Automatics: How often do you use your 'Gears'

A little on topic adventure today. My dad and I went in his Tundra to pick up our trailer from where we store it for the summer. It involves a few thousand foot climbs and descents while playing with the gears. I like how on his model you shift to the left of 'D', then up and down shift to select gears. It be nice if they had done that for every vehicle IMO

 

^^lol its the same thing on the tacoma...you just have to move the shifter lower

i use it all the time since new...uphill, down hill engine braking, offroad to not wear the brakes quick
even in traffic

 

When you let off the gas in the auto, the engine management shuts off the fuel to the injectors completely and lets the tranny keep the engine turning and continues to downshift and use light engine braking until you are going somewhere around 20mph, then you can feel the truck lurch forward slightly when the injectors fire up again to maintain rpm. The injectors also shut off when you're engine braking with an auto or a manual. That's why the instantaneous fuel economy gage goes to 0L/100km, or 9999 mpg. Just a little fuel saving designed into the engine management

 

Say wut

 

They definitely do not affect anything in the engine management lol. Yup, that fuel cutoff is common in pretty much everything nowadays even streetbikes etc.

 

I downshift a lot when going to and from my cabin in Los Padres National Forest. The road has a lot of changes in elevation and a lot of curves so downshifting really helps. It's a great road for a fun car but not that great for a 4X4 truck.

 

What about a fun truck?

 

By fun, I meant a sporty car that's low to the ground, has good weight distribution, and great handling. A 4X4 truck really has none of those. Not putting down my truck, I absolutely love it; but it isn't meant for hugging curves.

 

I downshift ocassionally especially if there is snow on the ground.

 

Coming from an underpowered slushbox Subaru, where I used the shifter on the automatic to keep it from hunting for gears, staying in the right rev range for pulling hills, and engine braking, it was only natural to do the same thing in the Taco. My problem, is that in town, I find myself forgetting to kick it back up to 4 or D after kicking it down to 3 to engine brake at a light. Out on the highway, I don't really have to use the shifter much unless I am going over a pass and want to keep it in a specific gear, or engine brake down the back side.

 

All the time, run between L, 2 and 3 all the time offroad. Drive in 4 when its heavy rain, on hills, entering highway ect. Any hills Ill usually cycle through gears.

 

Whenever I stop. O/D button and then down to 2nd. Sometimes I don't even have to use my brakes on some corners

 

Usually when I have to pass people. I love 3rd gear on the 4.0

 

So it doesn't hurt the trans to shift between all these gears while in motion?

 

i usually do when im going down mountains, especially fire/dirt roads

 

I use other gears when I carry a load such as firewood for example. If I climb a large hill with a load usually I am in 3rd. Otherwise in stop and go traffic it's 4th again with a load. Highway loads I leave it in Drive. When I am doing trail driving I also use various gears as needed.

 

all day everyday especially in traffic. plus with duals downshifting sounds nice!. took her through her paces earlier (i drive an auto) with a mile long straight away with no cops or anyone for that matter. L234D shifted at 5500

 

All the time because I get bored and miss my manual

 

It's best to do the shifting when there's no load on the driveline.

 

4lo+1st is great for coming down steep slopes when offroading. I go the the gears when I feel like hotrodding, offroading, passing, mudding, climbing. All the time. They're there, use them. You can start getting a feel for your truck and it's capabilities when you start messing with stuff.