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2016 6-cylinder 6-speed automatic erratic shifting and drivability problems?

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by Ben91z28, Nov 16, 2015.

  1. Nov 28, 2015 at 11:34 AM
    #121
    splitbolt

    splitbolt Voodoo Witch Doctor

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    How much time do you have behind the new 6-speed auto?
     
    mjones1970 likes this.
  2. Nov 28, 2015 at 11:48 AM
    #122
    7GR

    7GR Well-Known Member

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    Haven't driven it yet. I'll be test driving one next year when the time is right to purchase, but I'll go manual for obvious reasons.

    I'm not saying the new 6-speed auto will act exactly like the Camry example, but each auto transmission will have a certain programmed-in manner that the owner must explore and learn.

    Sounds like the 3rd gen auto is programmed to upshift as soon as possible for better fuel economy, and the ECT button is to compensate for that lethargicness at the expense of fuel economy. There's also the manual-shift mode to give you a bit more control on the upshifting and downshifting within reason, but some owners just don't even want to bother with it (handicap, laziness, or other reasons).
     
  3. Nov 28, 2015 at 12:55 PM
    #123
    splitbolt

    splitbolt Voodoo Witch Doctor

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    Don't get me wrong; I have found your conclusions to be spot on.
    My 2007 took 6 months to chill out; the 2016 took 6 weeks.
    I found out the first week, I despise A-I. Is it 'broke' or designed to suck(a.k.a. eco-mode)? Don't know, don't care.
    ECT is like tow/haul; raises and firms the shift points. I've never cared for it in any vehicle equipped with it, unless towing or hauling...or having fun.

    I use S-4-5-6 depending on need.
    S-4 in residential areas
    S-5 around town/pulling hills on highway/flat highway w/ traffic
    S-6 flat highway no traffic

    Come to think of it, I use any automatic, regardless of number of gears, in a similar manner.
     
    Vette40 and 7GR[QUOTED] like this.
  4. Nov 28, 2015 at 1:15 PM
    #124
    7GR

    7GR Well-Known Member

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    Your own strategy is pretty fitting. :thumbsup: Maybe others who are frustrated should reference yours and see if it'd fit with their driving styles.

    And I doubt the programmed learning strategy is true AI. Probably just a series of algorithms that determines an action based on various data points from feedback inputs, not programming that is truly "sentient" that can also read the minds of the owners. It will to some extent "learn" and adjust incrementally as the mileage progresses, but for sure not "intelligent" like AI or the likes.
     
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  5. Nov 28, 2015 at 1:28 PM
    #125
    splitbolt

    splitbolt Voodoo Witch Doctor

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    I assumed it stood for Autonomous-Idiot.
     
  6. Nov 28, 2015 at 1:30 PM
    #126
    Mike G

    Mike G Well-Known Member

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  7. Nov 28, 2015 at 2:45 PM
    #127
    cougsfan

    cougsfan Well-Known Member

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    Where does one find details about how to "teach" your tranny how to shift?
     
  8. Nov 28, 2015 at 2:49 PM
    #128
    baron55

    baron55 Well-Known Member

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    Got 2700 miles now and I don't notice the AT anymore, does a pretty good job. Still will wander at high speeds between 5th and 6th, but both those gears are overdrive.
     
  9. Nov 28, 2015 at 2:55 PM
    #129
    cougsfan

    cougsfan Well-Known Member

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    I have experimented with the "manual" shift mode quite a bit. Not much manual about it except you can force it to stay in a lower gear a little longer. It's sure not what i would call a manual shift though. It still does the same weird things if you ever shift it to 6th gear.
    I would just like to know how the "engineers", or whoever, drove it to get 23 mpg average highway mpg. Do you hold your tongue a certain way? I sure don't know how to get above 19.
    Maybe you have to live in Kansas where the roads are flat and you keep the speed down below 55 mph.
     
  10. Nov 28, 2015 at 3:11 PM
    #130
    7GR

    7GR Well-Known Member

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    There are so many variables that will affect fuel economy, like driving habits, tires (materials, wear rate, grip, air pressure), fuel (percentage of ethanol or not), wind resistance, altitude, etc. And those are just scratching the surface, then you have the components inside the vehicle like the engine itself (usable torque and horsepower), transmission (number of gears, gear ratios, type of clutch or torque converter locking or otherwise), differential(s) ratios, driveshaft components, the overall weight, etc.

