How does the "S" mode work in automatics?

Super useful to downshift

 

Anyone remember the speed limit on the old 70's vehicles where you would set the buzzer to 58 mph and it was buzz/ring if you went over?? What ever happened to that?? Guess everyone was sick of hearing the buzzer... LOL

 

Putting the truck in R while on highway will just turn your backup cam on. It's programmed to do that if a person wants to look at their towing connection for example while going down the road.

 

I only use it for engine braking when coming down from the mountains.
Other than that I have found it to be pretty much worthless.

 

It's Toyota's fault for labelling it S. To vast majority of people today S means sport mode. Even reviewers call it that and you can see them putting the truck in S to do their accelerations runs, which does nothing. Tacoma doesn't have a sport mode and S obviously doesn't act like a manual shifter mode, that most other vehicle these days have. If it did it would actually show you what gear you're in, in the dash, instead of showing you what the limit is you have set. I think this is why new owners are confused.

 

That's what we're discussing here -- it's not like paddle shifters. Instead, it only sets the highest gear that the truck will use. So if you put it in "4", it doesn't actually sit in gear 4 like most paddle shifters, but it uses gears 1, 2, 3 and 4 as the algorithm pleases.

I'd have much rather they gave us full control like paddle shifters. A friend's Mazda sedan and my VW sedan have such a feature (although they aren't paddle shifters but in the gear shift lever)

 

I know of no automatic transmission that works differently. No auto will hold a single gear until you stall the engine. They all work at ‘top gear limiters’, regardless of nomenclature, and have done so since the 60’s.

Same thing in every automatic car or truck on the market. Same shit as always.

 

Nope.

 

S mode works well for towing both for controlling the upshifting and the engine brake feature.

Also allows better control starting and stopping in greasy (snow covered) city road conditions when used with 4wd.

 

Okay okay, I commented specifically about the Tacoma but I’m laughing my ass off at all you dudes claiming you’ve driven every automatic out there and every example uses it as top gear limiter. I fully agree that if you put it in D3 or S3 and start from a stop the vehicle will use first and second gear. However I can think of 3 vehicles I’ve driven in my life time that upshift past the gear you have selected on the automatic transmission, and one second gen Tacoma I witnessed doing it even though a forum member in here claims he was in the passenger seat and it was the driver. Anyways my moms last sedan which I can’t remember if it was the Pontiac G6 ( don’t think so ) or an Altima but which ever one it was once it reached a high enough RPM let’s say 4500rpm it would upshift into the next gear, a sante fe I drove for a bit did the same thing as well as a sonata. We’re talking the early to mid 2000’s for any of these models. Also when I was a young man I moved a lot of cars around provinces for my friends fathers used car lot, we drove a lot of different vehicles and some would let you hold redline on an automatic transmission and some would upshift early to engine damage.

not every auto manufacturer makes the same identical unit, stop claiming it as so boomer’s.

 

I don’t think I’ve ever learned so much about my truck from a single post. Dude thanks for that, I watched all his video’s and now I’m ready for a drain and fill on my transmission.

 

I wish I could understand all his content, but some of them are way beyond my present technical background. Any advice on more introductory material on cars/trucks in general? I wish I had seen his "tips for buying a new toyota" before I bought my truck

 

Same upshifting behaviour from my 2014 Ford Escape transmission. In S mode, if the rpm got too high for the selected gear, it would auto upshift. Tacoma S mode likely goes to fuel cut off instead of upshifting. I say likely ‘cause I’ve never tried it.

 

Yeah, even back then there was a drug problem.

 

Like heck, When i used ECT the engine got noticeably louder with longer shift points, plus my fuel gauge proved it. I had more hp that i didn't need for what i was towing. Turned it off, and put it pack in S5 where the truck was much happier. To be honest i don't think i'll ever need to use ECT.

 

Can confirm rpm needle will bounce and not upshift, great for snow donuts, great for throttle out situations.

 

ECT is for passing on rural 2 lane highways, literally the only thing I use it for.

 

Yeah I knew the 3.5 had a lot of tech but I didn’t realize how much nor did I realize how much of a pain they can be for servicing. Definitely gonna go looking for coolant leaks and maybe slow down a bit a super rough trails.

 

I've pass vehicles many times driving on those highways here where the speed limit is 45 mph, but just about everyone does 55-60 mph. Never needed ECT or S modes for passing....only needed drive with more petal pressure. Truck will get up to 80 real quick.
In fact we did a side by side race for about an 1/8 mile on a old reservoir road with my truck vs. my buddies 2019 trd v6. I blew his doors off every time by at least 2-3 truck lengths, really pissing him off.

 

yeah around here people get up to 80 real quick when you try to pass.