy stressed during takeoff from a dead stop. I think WaWire said it best, why is the 4 cyl autobahn geared, and the 6-speed manual geared so low?

 

I like the manual tranny in this truck. I drove the auto, the auto is a piece of shit. It never shifts when I want. Then when you're coming to a stop it decides it wants to downshift, which means you now have to step on the brakes a little harder. When you use cruise control and going up a slight hill, the auto wants to downshift and floor it to get up to speed. The auto is not worth a piece of shit in my book.

Yeah, the 6 speed took some getting used to, heck every manual tranny vehicle I ever owned taked some getting used to. But this is a truck, so first gear is gonna be LOW.

I've never had an issue finding any particular gear, you may have an issue with your tranny. Maybe get it checked out, I would say that it is not normal.

 

Maybe they drive differently after you've driven them for a while, I don't know. I wasn't too happy with my experience. Especially the cruise control deal, there are alot of hills over here. I can't have the thing downshift everytime I go up a hill. I just put my 6 speed in cruise and it just goes up the hill in 6th.

 

I think they changed something in the 07+ models. I know 05's and 06's had a problem where they would downshift violently, floor it to get up to speed, upshift to OD, and then repeat the process again as it dropped down below the set point. Before the 07's came out I heard a LOT of people on TN complaining about that. It was so bad it scared some people as they'd be going up a hill behind someone and suddenly the truck with downshift 2 gears and surge ahead like it was trying to ram the car in front. Seems like there was an ECU tweak or something to change the shift behavior, but I don't remember for sure. Either way, I was happy to have my manual. Between that flaky CC problem, and the surging while stopped I was glad to have a manually controlled tranny.

 

I find 6th a little short when empty but perfect when towing two sleds on my trailer.