"ECT is great!" meh.. Auto lsd and trac off is where its at.

Seems you might have been correct.
Traction control normally indicates the brake system is used to slow the spinning wheel.
Limited Slip differential is a mechanical function in the differential.

Has Toyota has misled us on this?

 

so do what you said in reverse, steady speed with ECT on and turn it off, result, it feels like the truck is slightly breaking

 

No, they make it pretty clear what the system is.

 

It doesn't boost power at all, it delivers the power you have differently, you still have the same amount of power, nothing is added at all.

 

I love my TRD OR, tried all the goodies this last winter in the Sierra snow and mud I didn't care for the fancy electronic stuff, just 4WD and go! LSD? Nah, slipping is a lot of the fun!

on another note...
I took a lot of LSD back in the 80's don't like beer and the pot was crap in the midwest back then

 

My bad... you are correct, I was going by seat of pants feel, yesterday tried holding a steady gas pedal position while turning the ECT on and it does pick up speed (which still confuses me). My thought process told me all auto transmissions today are electronically controlled and turning it to the ON position would raise the rpm and make the shift point higher.

 

They ARE electronically controlled, but it's still just a bunch of gears inside it. The computer just gets to pick the gears instead of it being done solely based on pump pressure or RPM. For anything to do what you were thinking, you would have to be able to vary the actual gear ratio outside of the spinning gears inside the transmission. I think that this is, at least in part, why most new automatics have so many gears. You have more opportunities to stay in the rev range that you (or the computer) want for the road speed that you are at.

 

What is Limited slip differential?
A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential gear train that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the generic trademark Positraction, a brand name owned by General Motors and originally used for its Chevrolet branded vehicles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited-slip_differential

What is Automotive Traction Control?
A traction control system (TCS), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction (i.e., wheelspin) of the driven road wheels. TCS is activated when throttle input and engine power and torque transfer are mismatched to the road surface conditions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traction_control_system

Now, that does make it pretty clear...
so, back to my original query, has Toyota mis-led by calling this an Automatic Limited Slip Differential?
if I were to surmise, a differential either IS limited Slip, or it is Not. If it is not (as listed) then it is a misleading sales ploy.

 

See mine is one of the elusive CVT driven Tacoma's... So, bear with me... when turning on ECT does, the computer have the transmission drop into the next lower gear ?

 

No. Because autoLSD is a branded term created by Toyota to indicate the limited slip behavior is a simulated limited slip diff using individual wheel braking across an open differential. They make it clear that's what the term means, they aren't hiding it.

 

If you open the owner's manual and turn to the page that describes "AUTO LSD" (page 301 in my 2020 manual), you will see no mention of a limited slip differential or even a differential. I do however agree the name is a bit misleading/confusing, but I don't think it was intentional .

 

Not unless you are pressing the button at the same time as mashing the gas pedal and then forgetting about the second part.