ECT and slight shudder/jerking at lower rpms

So i bought my 2019 new a week ago. it has the automatic and i noticed on the test drive all 3 i drove had a slight shudder/jerking feeling while at the lower speeds/rpms. Say around 40-45mph or so when hitting the gas slightly. i actually felt it worse on the first one i drove, the 2nd was less but not my color and the 3rd was the same as the 2nd but my color. i bougt that one. After driving it this weekend, it seems to always do it slightly under light throttle and the lower speeds as mentioned. mash the pedal and it will downshift and go fine.

i have not tried turning the ect power on yet and driving it like that for while but i believe i have tried to turn it on while it was shuddering and it made no difference. i will try some more and report back.

my thoughts are that this is just a nature of the beast and sort of like the honda eco mode. my gf's pilot did that same thing but a green light would light on dash indicating she was saving fuel.

thoughts?

 

My 2018 did that early on. After 1000 miles it quit. Transmission learning I guess.

 

Yeah - give it some time. I'd say give it 5k.

 

Mine still does this at over 20k miles. It seems to happen at 1k RPM.

 

this has got to be the lowest revving motor cruising around i have owned. that is probably it. i am thinking about testing ect power on.

 

If it annoys you put it into S5. Not much difference in gas mileage and should keep RPMs at normal speed from getting too low to cause this shudder

 

by all means turn on ECT!! some of us have installed the [ECT on at startup] mod. i drive with it on 100% of the time.

 

never heard of that mod! i "think" the ect disabled default to for a hair better mpgs. From what I have read here, the majority of people seem to have no difference in mpgs or actually an improvement- some people may drive their trucks more gently thereby lugging their engines more and wasting fuel. There is a sweet spot rpm wise for efficiency and lowest rpm isn't always better. Will search for ect on startup mod.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ect-auto-turn-on-module.514627/

 

You're over thinking it. Just drive it and enjoy. I always use ECT and S mode anytime I'm under 60. On the highway using cruise, over 60, I switch it off.
Always get 18-20+ MPG.

G.

 

drove last night, 10 mile roundtrip for a pizza run. two lane country roads to 55mph. Got 19.5mpgs with ECT PWR on! Love it! Performs way way better and not like a turd with the button pushed! Will run that way from now on. As I understand it, cruising at 70mph button pushed or not makes 0 difference in maintaining.

 

Sooo . . . There you go!

G.

 

Welcome to the "Tacoma two step start"...push the "start /stop" button followed by the "ECT" button. I gave up on "Drive" and always shift into "S/4 or 5".

 

My 18 does this too, I have 7600 miles on it. It feels like a manual transmission struggling up a hill in too high of gear.

 

i have read that some actually get better mpgs with it on because of the way they drive. i am probably one in that category cause i am weird. We shall see. Regardless, it feels like it should with ECT power on. I wish they would have reversed the function of the switch. But i understand why- eek out/force people to get that .5 mpg more- maybe.

i don't want to hack on my new 40k $ truck to make it always on though. from what i read, there is alot involved for the always on mod.

 

scroll down on the opening post, there is a video showing how easy it is to install.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ect-auto-turn-on-module.514627/