Enough Already! Your Truck's T, HP and RPM Explained

Meh. It's all just tongue wagging anyway.

I have a bunch more driving and evaluating (and also logging) to do on Mat's latest offering, namely the 91 Octane 1.05 Modified Full Otto tune for 04B13 (M/T) = boobies, or maybe Scotch with boobies.

When I'm done with that, there is also the 87 and 91 Octane 1.05 Modified Atkinson tunes for OVtune 1.05.

If I had access to 93 Octane fuel, I'd have another file to try.

I just love hands on testing, and the privilege to help make the product as good as it can be.

I wish I lived close to you, we could go for a rip.

Have a great afternoon, I know I will

 

Indeed I was being overly simplistic because my heartbeats are a bit different than most, as I build engines professionally. (and tune them on a dyno, flash ECU's, etc) I wish I had read up more on the new engine before I traded in my 4.0 SR5... my bad. The whole Atkinson concept is just... flawed IMO. Prius with a CVT trans? Fine. Truck with a 6 speed? The powerband is too narrow for a truck. That's the root reason for all the transmission complaints. If you drive with your foot in it, it's great. But if you just putt-putt around like I do, it drives like it has a wild intake camshaft with 30 degrees too much duration. Whatever. I'm beating the dead horse.

 

I did the TSB before I traded it. It definitely helped, but not enough.

 

In my professional world that is part of my responsibility. Teams of engineers testing, commissioning, etc. When I get in my truck I just want to drive. And listen to my old music. And think.

 

This is exactly right. If there's no traffic and I can drive with my foot in it, it's completely fine. Few people around here drive like I do, though. When I'm stuck sloooooooooowly accelerating behind someone in a Camry who has no place to be, the truck becomes a total pain in the ass.

 

You are right the "power" people are talking about is actually torque and rpm.
The 4.0 has more torque below 4000rpm and only has 1 over drive.
Most driving is at lower RPM in a truck that's why so many people are complaining.
And Toyota had to meet EPA regulations.
The 4.0 gives you the power about a 1000 rpm sooner.

I think almost everyone figured we would get an up grade in power, but we got about the same power in a smaller engine, not really an upgrade. But with all the new tech it runs much better.

The problem with the 3.5 is when you add tires, bumpers and gear having more low end torque would be better than power at 6000 RPM that no one uses. That's why a lot of people are doing an LS swap for off road builds. Great low end torque curve...

Having 2 overdrives is another problem, they reduce the torque and lower the gearing by adding another over drive.
In the 2nd gen you can just select 4th and put it in 5th only when needed.
The 3rd gen has to down shift 2 times to get to 4th and you will still have less torque.

The best part of the 2 overdrives is you can go to 4.88s now you have better gearing than the 2nd gen and the same hwy rpm. I would think with 4.88s the 3.5 will beat the 4.0 and still get the same or better mpg..

Hopefully there will be some boosted and a good tuning options available than the 3.5 will be the way to go...

 

Some 3rd gen M/T owners are actually tuned and re-geared to 4.88. Big tires, lifted, armor, heavy. I guess it works out pretty well lol.

The twin turbo option is coming too. "Soon"

 

This. Exactly. Keeping your foot in the same spot on the pedal accelerating through gears... sometimes it will actually start decelerating on that 3 to 4 shift in certain conditions. Wtf?!

It's actually doing the complete opposite of what your brain tells you it should be doing. I'd be willing to bet there's no other vehicle currently on the market that does this to this degree. Maybe not ever. And to those that say their's is fine? I'll concede that maybe not all Tacoma's are affected. Ha.

I think it's this consistent "flop" that sends people over the edge. And all the rest of the quirks of the transmission get multiplied by a hundred. And it snowballs. For days. Then weeks... then months until "I hate this $&%# truck".

 

Agreed, it doesn't help that the 3rd gen stock is already heavier than 2nd gen before you add tires, bumpers, etc.

 

Hooked to a trailer in a customers yard, truck needs some power to get it out of said yard. 4.0 would take a little throttle and yank it out, 3.5 needs 4,000 rpm to make same power to get said trailer moving. Explaining to customer it's ok because Toyota put a car engine into a truck, and the forum says it's a good thing.....

