6 speed automatic transmission- theory of use

I’m trying to figure out the why’s and wherefores to using the 6 speed transmission in my 2016 Tacoma.

situation heading down the highway and shifting into “S” then up to 6. Does that change the operation of the transmission or do you just us the S option to limit the max speed like going downhill in a school zone, which works great.

I’ve read a few posts, seen some videos and am lost as to what and why.

Brad

 

Nothing wrong with manually downshifting to engine brake downhill. If you really drive the truck hard you will learn to work with the shift patterns of the A750. You can't get as fine grained of control as you can with a manual obviously, but if you are mindful of the power band for these trucks (about 2k rpm for the 1GR-FE) and get a feel for the shift points, you can absolutely time throttle application to make it do what you want.

 

This is the 2nd gen section, your question would be best suited being asked in the 3rd gen section.

I belive all S mode does is limit the top gear the transmission will shift to, for example if you select S4 it will shift normally up to 4th gear but won't shift past 4th.
It's useful for situations such as towing or when you want engine braking.

There's also an ECT button I believe on 3rd gens that will raise transmission shift points sort of like a tow/haul button does on many vehicles.

He has a 3rd gen so it would be the AC60 6 speed and 2GR-FE which has a slightly higher powerband but yes nothing wrong with manually shifting the transmission as long as you aren't getting stupid with it.

 

Gears 1-5 are the normal gears. 6th gear is overdrive. You can manually select any of the 6 gears. The truck will start in 1st and only up shift as high as the gear you have selected. You can also manually downshift to lower gears to limit speed when going down hills. I don't like to down shift to slow down however. Use the brakes to slow to the desired speed then downshift to a lower gear so you will maintain that speed with little or no brake application. I've driven 30-40 miles down mountain passes switching back and forth between 2nd and 3rd gears to maintain a safe speed and only had to tap my brakes a handful of times.

Your truck will perform better and probably get better fuel mileage if driven most of the time with 6th gear not being used. Only shift up to OD when on the open road and when driving at 50+ mph for extended periods.