ALL 2016-2018 Should get the ECU update

The rear diff fix has had mostly good results but there are some that didn’t. My truck is night and day post ECU update. I’m really happy.

 

Did you test drive the truck before you made the purchase? You probably shouldn't have purchased a vehicle you dislike so much.

Regarding your comments, this update doesn't address poor shifting from 1-2 gear. For the most part, this update adjusts the throttle mapping and shift patterns. For me personally, it is a substantial improvement to the truck's drivability and I also gained about 2mpg in the city. This is the way the truck should have been from day one. There's a thread here somewhere with a poll about this update. Polling results show the vast amount of votes indicating its a big improvement. I cant think of a single reason not to get the new calibration. As for your question, no, you cannot revert to a previous calibration once updated. Its similar to when your cell phone updates its OS. Once you have the new cal its there to stay. I'm willing to bet the 2019s will ship with this calibration from the factory.

Also, my 2018 TRD OR has auto headlights that work exactly as you would expect. Maybe your particular model doesn't have that package??

 

You bet I test drove it - a few times actually. I liked everything about the truck except for the shifting. I talked to the general manager about the issue and he said it was a transmission that learns your driving habits as you go - he said he was sure I would be happy with it once the tranny was "broke in". Toyota has a good name, and he had me convinced. As far as the lights, I can certainly get by that as long as the shifting is fixed. I like the looks and the ride - the exhaust is a bit loud at times, but Im sure that will be better if the shifting is fixed so that its not constantly searching for a gear.
Im hoping this fix will do it. I have an appointment scheduled for tuesday and I have the update all printed out. Is there anything else about the truck you might suggest that I investigate? It might help save time from searching threads. Thanks for the time you spent in discussing this. Im feeling a little better about the purchase in hopes that this update will be the cure.

 

I also went and scheduled the update on my truck. I printed out the TSB and showed the stealership. They said they updated my truck. I drove it home still feels the same.

 

Use an ODB II port reader to check the cal ID#.

 

I wouldn't say it didn't work on mine. It did what was intended. It's just that I now have harsh 2 to 1 shifts. No idea if this was a result of the update or not.

I've read that many people found out later that their new trucks arrived low on transmission fluid. Not sure if this was resolved in the 18's or not.

 

Hi planning to get an 18 OR. Wondering if any 18 drivers have noticed the gas pedal vibration? Thanks

 

[QUOTE="Also, my 2018 TRD OR has auto headlights that work exactly as you would expect. Maybe your particular model doesn't have that package??[/QUOTE]

My 09 didn’t have auto headlights. So I just left them on 24/7. They shut off automatically a few minutes after the truck was shut off. Didn’t have to manually switch them on in 8 years and not a single headlight burned out. Also, this probably kept the DRL from melting the headlight housing. This was a 2nd gen problem.

Maybe he can just leave them on?

 

brake pedal? Yes

 

I had this done today. It was much better, but by the end of the day of running errands, its back to the old way it was. I just cant believe that Toyota would let something like this go on. Does anyone know if this thing clears up because of the transmission adjustments? I have heard both yes and no. The garage said that it will learn how to shift as it goes. Can anyone confirm? What a nightmare.

 

The update resets the "learned" values of the transmission. Entirely possible that it will improve for you. It will change from where it's at right now. Whether you like it or not will remain in question for a bit.

 

I don't know when you can "officially" say it's learned your habits. I've read that it has to cycle through a few starts/stops cycles, cycle through some speeds and shift patterns, through some acceleration/deceleration cycles, before it kind of settles in to "you".

 

Had mine done today hoping for a miracle. While it made the tranny issues seem to have improved, it still has a noticable 'miss' while driving. Its like a bad plug wire or loose wire. The first tech said it was the tranny, and I tried to tell him that a 'miss' has ZERO to do with the tranny! Does your truck have a miss? Curious if I just got a lemon.

 

I dont hear a miss in the engine, but I do wonder if there are a few Tacomas in which the "fix" wont work for whatever reason. Maybe I have a lemon. My sales person wants to drive it to see how different it is from his. He has a 2017 and he says he likes the way his shifts. This will be interesting.

 

I took my truck to the dealership when this update first came out and they wanted to keep it over the weekend to drive it several times until it showed these symptoms before they would update it. After going back and forth, they came back and said they "did the update", but I'm 90% sure they lied to my face to get me to leave because the truck feels no different and all that was typed into the service receipt was "performed ECU update". (Yes, I brought in both TSB's printed out)

I live in SWFL where their main customer base are older retirees who don't know anything about anything, so whenever they get someone like me in, they try their hardest to get me out of there.

Any way to confirm if the update was actually done? Other than taking it to the next dealership an hour north and telling them "my local dealership is full of shit, will you guys save me?"

 

My truck felt like it had a miss before the TSB. It is mostly better now but at light throttle it still feels like it is missing some. But, premium gas seems to fix it. I just got a tank of cheap Marathon gas last time around and the miss phenomenon started back. I’ll put premium in it next time and it’ll run better. I think @Lt. Dangle has issues with his truck liking the premium fuel too. Mine is even finicky from one brand to the next. FWIW, my tech said that most of these trucks were that way and it’s especially true if you drive for fuel economy, which I do.

 

My truck has a premium fetish. If I run premium consistently my miss goes away, as soon as I run regular for an extended period of time the mss comes back.

With the miss it feels like a road vibration at light throttle at low rpm at any speed.

 

Same. Unfortunately.

 

I think I know the missing feeling you guys are having. I think it happens because it shifts so quickly into 4th upon acceleration.

It's definitely smoother shifting after the tsb, but if you're one who accelerates up to 35mph quickly, it'll shift 1,2,3 real quick (with good power) and then too quickly goes to 4 and that's when you feel the "miss", as there's a drastic decrease in acceleration at that point. You might also "interpret" a slight dead zone in the pedal right there too.

If you put your foot into it at that point ("punch it" a little), it'll drop back to 3rd for better acceleration. But if you don't KEEP it punched, it'll drop right back into 4th very quickly.

Anyone agree with me? Or am I full of shit?

 

I actually think more people have this issue, they just don't realize it, or are being misdiagnosed.