Tacoma - OVTUNE - VFTUNER - Update Info and Original Development

My Tacoma regularly runs at 3000-3500 RPMs on the highway, revving along in 4th gear when it does not need to. I have videos of it happening. There are certain instances where it will downshift to 3rd at highway speeds and run at like 5500 RPMs. I have video of this happening as well. (It is very annoying with the TRD exhaust FYI) To me, that is much more dangerous than locking it into 5th gear and making it actually use a little bit of torque to push the truck along. I really don't see how it is "dangerous" to make an electronically controlled automatic transmission act similar to a manual transmission.

@Scooby24 your theoretical situation is so ridiculous that I can't even take you seriously. You don't think Toyota can't find 190+ pages and a website that are dedicated to cracking an ECU and tuning it? Wake up.

 

S mode gear lock, but not literally. Just more usable gear hold.

 

Yes. Just to keep it from jumping around on the highway and while cruising around town. With the tune it does not do this as bad in town now, but it still acts stupid at highway speeds of 75/80...

 

@OVTune I actually like that idea of what the LC500 does. "Lexus LC500 has a S+ mode gear lock that will disable automatic upshifting, however...it will automatically downshift as the RPM comes low in that gear"

Hopefully when it auto downshift into whatever gear, the gear selector will show what gear we are in and for that, it'll only upshift manually (if thats not what the LC500 already does). And of course, also add in your idea of downshifting only when the RPM is very low, like 12-1300 RPM and nowhere after.

Please do let me know if ya disagree..

 

Also can we get Traction Control disengage quicker with the tune?

 

Got my tune loaded and went for a quick drive tonight so this will be a quick review..

Auto trans, afe intake and cat back exhaust. 4.88 gears and 285/75/16 tires.

One word review: wow!

Truck holds 5th gear at 70mph up hills. So there is USEABLE power around 2500 rpm where I used to have to downshift to 4th.

Truck also doesn't prematurely shift (bad for me turning in to highways) where rolling at 15 mph the truck goes to 3rd and then you need to get back to 2nd to accelerate.

Ect is funner now!

Really excited to see what is coming next and I'll be back with more detail as I get more miles

Thanks to @OVTune

 

I dont mind turning it off manually but I found myself to do it more often and I hate the fact that I have to completely stop the truck and hold the button for a few sec to disengage the TC.

 

Yeah this!
I wish we could do it on the fly with a quick touch of the button without having to hold it for like 5 seconds
@OVTune

 

I think Matt should concentrate working on the 1.02 and will apply whatever that are necassary, later. I hope we dont slow him down as I'm waiting patiently for the new 1.02 file. I already know its going to be a great sucess.

 

Yup.. just waiting for 1.02 to drop
And speedo cal and I'm game for this tune.

 

Well thats nice. Some of us purchased 3 weeks ago and are still waiting for our orders to be sent since theres been a backorder on the kits.

Hope its sent soon.

 

that's why I waited
Be patient for your dongle

 

+1

 

@OVTune Just for my understanding. You are suggesting that the S gear lock would..
1. Downshift automatically but never upshift unless tapped
2. Example: I am doing 50 and pull the selector in the S mode. As I reduce speed it downshifts appropriately and will still allow me to force it to downshift sooner to engine brake as it does now. The big change would be that if I were to come to a complete stop and then begin moving, floor the truck and not touch the grear selector, the truck would STAY in 1st?
3. All safety measures currently in place would stay in place but the upshift would only happen when tapping the stick?

If this is what you thought we wanted, then for me it is a definate YES. This is pretty much the behavior I expeceted, and have experienced in other vehicles, but did not get in the Taco. That is/was my understanding of what was being requested as a S lock as well.

This option along with the 87 tune would definately peak my interest.

 

I thought this is how the S mode currently functions as controlled by the stock ECU. Upshifts are not allowed unless commanded, but downshifts are automatically made to avoid bogging the engine.

I believe users are asking for you to disallow both up & down shifting in S mode.

Edit: Nope. Half asleep when I read OPs response to the lock functionality

 

+1. I want this.

It's not, yet.

 

Nope. -- If I move the selector to S4 and come to a stop it downshifts normally, then when I add more pedal it will upshift through all gears (might be a slightly different shift map) to 4th and stop there not allowing a higher gear unless I tap the stick.

Currently S-mode is a gear limiter. Nice for engine braking, limiting higher gears when towing, or staying in lower gear to rev into torque curve while dragging out tree stumps and such.

It is NOT a sport mode, though I admit, I have not tested to see if shift pater is different from D.

It is also NOT a manual mode limiting up and down shift to touching the stick.

What I would like, and I think @OVTune understood was requested, is no matter what s# you are while moving, once stopped it downshifts and is locked into 1 till a tap moves it is 2nd, and so on.

I understand that many will say that I should have bought a manual if I wanted to control the shifting.

I have a reconstructed left ankle, 4 surgeries, from a 26 year old injury. About 14 or 15 years ago the clutch pedal became such a cause of pain I needed medication (cortizone injections, narcotics, etc) to walk, hell even to just sit, after driving a manual. I was able to confirm this as the cause by driving the wife's auto tranny minivan on road trips with no increase in pain. Since then I have had 3 auto trucks. Not everyone has the same situation.

More than injured/disabled folks would like to control the shifting from time to time. Overland, wheeling, getting out of a bad situations and so forth.

 

Did you have to mention the gear change before you uploaded your tune? I have seen these done independantly but not together, curious if anything needs to be noted prior to.

 

Also, for me, I would like to see when in S mode the rpm threshold when the tranny dowshifts changed so that if you selected 3rd and your engine rpm is 3000 then you floor it, it doesnt downshift. I like the idea that if I was at 1500 rpm in 3rd and floor it, it will drop to 2nd for safety... And stay in 2nd till I move the shifter +1. Keep in mind that if I go into S mode I'm sure going to be watching the rpms and the scenario above probably won't happen, cause I'm not an idiot and I'll downshift manually.

 

No I mentioned nothing to OVtune about shifting. This is just is 100% standard 1.01B tune