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

Do you mean you put it in ect mode or in sport shift where you manually shift it yourself

 

WOW wish I could see that MPG. city driving I am only getting 17 MPG

 

You cannot manually shift the transmission; the S mode "shifter" is only to select which limit you are going to put on the transmission. To test this out, from a complete stop put the trans in S mode... a 4 appears in the center console and you are now in Sport mode limited to 4th gear. If you start driving, the trans will shift thru the gears until it gets into 4th and will not shift any higher. On the fly, you can "shift" into 5 mode or 6 mode but you are not shifting the trans; you are only allowing the trans to shift into these gears if necessary. 5 mode seems to seriously cut down on the number of "erratic" shifts experienced by most Taco owners.

I am using S5 mode and leaving the ECT power button off (not lit). Shifting is "calmer" and the trans does not keep hunting for the ideal gear. This morning I tried S5 mode with the ECT button on (lit), and WOW, the power was amazing. I typically do not need this kind of power but it is good to know it is there if I do.

Hope this helps clear up the S mode "shifter" for you. Give the S5 mode with ECT on AND off and see which one you like the best. I think you will enjoy your new truck a lot better doing this.

Good luck!

 

Wow, you learn something new everyday. I had no idea sport mode was just a "gear limiter". I'm going to have to start using this.

Still kinda wish I had gotten manual though.

 

still no diesel tacoma? sorry i have been absent from the toyota game for years.

 

I had originally posted that I welcome the quick downshift. What I have noticed that if it doesn't downshift there will be some stuttering, almost feels like a misfire. Im assuming this had something to do with the low torque produced while running in Atkinson Cycle. The problem I had is remedied with using a better quality fuel. Using off brand fuel, my truck is slow to downshift upon light acceleration and result is engine stutter. When running Chevron, my truck quickly downshifts in the same situation

 

You'd think a truck designed to run in 3rd world countries wouldn't require premium gas. Either way, a bit skeptical of your assessment just based on others in the forum who have demonstrated a depth of knowledge on Octane ratings and fuel impacts on performance in detailed and thorough explanations. But it could be true... placebo or actual performance impact? No way to really tell objectively I suppose without more data.

 

Overall I haven't had many issues with my truck. Although here is my experience with the transmission. I live on the gulf coast so there isn't too many inclines as others have mentioned. Mainly bridges and a few hills. I tend to use cruise control on my daily commute to work. It is typically set anywhere from 50 to 70 mph depending on where I am. The truck always downshifts to 5th if the speed drops 1 mph below the cruise control set point, and 4th if the speed drops 2 mph below set point. The truck will then hold the current gear until it has exceeded the cruise control set point. I can't 100% verify, but it seems like the ecu monitors speed to the decimal place and will shift up the next gear just before the cruise control set point is exceeded by 1 mph. One other variable is that the transmission holds the gear on an incline even if the cruise control set point is met, and doesn't shift up to the next gear until it feels engine load decrease or the incline is decreasing. This is just my experience and I haven't seen anyone else note this happening so I thought I would share. It would explain why gear hunting happens so much more for you guys that live in areas with more hills, etc.

 

I definitely agree, these trucks shouldn't require a top tier fuel or higher octane and the factory to recommend/require either. The truck surely operates on anything but has drivability issues that either Im the only one who has it, or Im the only one who notices. With Pilot brand fuel, while in higher gears, going 30mph and approx 1200rpm, if I slowly accelerate, most often my truck doesn't down shift and stutters. With Fred Meyer gas, (a Pacific NW retailer) my pickup stutters in most every acceleration. Using Chevron supreme, absolutely zero acceleration stutter/hesitation. If I slowly roll out of low rpm with slight acceleration, my truck downshifts immediately. I can't explain why this would be since higher octane should have no bearing on an Atkinson Cycle engine since the compression should be lower while running in that mode. Brand should not have that effect either, i wouldn't think since the base fuel is the same. I wonder if anyone else can duplicate the stuttering that I can create while slowly rolling out of low rpms.

 

Try towing a boat with a 2016. I have a small rowboat, but it felt like I was dragging a cabin cruiser. Unacceptable performance.

I'm glad kept my 2000 Tundra 4.7 l v8 (same size/wt; 33 less HP; 50 ftlbs more torque) for towing. There is no substitute for torque - the transmission magnifies this shortcoming in the 2016 Tacoma.

 

Is the stuttering you are describing like what I am experiencing where at freeway speeds if I slowly apply throttle it feels almost like the truck is surging a bit? It's not a smooth acceleration feel that I'd expect to get.

 

I was having some thoughts on the drive home today. Wouldn't regearing solve a lot of this erratic shifting? The new V6 auto is geared so very tall, especially considering how much the low end torque is reduced from the outgoing model. Accounting for overall ratio, the 5th gear of the 2nd gen is the same as 5th gear on the 3rd gen, about 67 mph at 2000 rpm, and sixth is so much taller.

Run it through a calculator, and regearing the 3rd gen to 4.56 with stock tires, sixth gear is still taller than the 2nd gen's fifth gear. Even going 4.88 would put 70 mph at about 2190 rpm in 6th gear compared to the stock 2070 rpm of the 2nd gen, and still very much taller than either of the manual transmissions in stock configuration. Considering how the 3.5 engine needs the rpm to make power anyways, this could work so much better by cutting the higher engine load that triggers all this shifting. Then figure that full throttle shifts at the 6000 rpm redline would give shifts at 31, 53, and 74 mph, it would at least be back in the neighborhood of 2nd gen 0-60 performance.

It would give up a little mpg but after all the reports of the thing dropping into 4th and 5th gear all the time it can't be that much of a sacrifice. I figure that if I buy one, I'll have to put in 4.88 gears plus whatever it takes to make the speedo right again. Sucks to think that it could take such a drastic expense to make a new truck behave in what I would consider an acceptable way.

 

Got any pics of your truck or what you are towing? Shouldn't be having issues.

 

I'm towing a 26 ft camper trailer that weighs 6100lbs with no issues. Having weight distribution bars, sway control, and electric breaks to the camper makes it a nice, safe trip at an average speed of 65 mph. 2016 TRD 4x4 Off-road handles it.

 

I would describe it,not so much stuttering/surging, but slipping. It feels like it knows it should accelerate but is slipping. You have to press the gas much harder than you should to get it to downshift and actually accelerate.

 

Really more than you should be towing with this vehicle. Especially the high profile weight like that

 

Is it being towed on any grades? Any truck can pull heavy loads on flat roads.

 

Doesn't mean it's safe on any road either

 

I have only taken it on flat roads with an exception of a few bridges. The weight distribution really makes a difference. Although tacomas are not built as tow vehicles, towing 1-2 times a month is okay.

 

Every time I read one of your posts, I always hear gravely voice of Dirty Harry, lol.