Frustrated with my 6 speed

You're spot on, I had a grinding noise several times when going into 3rd from both 4th and 2nd. The clutch was all the way in, it just felt like bad synchros gears...

Again, selling the 6MT and getting an automatic was an expensive decision and not for everyone, but I wouldn't consider a manual in this truck ever again. And yes, I know how to drive one. 3 years of DDing a WRX STI with a lightweight flywheel wasn't exactly the best way to learn but actually quite easy to drive smooth compared to this truck.

 

No. That's utterly stupid. They would lose a lot of buyers and a lot of respect. The only reason I own a Tacoma is because they still offer the manual transmission. Offering a manual imo is one of the smartest things Toyota is doing. If they kill it off they become no better than GM.

 

After reading this thread, I wonder is anyone remembers the 3_on_the_tree.....
Use that as the base line and then see, it ain't that bad....
Carry on...

 

I do! I drove a 57 Chevy Bel-Air with a 3 on the tree, friends dad owned it and taught us how to drive manual on it. The thing had a butter smooth clutch that started about 1cm from the bottom and was fully engaged at 3cm from the top. Weird but sorta cool way to shift. I remember being scared I would accidentally slam the tranny into reverse.

 

Damn...... well never mind then....

 

That made me laugh and really brings back memories. My first car was a 1971 Plymouth Duster with a 198ci Slant Six motor and three on the tree. Every so often, if i was hotrodding it and trying to shift fast, the shift linkage would get all bound up and I would have to pull over, pop the hood, and free up the linkage on the column by prying it with a screwdriver.

 

So you would have bought something completely different if the tacoma was only offered as an automatic? I mean it's your opinion, I'd do the same if it was only offered in a manual (find something different).

The problem with them offering a manual (even if just to appease buyers like yourself) is that people who buy one thinking they can deal with it (like I did) end up getting really turned off by the sub-par product. It might be a lot better with a different shifter and different fluid and stronger trans bushings and a clutch pedal that doesn't have 2-3" of lateral slop. It just ends up giving users a bad experience and nothing good to say. Plus, it's harder to resell a manual, less people want them for on-road DDing or offroad driving.

Oh, and I never even mentioned this.... Has anyone else experienced parking brake failures?

I had a VERY scary moment in my brand new 2013 when it was running and parked in my driveway. I put the parking brake on while the engine was running. It has a small slope to my driveway... So I made sure to pull the brake out nice and tight and went to close the driver door to walk around it. The force of the door slamming jarred the parking brake and it started rolling forward down my driveway into my other car. I managed to get to it and dive head-first over the center console from the passenger side to mash the brake pedal. I made it in time without any damage... but it just seemed like a design problem if slamming the door jarred the brake out of position. I have never experienced that before in any vehicle, let alone the other manual sitting in my driveway.

 

The shifting sucks. This exact thread has been going on since 2005. You think you'd do some reading and a test drive.

Parking brake failure? No, never. It's the same design they've been using forever.

 

Yes that's right. I have no interest in having an automatic for my DD and especially not an auto for my off road toy. I don't think its sub par. I do think the TOB is an issue *that's been resolved* and some people don't like the rev hang. I'm not worried about it failing on me though. Autos still have way more risk the farther they get up in mileage. I think people just get unrealistic standards from driving manuals in little 4 cylinder cars and sporty cars. A Honda civic owner is gonna find the manual in a jeep, Tacoma, or cummins ram a whole lot different.

I also disagree on the resale point. I had so many people trying to jack up the price on me because its "the hard to find manual transmission" people know that if you're buying a manual, you had to seek it out.

And no I've never experienced a parking brake failure. Super tight. Have you ever driven with it on?

 

My 2015 TRD 6-Manual only has about 700 miles on it so far. I find that the only problem I have is going from 2nd to 3rd, but only when the tranny is warm. When it is cold there is no problem.

I am guessing it has to do with the gear oil. Once I get to 5k, I am changing it out for Redline MT90, to see if that improves things.

Other than that, I don't dislike it. I guess I'd prefer the 5-speed in the Tacoma that I recently sold. Not sure why I need 6. My first car had 3-on-the-tree.

One thing that annoys me is that the shift knob is loose, and spins around - I am thinking that I must be twisting it when I put it into reverse. Going into reverse seems a bit awkward.

 

A 1964 Impala 2 door hardtop was my 1st car. 3-on-the-tree and a 327 small block.

 

I was coming from my 2009 wrx 5-speed when I bought the truck. I test drove a few different MT DCSB trucks and I didn't like how it shifted at all. Happy I went with the auto when I made the purchase.

 

They still offer manual gearboxes in 2104?

 

Brother had a 68 cab-over dodge van on the tree, if you weren't careful you smashed your knuckles on the dash going into 2nd. Fingers up, not wrapped around the knob.

 

I learned to drive stick in a '57 Chevy 1-ton flatbed with a 283, a flat spot in the carb and an improperly resurfaced flywheel. To this day that truck still shifts better than my 2006 6MT did. Traded for an auto and never looked back.

 

So much MT hate here I had to chime in...

I had an '07 2.7 spd and that transmission is bomb-proof.

I now have a '13 6spd and it's an excellent gearbox (plus, you have 100 more HP and an extra gear!).

Of course there are nuances that vary from vehicle to vehicle, but it's an unfair argument complaining it doesn't shift like a car. It's about adapting to the vehicle's shifting behavior and tendencies, not crunching gears because it doesn't shift like your STI.


It's not a car, so stop shifting like it is.

/rant

 

It took me about 2 weeks to learn to shift my 2010, 20 minutes for any other truck/car/van I have ever driven. Have alway driven stick, and have no real complaints about my 5 speed mt, once I figured it out

 

All you need is to have a few people who know how to drive it, shift flawlessly and that will tell you it's not the trans that's the problem So if any whiners that would like lessons coming through western Maine I be glad to show you how.

 

I've owned and daily driven the L43, W56, W59, and current RA60F Toyota Transmissions. I personally don't feel a huge difference between the current transmission and the older ones. They were all a little slow shifting and a little clunky, but nothing outside of what I would expect for a manual transmission in a truck. Maybe they all sucked and I just didn't realize it, as I've never driven a manual truck that wasn't a Toyota (not counting an International 4300 6-speed).