automatic transmission

First time automatic owner and I have a 2017. I'm wondering what is the purpose of the S gear. I understand it is so you can shift manually. I don't understand why when engaged it is always in 4th gear. even engage when parked and it's in 4th gear. What is this S gear for ? Is it a certain type of driving? I don't understand. Any info would be awesome. I don't want to use it wrong and cause damage

 

It’s not really in 4th. It’s a shift limiter. It’s basically an automatic still but only up to the gear you select.

Personally I wish Toyota let you truly select the gear.

 

i think they have a part for that, Joe. you know..

 

If you move the shift handle from D to S it automatically puts the trans to 4th gear shift limit. Someone once said S stands for sequencial, don't know if it's true or not. Let's you shift up to 4th gear in sequence. From a stop it will shift from 1st to 2nd to 3rd to 4th and keep it in 4th till you stop, downshifting back to 1st. Just limits the gear you will shift up to. Pull the lever towards the rear and it will go to 3 and will limit you to 3rd gear. Push it forward and it will go back to 4, push again it will go to 5 and again and it will go to 6. Now you will use all the gears in the trans like it was in D but it seems to electronically let the trans stretch out the shift a little instead of shifting so soon.

 

Every auto transmission, I have ever driven, in the last 35 years operates the same as this one in my Taco. You can limit the upper gear to increase torque when required. Some autos simply allow you to shift from drive ‘D’ (all gears) to 4th limit, to 3rd limit, etc. Others require you put it in S or M mode, but the result is the same.

My 1978 Chev Nova had this feature, as did my Grandma’s 1973 BMW. It is standard to all automatics, and is nothing new to Toyota. I’m always surprised at the confusion surrounding it. Maybe in the past with other vehicles people just shifted into “D” and never understood what the “OD Off” button, or the 4-3-2-1 selections were on their auto?

 

The Tacoma transmission is not just operational as a limiter in “Sport mode” as it’s called in a Toyota video.
Toyota has a short video ‘Toyota Automatic Transmission-How To’ on You Tube showing that it can be shifted up and down like a manual transmission and in the same video shows a paddle shifted automatic transmission being shifted the same way.

It would appear that it’s a manumatic or sequential shift automatic transmission. Try it out. It can be shifted like a manual, and you can keep it in any gear, down shift to any gear and then up shift (and rev out) to any and all gears that you desire on the highway or on the street, just without the clutch.
S-Mode is great in hills or mountainous terrain as you can keep the transmission from hunting and be in the top gear of your choice at all times, like with a manual trans.

 

As have all other autos in history. There is not a single difference. You are confused. The “s” mode will not allow you to hold a single gear, just set the upper limit, exactly the same, as every other AT, ever.

 

I use S mode over 50% of the time. It's steep and narrow curvy roads around here, and I find it a pretty good system.

 

Uggg. This is all wrong.

Here’s a challenge for you. Put your truck in S4 or S5 and stall the thing at a stop light trying to get it rolling in 4th gear. It won’t happen because you are wrong.

Sheeeesh........my brain hurts reading your post.

All the best.

 

Handy when you don't want it going to 6th gear as when driving on hilly highways where 6th is a PITA. You might also like to limit to 4th if you're towing along with ect.

 

Very good explanation! step up from just a like..

 

S mode does allow you to hold a single gear.

I’m not confused. Check out the Toyota You Tube video.

I’m old, but not that old! I’ve owned a lot of vehicles, both automatic and manuals in 42 years of driving, and the old automatics from the 1960’s and 70’s and up could not shift up manually through all 3 or 4 of their gears, hold onto any of those gears, and shift back down through those gears manually. PRNDL. L being 1st gear. You could hold 1st, but not 2nd gear manually.

I videoed the operation in my Tacoma by taping my phone to the steering wheel over a year ago. I don’t think I kept the video!

Starting out in S1, you can shift up sequentially through all 6 gears and take the RPM’s to max. You can’t do that with all automatics.
Check out the video on You Tube.
Better yet, try it out yourself. Put it in S-mode on the street. As you approach a red light, start downshifting through the gears to match your speed, just as with a manual transmission. On the green light, shift up as with a manual.

