Cruise control or not?

OK, I've had my 2016 Tacoma 4WD for a couple of weeks now. I've noticed when I'm on cruise control @ 65 mph on the highways near my home, even the slightest incline in the roadway will cause the truck to shift and rev to 3000 rpms for a few seconds before settling down. If I'm not on cruise control, I can make it up the hill and never go over 2000 rpm and not lose but 1 or 2 mph in speed in the process.

What's up with that? Which mode will get the better gas mileage? Does the downshift lower the strain on the transmission in any way? The downshift drives me nuts but if it's better for the truck or gas mileage, I'll live with it.

 

It's normal but should settle down a little over time. Most others, including myself, had the same experience. Took about 1000 miles for my tranny to learn proper shift points and now the truck feels stronger and more powerful.

 

Happens to my Tacoma too! About 2.5 months and 3500k miles.
My commute to work is 40 miles and I've come to realize that I get better mileage without using cruise control. Just like you, the slightest incline on the freeway will boost the rpms like crazy.

 

Even a slight headwind and mine will drop to fourth gear. At highway speeds by me (75mph) I only hit 6th gear going down hill.

 

cruise on 2016 tacoma is not good maybe cause it not drive by wire whatever they call it. my 12 crz have that, I think. uphill or downhill, if I set it 65mph or whatever it stay that way in normal mode. in eco it fluatuate.
I pedal everytime the crusie decide to downshift in tacoma. mine is 1300 miles already.

 

Mine has been doing the same thing too and it's driving me crazy don't think this is normal

 

Leave truck on cruise control on flat roads, once you see an incline or hill turn off cruise control to get more momentum going up hill. Then turn cruise control back on, it's going to rev up with cruise control on a hill especially with the low miles. I would also use Shift mode and put it into S5 (I am not sure if you can use cruise control in S mode, i think it has to be atleast S4 to use it or something) and it seems like 6th is pretty much useless so it's going to keep hunting between those 2 gears.

 

The tow button may help with the searching on hills. Its etc or ect or something like that.

 

Whatever the reason, it's a serious irritation. I can't imagine how hard that engine would have to work pulling even the lightest trailer up a slight incline.

 

Seven weeks and a couple of thousand miles in my 2016. Liking everything about it except this crazy revving up tiny hills! I swear, I'm not sure I would have bought this truck had I known it was going to do this. Please, someone tell me that all of these smaller pickup trucks are like this! I put the cruise control on 65 mph today and drove for five miles over slightly rolling hills. In five minutes, I'll bet that engine revved to 3000 rpm's at least 8 or nine times. Revs up, then drops to 1900 rpm's. As soon as the next little incline is reached, back to 3000 for a few seconds. Drives me mad! My wife's 2014 Highlander runs these same hills without a hitch.

 

I hope Toyota pays attention to these forums. TONS of people very frustrated.

 

Its a DOHC V6, not a pushrod V8. The engine doesn't make torque until nearly 5000rpm, so of course its going to down shift and rev up.

 

Welcome to the real world. All ways Toyota's cruse control sacked balls. Do as Johnny919 said, take it off going up hill.

 

Is a 2014 Highlander a "DOHC V6"? I know it's a V6 that doesn't have to work hard going up a "mole hill".

 

sounds like you need to be driving the highlander.

 

I would, but my wife won't let me have it! LOL

 

haha.


I wasn't intending to be a dick in my previous posts. The revving up, and down shifting is just how the 3rd gens are meant to work. Some people "think" they should be like the older models, but that's not the case. I guess we'd have to sit down with programmers and engineers to hear their logic behind this.

 

3rd gens were not designed this way, nor is it specific to them. All years 2nd gens are the same way, as evidenced by the probably 100 other threads discussing it over the last several years. CC sucks on Tacoma's, plain and simple.

 

Is your tranny full of fluid or low like a lot of them..?? 1st thing I'd check.... The cruise works well on mine and I use it all the time... It's usually set before I enter the HWY... (I set on the on ramp)... Mine will go over small hills without going stupid like my 2006 Taco would...that thing would NOT let the truck drop 1km/hr without downshifting and flooring it.... This one is a lot more easy on the gas pedal...

Check tranny fluid is #1 possibility....

 

I watched how to properly check the tranny fluid on YouTube, but decided to take the truck into the dealership and ask them to check it as a courtesy, which they did. Gratified to learn that the YouTube video I watched matched what the mechanic did. He took out the check valve and nothing came out. He said, "well, we need to add a little fluid". It was then I learned that you need a special filler mechanism to add fluid. Thankfully, he only pumped in about 1/4 of a quart before it started trickling out like it is supposed to. So, we buttoned it up and off I went.

Conclusion: this darned truck still drives me nuts when driving in cruise control. While I like literally everything else about the vehicle, I probably would not have bought it had a known it was like this. The sad thing is I have no one to blame but myself. I drove this truck a few miles before buying it without ever putting it into cruise control. It does not downshift hardly at all when driving without CC on. I'm also betting that my gas mileage will be no better than my 2007 Tundra when I pull my little travel trailer as it will have to run at 3000+ rpm constantly to maintain speed.

I'm just wondering, has anyone else owned a non-Toyota compact truck and did it have this issues as well? I had a 5 speed stick Datsun 4WD pickup in the early 80's and a Toyota 4 cylinder (non-4WD) in the late 80's and I don't remember this being an issue at all (of course, the Datsun did not have cruise control).