S mode shifting

Sorry for bringing up an old thread, but I've noticed something disturbing about my auto tranny lately, and not sure if it's "normal".

If I'm trying to "manually" upshift through the gears like a tiptronic, the transmission WON'T upshift when I tell it to if I'm at full throttle. It'll just run into the rev limiter and fall on its face.

For instance, I'll be in traffic on the freeway and need a quick burst of acceleration to jump into the lane next to me, so I'll slap the shifter over from D into S and pull back on it to engage 2nd or 1st gear and then floor it. Then when the tach is a couple hundred RPM from redline, I'll push forward on the lever to upshift but it doesn't respond to the input and, as mentioned, goes to redline and cuts the power, all the while never shifting up!

If I'm not flooring it, it'll upshift when I tell it to, but every other auto tranny I've owned will upshift whether I'm floored or not.

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

I think there's been chatter about this, also over in the OVTune thread on some of his tunes (cleaned up later though). I think the solution at the time was to let off the throttle just a bit near redline. I haven't been in a situation yet where I've needed to go through two gears at WOT. I either anticipate and have ECT on, or just hit the pedal but not straight to the floor. But... everybody's traffic is different.

 

I guess I was thinking of this backwards at first. The only thing I can think is the truck is trying to save the tranny by not shifting at WOT. At the end of the day, there is still clutches and gears in there, and you would not shift a manual transmission at WOT. When in D mode, it probably limits throttle input while up shifting or something it doesn’t do in S mode.

curious about the answer myself.

 

I Primarily use it in 4lo when off-roading to manually shift down to 1st for crawling.

 

Sorry im super late this might be a stupid question but, sometimes i accidentally move shift knob from D to S mode while driving around town and dont even realized until i get to a road where i need to speed up to roughly 55mph and thats when i notice my revs ramping up. Does the truck shift on its own when Shifting from D to S while moving at slower speeds? Does that essentially damage the transmission while being on S and not shifting or does the truck have some sort of safety mechanism in which it wont allow it to redline if driver fails to shift up. TIA!

 

the speed of 4th gear is pretty quick. You’ll have to be going damn fast in order to bump off the rev limiter. In any case, it’ll be loud and if you let off throttle it’ll engine brake pretty hard letting you know it’s not up shifting.

just play with S mode driving around, you won’t break anything.

the way I normally drive is to leave it in D. If I need to pass someone on the freeway I’ll move it into S, it’ll put the truck automatically in 4th allowing me to be in the power band to pass. Once I pass, I shift back into D and the truck will decide whether to stay in 4th depending on the amount of throttle input, or shift up

 

Yeah didnt sound too brutal but i tend to move the knob to S alot. Any small gesture can move it. That was my concern. But glad you can clarify it for me. So when you Shift over to S to pass do you shift up at all or?

 

I went to one toyota dealer when shopping for a tacoma, the salesman told me the ''S mode'' stood for stability mode. I actually believed it till another dealers saleman's set me straight.

 

Generally no. 4th is a solid gear at highway speeds. I'd shift it manually into 5th if I want to pass several cars and don't want it to be revving at higher RPMs for an extended amount of time. Not necessarily for longevity of motor/trans. But more so not to burn as much gas.

The reason I do this is because I don't like how the Tacoma jumps from a 6th to 3rd (near redline) and immediately 4th (depending on speed) when trying to pass someone. The truck lurches forward, and sits in 3rd for only a split second. It feels like it's burning more fuel than it should, and I don't need to pass THAT quickly.

When passing at say 60mph, I shift into S (4th gear) and give it a little more gas to calmly accelerate forward. Using normal D can sometimes be abrupt and has quite a delay when it decides to jump down into a lower gear.

But I agree, it slides into S very easily. I've accidentally pushed it into S many times just leaving my hand on the shifter.

 

I use "S" mode all the time, along with the ECT on all the time mod. Highway driving usually I'm in 5th gear unless I have an incline then I'll shift to 4th before it does it on it's own. I very seldom utilize 6th gear, downhill with a tailwind. Around town it stays in 4th. Having driven a manual for years I like to have some input while driving. I'm driving a 4 banger.

 

Spent most of my life driving stick or bikes, I feel more comfortable using the "S" mode and choice when in twisties and hills and off road. Rare I see a multilane way.

 

Thanks for the clarity. I understand a bit more about this feature. Just wasnt sure if switching to S and not realizing it immediately could pose a threat to the transmission if driver didnt shift. But now like the other said it shift for you up until 4th gear. Thanks for all that info bud.

 

After a year and a half I have found the S5 mode to be great for all around driving. The only time I use D Mode is out on the highway for sustained speeds of 65 mph or more.

 

Tacoma has 6 speed. Camry has 8 speed.

 

If you’re using S mode, will it downshift on its own or do I have to shift down?

 

It can do on its own. You can do it manually if you want. Either way is up to you.

The number on the cluster, it is not changing. So the truck is shifting on its own.

If you manually shift it, the number will change on the cluster.

 

Sequential shifting is what S stands for.

It is a shift limiter. Meaning the number you see is the max gear it will go to. It will still shift through all the gears up to that one and not go higher, but it will still down shift as needed.

 

As an example, think of it like it turns the truck into a 4 speed when in S4, compared to the truck being a 6 speed if it was in D. In S mode as others have pointed out, it just is telling the truck that it cannot go into a higher gear than what is selected in S mode. So, if you leave it in S4 all the time, you will never get into the OD gears (5th & 6th). Adding ECT into the equation you will prolong the shift points when it goes from 1-4th, and effectively won't shift into the upward gear too soon. That is why it feels like it is keeping the torque up rather than having that power dropping out feeling when going into higher gears otherwise. When I go up a steep hill and the speed limit is say, 35, if ECT is not on when I reach 35, it upshifts. Then, the truck slows down. Then, to get it back up to 35, I step on the gas and then all of a sudden I am going 40. On this same hill with ECT on, I can get it up to 35 and it enables me to just hold it there. I find that helpful.

 

woohoo! 3.5 years late. best to check the date of the last post of a thread to see if it is ancient before replying.