ECT Normal or Power and MPG (3.4L only)?

Ive found that ECT Power is easier to drive and actually gives better MPG than Normal (from ~15-17 MPG to ~18-19 MPG) and was wondering what everyone else drives with .

 

The ECT settings affects shift points. So based on that fact, does the difference in shift points correlate to your finding? Does it make sense that the ECT Power setting equal better MPG? I would think not, but I haven't really thought it thru.. would appreciate your assessment.

 

ect mode raises shift points, widing torque bands, creating more power. this would normally indicate less mpg but depending on how you drive with this mode on compared to how you drive with it off you could see more mpg's based on your habbits. i see how you could feel like it would though because i find myself to more a heavey foot with it off. i rock it whenever im not cruising on the highway

 

Ive found that the shift points are similar, if not the same, when driving with a relatively light foot. Because of this, driving with Power I can more easily control the shift points. It down shifts easily for acceleration and getting it to up shift just requires you to let off the gas a bit and ease back on. On Normal, its very difficult to get the truck to down shift and you usually end up lugging when trying to accelerate. This is most noticeable when accelerating onto a highway as the truck will shift into 4th at ~50mph. causing you engine to lug at ~1500-1900rpm’s.

Im just curious to see how other fair.

 

thats exactly what i mean by habbits.

its says right in the oweners manual that it raises shift points. however you said under light throttle they seem the same and they should. light throttle in ect would have about the same engine load(one the main pcm factors for when to shift up or down) as no ect heavey throttle.

i was a tech a lexus for three years and got these q's from customers all the time about the ect system, most would complain about poor mpg's though. probably because they hit the button and drive the piss out it! ah sorry, done venting.

 

Im just unhappy with how early the Normal mode shifts into 4th. When trying to merge, It destroys your MPG unless you crawl from 50-65ish (which is a quick way to get the finger in Va, if not a car quite literally up your ass). I also hate going through tunnels or over bridges (hills) when driving under 60ish as the truck slows down and even when you give it gas, it refuses to shift into 3rd.

Its is a good idea but poorly executed on the Tacoma IMHO.

 

i agree100% like i said i use it except on long highway drives. you just got to remeber they design the normal mode to be purely mpg minded at the expense of performance. they do this for consumer ratings and such, you know the deal. i like this thread though itll be cool to see what other say too.

 

I have no idea what kind of gas mileage I get, but I prefer running with ECT Power on. With the throttle 1/3 of the way down and just getting into the power band, it would shift down on me. That drove me nuts. Taking her out of overdrive (button on the side of the shifter) helped, but leaving it in the "power" mode is the way to go.

Matt

 

Wow, I always just drive in normal mode and the shift points would irritate me and I get about 15mpg. I gotta try power mode, can't hurt, lol.

 

Sounds like y'all need to just trade for a stick shift!
Sorry I had to say it.

 

wow it actually worked mileage went up a little normally around 250miles when fuel light comes on at 250 with a quarter tank to go. sounds weird i know gonna try it for a couple weeks to see what happens. i will post numbers when I fill up

 

i was shining/servicing my 04 prerunner today and started to wonder just what the ect switch was for. i opened up the owners manual and it's not even listed. i use my truck for work every day and put in at least 150 miles a day. i'm gonna try each mode and document the mileage results. i lost my heavy foot about 10 or 15 years ago and rarely break 75mph these days. i will post the results in time. df

 

That's a huge difference lol.. I can't imagine a different shifting pattern will cause that.. For what it's worth. I'll be using ECT power for my current tank.. I got around 18mpg on my last two fill-ups..

 

filled up again today checked mileage my average before 17.2 first tank 19.1 second tank 19.3. I checked it driving to work about 100 miles round trip lots of mountains drriving same speed 70mph max. told some guys at work to try it see what happens. now i feel like a dumb ass for buying a cat back and intake to gain milage and didnt gain any. I still want to change to electric fan but not for mileage anyone running one on a first gen

 

holishit.. I just did my first tank all on ECT Power and I averaged 19.8MPG.. up from the previous 18MPG.

Will do another tank to see if it holds true!

 

Im on my first tank with it on to see if I can get better mileage too.
I hope so, I do go up hills quite often though...

 

Wow it actually works! i got about 17-18mpg on this tank. that about a 2-3mpg upgrade. thats good!!!

Some of it highway, maybe 50-60% city.

 

I remembered to try this about 50 miles into my last tank but I figured I'd try it anyway. I got 300 miles to the tank and my mpg's went from approx 19.1 to 19.55, so there may be something to this. I also like the way the truck drives with it on.