It works.
I’m not making up this shit!

Start out in S1 as you leave your home. Try it out. You won’t hurt the vehicle.

You can do it!

 

ugghh........and ughhh again. Ouch my brain!

Your are wrong, in your confusion, or we simply misunderstand each other.

The only truth on Planet Earth:

S1 limits to 1st gear
S2 limits to 1st and 2nd gear only
S3 limits to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears only
S4 limits to 1st, 2nd 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears only
S5 limits to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears only.
S6 allows all gears with some changes to the shift pattern compared to good old ‘drive’.

When shifting into S mode, the truck will typically choose S4 which is identical to many cars that have an “OD Off” button. S4 is the last gear in the tranny before the two overdrive gears. S4 has a ratio of 1:1, with S5 and S6 being overdrive (output shaft turning faster than the engine). When in S4, all the lower gears are there and in use. It will continue to shift up and down as required, but not go above 4th gear. If the truck is going too fast to safely select S4, when you shift to S-mode it will select S5.

You can certainly manually change the upper limit as you pull away from a stop sign to “mimic” a MT, but you can never prevent downshifting, or force the tranny to hold a gear other than when in S1.

No selection ever forces the transmission to hold one gear (other than S1). Never. Not even once ever. It is not at all like a manual transmission. Not it the slightest.

This is not a paddle shifter.

My Tacoma is identical in operation to my 1978 Nova, but that car only had 4 speeds, and Toyota uses different terminology. Same exact affect.

This is identical to granny’s 1973 BMW.

 

They have that option on manual trans

 

You’re statement here is correct. I’m aware of the fact that the Tacoma won’t start off in 2nd to 6th gear from a stop. I know it’s not a paddle shifter.

It doesn’t just limit gears in S-mode though. My point is that it can be shifted up or down from any gear at any RPM as you so desire and sooner than what the transmission programming chooses automatically. Toyota says it does, and I’ve found it to be true.

Old automatics from long ago didn’t allow for choosing any of their 4 gears at any time.

You can’t shift up and down with the Tacoma transmission in normal mode, but you can in S-mode.

But, you’re just misunderstanding what I’m saying and what Toyota Corp. is saying regarding how the Tacoma transmission is capable of operating.

I’m aware that the Tacoma can’t do that and WON’T start off from a stop in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th gear in S-mode. Yes it always shifts to 1st when at a stop no matter what S-mode number selected.

You can start off from a stop in S-1 with the Tacoma transmission by shifting down to S-1 and hold it there as long as you want up to maximum revs.

You can then shift to 2nd gear from 1st gear at the RPM’s of your choice and hold it there as long as you want all the way up to redline.
You can then hold it in 2nd to 6th gear for as long as you want as long as the vehicle is moving.

But, you can also shift back down from 6th to 1st as you desire, speed permitting. It will rev up to higher RPM’s as you shift down through the gears, similar to what happens as you shift down through the gears with a manual transmission.
This is how it is capable outside of being used as just a gear limiter.

Yes, S-mode can be considered a gear limiter if left in any one position, but that’s not the only function of which it’s capable.
You can also shift it up and down through 6 gears (+or-) as you desire.

That is what makes it different than most automatic transmissions manufactured in the last several decades.

Look at the + and - symbols on the shifter.

Is this incorrect? No.

Try shifting from S- 4,3,2,3,4,3,2,3,4 as you’re driving at any one speed. Or, S-1,2,3,2,1,2,3 while driving on a city street.

Is the Toyota Corp video wrong in saying that you can shift it up and down at will?
The video shows both the hand operated S-mode and paddle shifted automatic vehicle operation, all in about 150 seconds.

 

What

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5fZ2sS-IqXo#

 

Every automatic can do this. My jeep I could start it in 1/2 and it would only go up to 2nd. Then switch to 3 and it would go up to 3rd gear. All you're doing is allowing it to shift up later and down shifting earlier before the computer would. Also it will up shift no matter what is selected if you exceed redline to keep you from blowing up stuff.

 

If he'd had caveat that with, "with manual shifting during acceleration only", he'd be okay.