    Some things I find that will greatly affect fuel mileage:
    • routes taken for trips (city vs highway, uphill or downhill, how many traffic lights, rush-hour traffic jam)
    • wind (head winds are the worst, but side winds are also bad)
    • tire pressure (I usually go at least 2-3 PSI above OEM spec)
    • fuel (non-ethanol will be better than E10, higher octane may increase mileage per tank IF the engine is designed to run something higher than 87)
    • weight (big one here, any excess in weight like lugging around a toolbox means more power is needed to lug around those extra weight, but not much of a choice for tradesmen who NEED their toolboxes at all times)
    • driving habits (lead foot eats gas but FUN FUN FUN)


    As for the EPA-posted MPG ratings, those are considered to be extremely "ideal", meaning you will NEVER be able to match those numbers, and have a higher chance of finding a unicorn than reaching those numbers. The Volkswagen fiasco is a good illustration of how difficult it is for manufacturers to "truthfully" eek out 1 more MPG than previous generations. Many are going turbo, but turbo does not equal fuel saving in the absolute sense, plus there are other reliability type concerns that you never have to worry in a naturally aspirated engine.
     
  11. Nov 28, 2015 at 3:12 PM
    #131
    GoodOlBoy

    GoodOlBoy Well-Known Member

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    Mines been doing that too. I had another truck that was a bit low on ATF once that acted similarly. I'd check it myself but there isn't even a dipstick on these. Please let me know what your dealership has to say about it!
     
  12. Nov 28, 2015 at 3:16 PM
    #132
    tacomanamedolga

    tacomanamedolga Well-Known Member

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    Mine drives great! I'm actually going to go wash it now and I'm not dreading it a bit!
     
  13. Nov 28, 2015 at 3:32 PM
    #133
    7GR

    7GR Well-Known Member

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    Having never driven the new Tacoma, I might be talking out of my ass but I just want to say this.

    For those who hated the lethargic feeling when lightly accelerating (if not using ECT), maybe stop what you usually do (pussyfooting the throttle) and give it a bit more throttle than usual, so once you get up to the desire speed then let off the throttle, not completely but to the throttle angle where you are just cruising and maintaining the speed you want.

    You're better off wasting just a bit more gas for the acceleration portion, so you get up to the desire speed quickly and then purely maintain that speed for cruising, which means both the engine and transmission are no longer under load and go closed-loop, and probably trigger the Atkinson mode for slightly better fuel economy. Doing this is better than trying to not waste gas by gradually accelerating, which is telling the computer that you don't need to go anywhere fast, and maybe it is trying to accelerate under Atkinson-cycle, which is counter-productive to what the engine and transmission must do. Doing so might make you waste more gas if you find that you are frustrated by the slow acceleration, and then step on the throttle a bit more which may trigger the transmission to shift down a gear.

    Keep in mind that this 3.5L engine makes just as much overall torque as the 4.0L, but that usual torque resides in the higher RPM range. For anyone who worries that revving the engine higher would damage the engine in the long run, please remember that this is Toyota, they have been making engines that comfortably revs high, merely a walk in the park. This concept may be new to anyone who switched from driving american vehicles whose engines make usable power down low in the rev range, but they don't like to be revved high.

    The 2GR engine LOVES it in the higher RPM range. The power is there, don't be afraid to use it. You might hurt your foot going pedal to the metal before the engine ever gets hurt. Just food for thought on the "lack of power" sentiment.
     
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  14. Nov 28, 2015 at 5:04 PM
    #134
    tacomanamedolga

    tacomanamedolga Well-Known Member

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    I drive mine like I stole it! 3500-4500 every gear change. Like I said it's great
     
  15. Nov 28, 2015 at 5:43 PM
    #135
    mjones1970

    mjones1970 Well-Known Member

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    Let's see you drive it like you explained in 25/35 mph traffic. Driving in this kind of traffic does not allow me to accelerate any faster and STILL, my truck shift to such a high gear that maintaining 25 to 35 mph causes my truck to feel like it's barely making it. 1100 RPMs and high gears is ridiculous at those speeds.

    Try driving your truck in manual 5th or 6th gear at 25 mph and see how it does.

    I suspect those that don't drive often in city traffic and hav the luxury of pulling out of their driveway and accelerating to 55 and staying their will not understand what some of us are dealing with. Give my suggestion a try and you'll know what's going on.

    And thos f you that say use S Mode...well, that's ridiculous as well for a $40K vehicle.

