S mode shifting

I am used to driving a stick, but I got a auto this time as my wife cannot drive a standard. My new Tacoma has the "S" mode where you can upshift and downshift. Is anybody familiar with these "S" mode shifting? I read what there is in the manual. So if I am driving 100 km/hr, can I just slip it from "D" to "S" mode to gear down or do I have to be stopped in order to put it in S" mode?
Thanks

 

You can use it on the fly, do not have to be stopped

 

just slap it over and its in 4th gear

 

I use it ALL the time. When you learn it, you can drive your truck pretty much like you would drive the stick. S mode limits the trans to the highest gear that can be shifted into. So, in S-4 the trans will go from 1 to 4 but no higher. In S-1, it will stay in 1st. When I leave my steep down driveway, I'm in 1st. The same as I would be with a stick. When it levels out, I shift to 2nd etc. I have always used S mode for down shifts at stops. (2nd gen, and this one). I use ECT always if I will not be going over 60 MPH. I live in the country, with plenty of curvy back roads. It does better in those circumstances. I consistantly get 18 21 MPG. You do not need to be stopped to use it. Just shift away.

Hope that helps.

G.

 

It would be nice if it showed what gear it was in. A lot of people get confused by seeing the 4. Even reviewers online think the truck is always in 4th gear, which it isn't. Also a lot of people think S stands for sport mode.

 

It does show what gear you are in. If you move the stick down once, it will be a "3".

G.

 

its in 4th till you shift it.............

 

it's actually a gear limiter, so if you have it on 4 the truck will automatically shift 1,2,3,4 but not go higher than 4.

 

By default yes but you can manually select first gear at every stop.

This sort of thing is more of a gear range limiter though. You set what gear you want to be the highest and it will not upshift past that.

Or you could try to use it like a tiptronic but it doesn't really work all that well.

 

Also, for those that would like to see the actual gear the trans is in at any time, you will have to "learn" your truck and then it's simple to compare the tach and speedo and know exactly what gear it's in.

G.

 

You could monitor it with a ELM327 and Fusion App with the enhanced PIDs.

 

Mine goes to 5th and 6th in the S mode.

 

What I mean is if you move it to S and it shows 4. It will show 4 if you don't touch it again, but the truck will shift to 3,2,1 as you slow down and stop all the while displaying 4.

Not exactly, that's what I mean by confusion. It will go thought 1-4 even if you don't shift anything. You can be at a stop light and shift to 5. Truck is still in 1st gear though. It will shift through 1-5 as you start to move but all the while it will display 5 in the dash.

 

Apparently it's not really "manual mode." What I mean by this is, gear one allows you to use the 1st gear, gear two allows you to use the 1st AND 2nd gear, gear three allows you to use the 1st, 2nd AND 3rd gear, and so and so forth. I thought this was strange, because essentially in "Gear 6" you are driving in your normal D/automatic mode, being that if you floor it, the transmission WILL downshift for you while still maintaining your "6th gear icon." Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I personally liked using the 6th gear (leaving it in 6th gear) when I first noticed my transmission "starting to learn my driving habits" because it was blowing balls in my opinion. Since then, however, I've learned to embrace the stock automatic transmission, and it actually has become fun to drive it, on top of saving gas. i average 21 mpg whether its a mix of highway and town driving, or any other variation.

 

the manual mode and the ect power button together really help out the power out well.

 

I keep my in S4 around town and S5 on the freeway. All with the ECT button on. Haven't noticed a measurable hit to fuel economy.

You're basically killing the overdrive gears when you do this. Easiest way to stop the quick upshifts everyone bitches about.

 

By "killing" do you mean just taking them out of the equation, or do you mean you are ruining them?
serious question

 

Using this method really livens up the truck.

 

So it's not really an manual, but like others are saying it's just a gear range limiter?

I was under the impression I would shift into S then start up or down shifting like a traditional manual transmission. I'm still a little confused lol