2016 - 6 speed transmission "hunting"

I recently bought a 2016 Limited Tacoma and had a 3"OME lift and 33" BF KO2s installed by the dealer. I wanted the offroad package but we don't have access to all the models that are available in the U.S. and importing seemed less than ideal.

I will start by saying I love the truck. They have added so many great features and the level of finish on the interior is awesome. Overall I am very pleased but I do have one issue and after a little research I have found numerous other complaints about the same thing. When driving uphill or even on flat ground with a head wind the transmission will "hunt" for the right gear resulting in unpredictable, delayed or premature gear changes. Sometimes the slightest incline will cause it to drop from 5th to 3rd making the RPM go through the roof.

The erratic shifting is not just me with a heavy foot because it has even done it while on cruise control at 110km/hr (66mph) Initially I thought this might be a gearing issue due to the larger tires (I calculated 9% difference in circumference) but then I found many similar complaints from people that had not changed tires.

I was considering lockers or some other option to get the original gearing back but this is very expensive and from other people's reports I don't think it will solve the problem.

How annoying is it? I was considering spending 6k to install lockers as an attempt to fix the problem and the other day when driving up a hill my friend commented telling me to take it easy. (roads were icy and the shift was so hard he thought I was going to spin out.)

I brought it in to the dealer and I got the typical "this is normal" spiel. I've owned 2 x 4runners, one Nissan Frontier, one Jeep Rubicon, one Nissan Titan and one Ford Ranger. My best friend has a Tundra that I drive often and I drove a 2006 Tacoma through the Rockies on a trip a year ago. None of these vehicles displayed shifting like this so I really don't think this is "normal"

I read through a bunch of threads here and there seems to be a lot of excellent knowledge and ideas here. I am really hoping there is a solution for this and I would love to hear from anyone that has experience with this.

Thanks!

 

F150

 

the solution is time, around 1500 miles worth

 

I've given it time. I've got 8000kms on it and it is not getting better.

 

Just drive it.

 

hmm, there is the low tranny fluid issue....I would have that checked.

 

I have 9000 miles on mine. If you don't use the cruise it is not so bad. I am in Texas and posted interstate is 75 - 80 mph. I am getting around 16 mpg no matter on cruise or not. If I drive 60 mph ... 98kph .... it is not as bad and I can get 17 mpg.

People with the manual transmission seen to be doing fine. The 3.5L engine does not have enough torque/horsepower in the lower rpm range for driving at speeds above 65 - 70 mph.

The shifting had gotten better around 1500 miles, but after 6000 miles it started doing the shifting again.

Here is a pic my wife took while I was driving ... 78 mph and it is in 4th gear. I think a leaf blew across the road .... LOL (sarcasm)

 

My truck seems to be doing that on a small incline on the highway.

 

Yes exactly, this was taken when driving from flat land to going up over an overpass. It had to drop 2 gears in order to get over it ... then about 2 miles of flat to come out of 4th then 5th and a few more miles then 6th.

 

I'd really hope the engineers strived for something better than, "if you don't use cruise it is not that bad."
Also you mentioned dropping two gears to go up an overpass, can you imagine driving through the Canadian Rockies?

Checking the fluid will certainly be a good start. One would hope that was the first thing the dealer looked at when I brought it in.

I'll call Toyota today. Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised but I am expecting the, "that's normal" speech.

Will post back after.

 

Lockers aren't going to do anything to help your perceived shifting issue. All lockers do is make both tires spin the same when engaged.

 

I know what lockers do, they are also an opportunity to change gearing...
This is why I was looking at them as a possible remedy.

 

Enjoy your lift and big tires.

 

Road and Track commented on this exact problem in their first test of the '16. I was waiting for the new Tacoma, but for me this problem will delay any possibility of me buying one.

 

SEE Ya!!

 

There are a lot of us experiencing the same thing. I drive 40 miles to work climbing from 4500' to about 6500' and it's like a sh8((y supermarket horse ride from the 60's, back and forth finding a gear until you wanna puke or sell it.
I think I have been fortunate, as it has settled a little bit @ about 2K miles.
Not the expert but I think the rearend gearing is the same as the late Gen IIs at 3:90(?). I have been looking into a set of 4:10s as that will give it a little more pull, and thinking that may settle it down (AT) enough to make it tolerable.
Did someone say you had a lift and larger tires? You may want to get on the rear end gearing ASAP. Just thinking that the constant gear searching will get worse?
I did find out that I get about the same gas mileage at 80 as I do at 65 with the constant downshifting. Rural driving I get close to 26mpg, but the highway kills that if I use the cruise. Maybe all of us with an AT are supposed to floor it everywhere we go. Some sort of Toyota marketing scheme.

 

Only time I had hunting issues was on my way to Vegas and trying to do over 80 on some of the steeper climbs.