If you drive your truck like a car, you'll never notice anything wrong with the way the truck drives, if you drive the truck with truck like expectations, you will be disappointed.

 

One of the few reasonable posts in this thread.

 

Quick question. Bought a 2017. Sold it 14 months later. Got a good deal on both ends of the transaction. So, it looks like a happy customer with your data points, right?

 

You have been reading posts in this forum right? And you put zero blame on people who barely know the difference between the gas and brake pedal?

Depends. Did you have repair work? Did you whine on the internet? Did you trade for another Tacoma?
If you kept your mouth shut, you didn't have any work done besides routine maintenance and you just bought it and traded it for another Tacoma then, yes, it would look like a happy customer.

If you are not, why are you here?

 

That’s what I’ve been wondering about you. You drive a stick but keep preaching to people that drive an automatic like they are crazy to complain.

As for my reasons, I’m just keeping track of the defects. Hoping the major ones get addressed. I hope to be back in another OR V6 auto in the 2020 model year if they are. Time will tell.

 

I did extensive test drives before I bought a Tacoma. I drove every model except a pro. I drove access cabs and double cabs. I drove sticks and automatics, both overnight. I drove sunroof and non sunroof. I probably put a total of 500 test miles on several Tacomas. I drive a lot and fit and function is critical, after reading forum posts, pretty sure I am only one of a few who does this test drive thing.
I will trade it before it is a full three years old for something else and right now it will be another Tacoma. I enjoy driving it. If I have to keep pulling 6K trailers though it will be a Tundra lol.
I would love to get my Land Cruiser but right now, I just drive too much for that to be practical.

 

"............after reading forum posts, pretty sure I am only one of a few who does this test drive thing."

So, you are pretty sure that the 99+% of Tacoma owners who do not post here are happy with their trucks, AND you are pretty sure that the 99+% of Tacoma owners who do not post here do not test drive as you do.

While I personally agree with with both these declarations, you are a bit hypocritical when you frequently criticize others in this thread for making assumptions, without data.

And yes, we all know that you are an engineer............................. Frank

 

You do read people's posts, right?
Look, if posters offer ANY shred of evidence, no matter how flimsy, eye roll worthy or suspect, I give them props and very seldom even debate the point. God knows my rationalizations on some topics are questionable at best. Some things though, are beyond debate, at least in this forum. Physics for example. Here there should be no debate about those laws, yet I just read where a guy changed his air cleaner and increased his mpg by 25%.
I probably shouldn't even post but I know some guys really have questions and appreciate decent answers.

 

I have a 6 spd and I agree that the power band starts around 3500 RPM. I often will keep it in 5th gear when cruising on the highway since we have many rolling hills in CT that require more torque going uphill (thinking about regearing to 4.88). I must say that the engine is very smooth even under high RPM load. I think lugging the engine around in lower RPM's is worse for the engine. On the flip side, the OVTune absolutely makes this truck a much more responsive engine without feeling hiccups in the power band under WOT. I also have an aftermarket exhaust and the engine feels much more alive. When I first bought the truck I was planning on installing the OVT turbos or Magnuson supercharger sometime down the road. However, now I'm rethinking since the truck has plenty of power to enjoy it.

 

TFW (that feel when) you own a manual so you pick the gear you want to shift or keep

 

I traded in my 2016 Ford F150 with the 2.7. That engine had great power and good gas mileage. The six speed shifted just fine. That big heavy truck could flat move without a struggle. I got between 19.5 to 20.0 in my 2016 SC 4x4 F150 driving fast and fairly hard. My 2018 4x4 V6 DCSB Tacoma is so far getting between 19.5 to 21.5 with poor normal range RPM power and crazy highway shifting. Yes if you rev it it will move but during normal 70 to 85 mph highway driving it feels like a 4 cyl that is struggling. Mild hills on highways gives it problems. I notice that I am now driving a lot slower now than when I had the 2.7 F150. I live in Kansas and my Tacoma is downshifting all the time while doing 75 on mild Kansas highway hills. I had a 2005 V6 6M Tacoma then a 2010 V6 auto Tacoma and they were just fine.