15 Tacoma trans shifting

Hey

I got a 15 Tacoma v6, just hit 80k and found out it had a new reman trans out into it by Toyota At 50k, so I had it for a month or more now and took it in to the dealer to get a fluid change, cause the last gear it shifted into felt kinda hard sometimes, turned out it had an output shaft seal leak so they replaced that and topped it off I think, still notice it though, actually for the seal replaced a month ago and noticed a drip on the trans the other week dried it and haven’t noticed it again so hoping that was just somehow residue but I don’t know lol, anyway my issue is when it goes into the last gear, specially if I’m crushing it’ll go into that last gear ASAP I guess to save gas but you can feel it a lot more than the rest of the gears, sometimes hear it too? Some dudes have told me there Tacoma does the same or its normal but I don’t know this is my first Toyota and I’m really not sure.. keeping in mind the trans apparently has 30k on it... sometimes I feel it sometimes I don’t so I don’t know if maybe the trans is just cold? I drive about 20miles to work everyday so I’m not sure if that’s enough for it to heat up or not, I did drive 340miles last weekend though and i don’t think it felt too bad on that long trip

 

Mine shifts to 5th kind of hard (and long), but only when COLD.
When it’s close to 40 degrees or below.
It does not in summer or once warmed up.
Changing fluid didn’t help me.

It is considered NORMAL under these conditions.

However, if it’s doing it when it’s warm, I would not call that normal.
Not from my experience anyways.

 

The final shift on these trucks are fucky for lack of better terms. I believe it has to do with torque management or something software based.

@JustDSM and @nd4spdbh can chime in here as they are the resident engine and tranny mad scientists on the software side of it via HPTuners.

As far as hardware goes you SHOULD be okay. I used to experience a flare going into the final shift coupled with some noise when the vehicle was at operating temp and it would do it intermittently but after installing my shift kit and reflashing the engine and tranny this thing shifts like an absolute dream now and it shifts EXACTLY how I feel it should had come out from the factory.

Sorry for the rant, the inner modder in me is coming out. Lol.

 

Thanks for the response guys, so I drove it this morning to work and noticed about after 10miles of driving it shifts smoother into that last gear even if I get to 40 and cruise and it goes into it it’s a lot smoother, maybe I’m just feeling it because the trans isn’t completely warmed up? Keeping in mind that I hop in my truck in the mornings and wait a minute then leave so the trans isn’t heated up yet

 

yeah the 4 to 5 shift 5th unlock / lock of torque converter on a stock tune all kinda converges around the 35-40mph mark making for some funky "shifts".

The trans behavior cold (especially really cold) will be a little weird and shifts may be a bit firmer and I believe that it wont allow a torque converter lockup / 5th gear until engine coolant temps are 140*F+

That stated the trans shouldnt shift abruptly hard or all over the place even when cold, and def aint no issues getting in the truck starting it and driving nicely till she warms up, no need to sit n idle to "warm things up" unless its STUPID cold.

 

Drove home from work today and it was cold, around 65f (south lol) and it changed into the last gear hard and I heard it too, felt it too.. then after awhile of driving it felt smoother is this normal when the trans is cold or what?

 

cold of 65 no.... never felt anything like that even down at 0*F. Firmer shift yes... hard to the point of hearing it no.

 

Interesting... not sure honestly