3rd gen transmission

I’m sure this has been covered, but I’m new here. I have a 16’ sr5 4x4 DC. I’m 42 years old and this is the first car I’ve had with an auto trans. I’ve read that the 3rd gen trans is lacking due to fuel efficiency standards. My truck runs OK. I’ve got the OVtune flash and it seems better. But I recently took a trip from Florida to KY, and in the hills of TN I noticed the truck was downshifting like crazy. I’d be going like 70 up a hill with almost no power, and then I’d give it a little gas and it’d downshift and take off at like 3500rpm. I feel like there’s no sweet spot in this truck. It’s either bogging or screaming. Is this normal? Should I look for a manual? I like the truck overall, and wanted something I could keep forever. I read these cars would run 500k plus. I can deal with the trans just as long this is a normal thing, and it’s not affecting any reliability??

 

You need to re-gear to 4.88's or 5.29's. Do some research on it, tunes will only help the truck so much, the gear ratio is what is really lacking

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-5-29-mega-thread.557305/

 

Welcome to TW. This, my friend has been DONE TO DEATH!!!!!!!!!

Please do a search going back 4 years to find the information you seek. YES, it is perfectly normal. This truck will drive different. ECT and S mode are the way to go.
A little homework will clear things up for you.

Enjoy your new truck .

G.

 

3500rpm is only half way to go.

 

followed by

 

Is normal. Floor it and go. I let it get up to 5k or more sometimes just cuz. Ya ain't gonna hurt it. Because it's still only Wednesday, so I'll give you my trial period answer. I drove around once with no ECT on and let it do it's thing while "babying" it. It was miserable. Shifted at about 2k, slower than dirt and the only thing that made up for it were the mpg's which I couldn't give less of a crap about. Next day I ran with ECT on, all nannies off, using S mode to fake-shift (still a couple second delay when accelerating hard) and it was great. This truck flies if you give it a kick in the nards. I'm averaging 16-17mpg's over a 900 mile period because I still think I drive a sports car and because I'm slightly mental.

 

You what is really interesting to me is that seems to be a trend in just about all of toyota's vehicles.
Lack of power
gear hunting
confused transmission
slow off the line

These 3 videos they say the same thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohhCyF6Qqlk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPUCcUsJhYQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0S9PDjHxe8

 

There's no lack of power in the 3.5L Camry at 301hp. Members here should go test drive one on an expressway, it's really incredible.

 

Wow, this is going to be good! You have never owned an automatic and bought a Tacoma auto! This is like the dream of the I Told You So Haters, who will be here to meet you shortly! Kidding, but I got the manual. Lots of complaints on the auto (although the 2020 version seams to have less issues). The manual version is pretty good with no complaints here.

 

OP, double check at the dealer that you have the latest TSB (regarding ECU update for shifting tables). It'll help, esp on the 16's and 17's.

I had a 16 SR and a 17 SR5, both with 2.7L AT. Frigging great trucks. Shifting was a little wonky, but nowhere near as bad as people say. If I was backroading I was hit the ECT button and utilize that S mode shifter. Lot of fun, great truck.

 

Sounds normal to me. The truck wants to run in 6th gear at low RPMs for fuel efficiency, but the engine makes more power at higher RPMs. So it downshifts to where it's making power. If it bothers you, try ECT and S-mode to lock out the higher gears. It's still going to run at higher RPMs like that, but this engine is happier there and it'll stop some of the back and forth shifting. The 3.5 and 6 AT seem to pretty reliable overall, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

 

Try Marathon 89 for a while.

 

I've been on the interstate traveling 70+mph with my 2020 sr5 auto. Its about as good as it can get with this auto. When going up some long grades it will downshift from 6th to 5th on Q. Engine never rev's past 2500 rpm even on the longest grades here. I'll average 23.5 mpg. Imo, no need to ever use the S or ECT modes unless towing.

 

...for a camry.

 

It's really unbelievable. Take a rest drive, if your dealer has a 3.5L.

Edit, also take a 2.0L Corolla out (168hp). This is the last years of all gas engines and it'll be our last chance to save them.

 

Nitro 5.29's for the win

 

I really think after you drive these trucks for a while you learn how to feather the throttle. You learn at what RPM the transmission will shift at different conditions and you gas to what you want the transmission to do.

 

Why take a test drive? V6 sedan running mid 14s? Pretty believable to me.

 

I'm just talking factory and mostly sedans under $40k. There's tons of other vehicles you can run much faster for $100k+.

 

I had a 4.7 v8 tundra, and thought it had some giddy-up. You put my taco side by side and do a roll-on at 50 mph, the taco will smoke it....and both had roughly the same final gearing.