Stuttering/ lugging in an automatic transmission???

I get 21 MPG using the 6th… it is what it is.

 

My tank average right now is 18.6 mpg. Mostly city driving. I leave the auto on D. I never use ECT and S.

 

Image how much higher it would have been if you used overdrive gears.

 

Welcome to TW! This is not a new complaint. Some suggest tunes and some suggest waiting it out as the ECU learns your driving habits. My truck works great. It has a lot to do with the shifting. No it isn't a fuel or spark issue. And running 91 or 92 octane is just you throwing your money away because that's meant for higher compression engines and will not benefit you here.

I see it was Friday.

 

Take it to the dealer. Trade it in for a Manual (Only after a extensive test drive). No more Auto transmission problems! Viola!

 

Drivers are not similar.

 

I get nearly that in the winter and 23-24 mpg now in the summer. Combination of some city and mostly secondary highways while maintaining under 60 mph.

 

Sounds like flex lockup(a.k.a. torque converter clutch) isn't allowing a smooth transition; it can be caused by a multitude of things.

 

I baby my Tacoma, drive her real easy. You'll find me in the right lane driving the speed limit. The Tacoma does not like to go the speed limit with the stock ECU tune. The transmission shifts to 6th gear at way too low of a speed and then the motor will sit in the 1200-1500 RPM range and it will lug noticeably.

I had a 3rd gen 2wd access cab that did not have any issues at all and the truck was perfect except for a lack of 4x4. My current rig is a TRD OR LB, and she is heavy as compared to the 2wd access cab. My guess is the weight of the truck contributes to the strain on the powertrain at low RPM.

KDMAX Light-Tip Premium Octane tune solved all my issues and the truck drives how I want it to. I can cruise the speed limit on city roads, and on the highway I have plenty of power to merge into traffic. Dyno tests show an increase of roughly 12HP and 12ft/lb of torque after KDMAX tuning (source linked below).

https://www.havocspeed.com/3rd-generation-toyota-tacoma-ovtune-dyno-results/
*Edit: this source is for the 'OVTune' not KDMAX, but I would expect similar results for a KDMAX dyno.

 

I've got supposedly the latest toyota factory tune in my truck which is all stock except for roughly the same size AT tires. It cruises fine at any speed, no lugging, no anything. 1200 rpm in 6th gear is fine, smooth low end still. Can't quite say the same for a buddies 2019 tacoma, as it will buck if that low rpm. His truck has the same updated tune as i do. Some trucks just run better than others.

 

at the speeds U mention suburban/around town

U ARE Lugging the engine ........observe/nottae gear + rpm

it IS Possible to run an engine toooooo slow

4th gear is correct

Mercedes mention last week ( has been known for a while )

by 2030 they will being fully TOTALLY Electric

many marques are trotting out ‘ E “ vehicles to test the waters
( obtain wear/ tear mileage longevity data real world )

CARB / EPA standards are getting tighter every year !!!!

 

Your fuel choice has nothing to do with it other than wasting your money with higher octane.

That said, I'd suggest a warranty complaint and run that road out before asking a bunch of strangers on the internet when you only have 1k on the truck.

As you see, you get a full on fruit salad of answers.

Suggestion. Next vehicle purchase, take a full test drive following your normal daily driving routine.

 

I had it on my 2019 for a while under the right driving conditions. Its not something you can catch on video. Mine usually will do it when under 1500rpm and steady throttle. I added the shudderfix transmission additive to mine a couple months ago but didnt cure the issue. Ive learned after running 93 octane about half the time, since it seemed to help, that its not the higher octane but better quality fuel that makes a difference. I would recommend top tier fuel whichever gas stations that have it in your area. Here in PA Ive been using BP/Amoco since the truck seems to prefer the better gas.
I also just had the KDMaxx tune done a week ago and while the truck drives and performs better overall I can still feel a hint of the shuddering under the right driving conditions.

 

I have had my 2021 for little over a month, 500 miles on it. I have noticed my engine stuttering at low idle almost like its going to die if I don't give it some gas but it has never died on me. Also, when I'm driving a higher gear (5 or 6) and truck needs to downshift it seems to stutter also until it downshifts. Using ECT or running in S mode helps. Gear 4 is good at about 45 mph and runs at 2000 RPM but I wish the auto tranny would just do its job better, downshift sooner, and not make engine stutter. I'm not much of a techy but I notice the stuttering. I'm trying to ignore it because I don't think it is really a problem.

 

You can manually downshift an automatic too. Put the truck in a lower gear if you need to do so. Unless you're doing 60+ mph it has no business above 4th gear anyway. Learn how to drive the truck instead of letting the truck drive you.

 

I feel the same thing like a slight miss or stutter while driving on surface streets 40-50mph. I blame Toyota for upshift so early and the motor lugging along.

I’m at 4900 miles and after the 5k I plan on getting it tuned. Hopefully it will address this small annoyance.

 

Mine does the same thing. I am almost certain it's bad TCU programming on Toyota's part. But I'm not gonna go bitch n moan to a Toyota SA that doesn't care. So I just hope if it blows, it'll blow before my powertrain warranty is up. Actually my 6AT worked smooth up until recently. The only cause I can think of is the trans being overheated from hauling alot of weight(4000lb trailer + 2000lb payload). But I have my doubts because it was a short distance and I made sure to take it easy. It worked fine after the load. Only started seeing it a few days later. Might be worth paying for a trans drain & refill to see if it helps.

I think I saw somewhere that Toyota fills all of the transmissions with the same amount of ATF regardless if it has a trans cooler or not. The difference is marginal(1 quart?)

3rd gen quality is hit or miss. I have a neighbor with a 16 TRD OR thats runs flawless with 70k miles but here I am with my 18 SR 17k miles - peeling door panel - broke tailgate - shuddering transmission - broke power window switch. Probably has something to do with Toyota corporate trying to push for higher efficiency on the assembly line.

 

That's a great idea and maybe I misunderstood your meaning, but I don't know of any dealership who would let you test drive a brand new vehicle long enough to simulate your daily driving routine. I had about a 7-10 mile test drive in my truck which included a road where you could go 50-60 as well as some suburban streets. I did notice the shifting, but also noticed a bit more right foot pressure helped considerably. It's also gotten better after 1,500 miles and I imagine it will keep improving.

 

Adjust your seat forward a click or two. Gives you a heavier foot.

 

Heavier foot is the key, my truck definitely drives better when you dont baby the gas peddle