    My mistake was taking Toyota for granted and not testing driving this thing longer and reading forums like this beforehand. These knuckleheads have had 10 years worth of Gen 2 experience to get it right with the Gen 3. My opinion is they got the looks right (as been said before, finally, fender wells shaped correctly), but the drive ability experience they severely screwed the pooch on.

    This is my forth Tacoma (all generations) and my worst experience yet.
     
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  16. Nov 28, 2015 at 6:08 PM
    #136
    tacomanamedolga

    tacomanamedolga Well-Known Member

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    Wow really.?! I drive every terrain here in East Tennessee and I don't have any problem with the truck. Have had toyotas, vws, jeeps, land rovers, and bmws and this truck drives great! I don't know what some of you expect, but I usually get a vehicle or motorcycle and learn how it performs or what it is capable of and decide whether I want to keep it or if something out there is better. You guys get a Toyota which easily goes for 200000 miles and decide its shitty the first 1000 miles?
     
  17. Nov 28, 2015 at 6:41 PM
    #137
    worthywads

    worthywads Well-Known Member

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    or 'I paid $40K I don't want to have to do shit, I paid $40K damned it, Toyota better make it right, I paid $40K.
     
  18. Nov 28, 2015 at 7:34 PM
    #138
    2010gl1800

    2010gl1800 Active Member

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    I'm at 2800 miles. I've driven flat interstates, hilly roads, city roads, sea level to 8000 ft, pulled a boat, pulled a trailer (4500 lbs) and driven speeds from 0 to 95mph. Only thing I haven't done is driven it with a full load in the bed. What I find is the transmission shifts hard at times. It shifts too early at times (it'll shift into 2nd gear at around 3 mph while in my driveway). In cruise it downshifts on level roads maintaining a higher than needed RPM which I can sometimes correct by slightly accelerating then letting off of the gas but, it'll just downshift again within a short period. Of course, I get poorer mpg holding the higher RPM.) If this transmission can learn my driving habits, I haven't seen it. Felt it.

    Some things I have noticed: Voice recognition not the greatest; Can't put in navigation requests when moving; Transmission shifts hard; Transmission doesn't maintain decent RPM; No driver assist handle; Minimal driver seat adjustment; Minimal steering wheel tilt and extension; Cruise control and shift points need better tuning; Access cabs should have an option...back seats or no back seats (like anyone can sit in them!!!); Homelink should be part of the technology package; At times I hear a howl, similar to what I have heard in my old Nissan truck when there was a crosswind). I believe, realistically speaking, a truck this size should be able to get a bit more torque..maybe 5 to 10 ftlbs and a touch better mpg's..maybe 2 or 3 across the board. I thought I was going to hate changing the oil filter but, I don't mind it.

    I could have bought the Tundra for very little more and probably been a bit happier to some extent. But, I wanted and needed the smaller and better off road capability the Tacoma offers. For a few times, the Tundra would have fit the bill better but, the far majority of the time the Tacoma fits the bill better. Am I happy with the truck...YES. Does it have some issues...YES. Can the issues be corrected...most likely....YES. Is anything really perfect (other than me)...NO. Question is, will Toyota offer a flash or mod to adjust the shifting?

    FYI, some have reported bad vibrations. I have tried driving all the rpm range and haven't noticed this. I am NOT saying the others don't have this issue, only that to date, I don't.

    2016 Tacoma Access cab, TRD Off Road 4x4, metallic gray, premium/tech package.
     
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  19. Nov 28, 2015 at 10:04 PM
    #139
    cougsfan

    cougsfan Well-Known Member

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    I have purchased numerous new vehicles over the years. Until now, I was extremely happy with the new vehicles I purchased. I have no doubt this truck will have 200,000 plus trouble free miles, as did the Nissan and Dodge trucks I have owned previously. These days, that alone doesn't make it a good truck. Maybe eventually I will become brainwashed and begin blindly worshipping the Toyota Gods and roll over and accept whatever their glorious engineers think is good for me. But as of right now, I am somewhat under-impressed by my new $40K vehicle.
     
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  20. Nov 28, 2015 at 10:25 PM
    #140
    cougsfan

    cougsfan Well-Known Member

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    I guess I have found several unicorns then. My wife's 2015 Honda CRV's rating of 26 city/33 hwy are very realistic, as is the 28 city/36 hwy on my 2006 Mini. It is pretty easy to exceed those ratings in both of those vehicles. What you are saying is true for my Toyota.
     

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