My Truck Learned a "Bad Habit"

Read your own advice. Vehicle ECUs (computers) have been doing this for YEARS. It is called many things by different makers including adaptive memory. Electronic transmissions systems do it and you can see the adaptive values on some makes of vehicles where they even learn the time and projected fluid volume to make an accurate shift.

The OP has a 2010. There was a point in production where the production line was updated with the new software to cover the transmission TSB. If the dealer checked his software level and it was current, a reset of adaptive memory would likely have been the next step taken.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, just not their own facts.
Perhaps in some cases "Comments from Vegas should stay in Vegas"

Enough said

( I know the tone of this sounds harsh. This is not my normal style but this post reply really struck me wrong. While I agree that there is a lot of misinformation on the net, in this case it was GOOD information that was being called out. Pet peeve. Peace )

 

The TSB will only affect the way the computer responds to the driver's inputs, it will still learn your driving style and shift accordingly (based on the TSB).

 

There is a lot mis info. on this board because of people like you, not me. If I don't know something I don't comment, I strongly suggest you do the same.

 

toyota calls it ECT-i. the "i" stands for intelligence, and yes, the shift computer will "learn" your driving habit and adapt shift patterns accordingly. disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes will "reset" it, and it will again try to adjust to your driving style. don't believe it...try it.

 

hes not being bs'd this is true, the comps in our trucks adjust to your driving habbits, so that if you are stepping on it lots it will take a long time to shift.

 

wouldnt "stepping on it" make the truck learn to shift faster/harder?

i typically drive like my 90 year old grandma, and the truck shifts normal when i drive normally (slow). when i "step on it", the truck almost seems confused- it usually does a slow and awkward downshift then starts to hustle. i think ill do the battery disconnect tonight, romp the truck around for a few weeks and see if theres a difference. this could be an interesting expirement.

 

idk for certain because I have a 6 spd, but I would assume if you are driving aggressively that its going to shift slower to put less strain on the tranny.

 

I only hope that the truck's smarter than me !

 

Here is some stuff I found on the InterWeb:


-----------------------------------
Document Number: 900550 Date Published: February 1990

Author(s):
Tadashi Kondo - Toyota Motor Corp.
Kunihiro Iwatsuki - Toyota Motor Corp.
Yutaka Taga - Toyota Motor Corp.
Takao Taniguchi - Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
Abstract:
Toyota has developed a new automatic transmission, called the A341E. This transmission employs a unique engine and transmission integrated intelligent control system named "ECT-i", and a high performance "Super Flow" Torque Converter.
This control system is capable of total control of engine torque and clutch hydraulic pressure during shifting, which has resulted in very smooth shift without changes over the life of the transmission.
The "Super Flow" Torque Converter has a modified geometry optimized by the analysis of internal flow by means of computer simulations, attaining the highest efficiency in the world. With the use of such systems, this new automatic transmission has improved total performance of the vehicle.

-----------------------------------

 

my transmission always seems to shift just the way i want it.

once again, manual transmission for the win

 

Step 1) Apologize to the guy with the right information
Step 2) Open Mouth
Step 3) Insert Foot

It's been said- Cars have been adjusting shifting points based on driver for a long while. They also adjust AFRs, and put the engine in limp mode when damaged. Cars ECUs are VERY sophisticated.


And with a manual 6 speed shifter- Never an issue.

 

If there is a perceived problem with the shifting points, be persistent and don't give up. If they did do the TSB they would tell you and your paperwork will have stated something about a ECM recalibration.

Mine said: "RECALIBRATE ECM OP CODE EG9036" But I have an '09 so yours will most likely be a different code.

 

Is it possible that since your truck is an 2010 that it already has the new software for the shifting points which to the best of my knowledge is what they are installing when they do the tranny shifting re flash , so they just re flashed your computer to reset it to default to give it a chance to re learn your shifting patterns ?

OZ

 

So guys, did my own test. Unhooked my transmission for around 4 hours while I was home, then reconnected before I left again. (This was a while back.) I did this because of the transmission TSB I got taken care of for the rough ride/1-2 shifting problem. Here's an excerpt of what I wrote into my notes (yes, I keep a notebook in my vehicle with information on every oil change, fill-up, and change I make):

2-3-2010: Shifting passive. Drives like a f***ing granny. Will accelerate harder.
2-5-2010: Shifting has become more aggressive, chunking. Drive like a granny.
2-9-2010: Even keel. Check rear drums for squeaking.
2-10-2010: Excessive dust in rear drum at ODO 7493. Clean every 5k. Shifting neutral. Maintain steady habit, have steady truck.

SO, I write this stuff for a reason and now I realize why. I don't think the truck LEARNS, per say. I think that as you're driving it it's calibrating the resolution of the throttle. I distinctly remember that when mashing to the floor consistently, throttle response was instantaneous, and vice versa.

The way I see it is like this:

If the default throttle has 1024 points of resolution, I'd imagine that driving like a little old lady might keep that high resolution whereas a harder pedal usage may just drop the degree of throttle to a point where it's closer to ON/OFF.

Just an observation.

BTW: I notice that a lot of people are using fuelly.com. Should I put my fill-ups on there, too?

 

I am not experiencing any issues with my truck where I need to re-set the computers. However, I am sure that Tacoma's are no different then other vehicles with adaptive/learning/inteligent (whatever the manufature calls it) trany/computer. I had a car, a piece of shit car!, anyways, it too had a learning trany. ( I bought it new in 1996) So speaking from experience...the computer will always "learn" your driving style. Not a bad thing. Once you re-set your computer by un-hooking the batter, your computer will start to relearn you. But once it "does", it will still be taking info from your driving style and adjust (whatever it adjusts) if you change.

Like I said it is good. Think about it, if you live in Kansas, then move to San Fransissco (spelling, I know), your driving will change. But it does not change fast, it monitors for a while, for sure several hundred miles, maybe even a couple thousand miles (depends on manufacture) befor it does actually "change". So a vaction will not mess with the computer.

I say all this, because if your having hard shifting, that my be what the computer "thinks" you need. And if you re-set the computer, and drive differently on purpose to make it "learn" to react differently, in time once you return to your normally driving, the computer may switch back to the hard shifting. So you may have to do this process over several times. Then again you may not; hard to predict exactly how a learning computer will react.

 

Yeah, I love it. You can text your data in (miles, price, and gallons) and it will text you back the info and put it on the website. Pretty sweet for that alone.

 

I don't have this truck or transmission or this problem, but remember the good old days when you could push harder or softer on something (say, for insantance, a gas pedal or a brake pedal) and it was connected to something else, and that thing would do whatever you wanted it to? Man, those were the days. All I needed was my brain, feet, and hands.

Rather than making computers that second-guess what we want to do, what if they spent all this time and effort making springs and cupholders that work, and clutches that don't squeak, instead? That would be cool.

If Microsoft ever gets involved in this vehicle software, we are all going to die very quickly. Here comes the paper clip: "It looks like you want to drive a truck..." or "I'm sorry, but I am going to stop steering in the middle of this turn. OK?"

 

Microsoft is already in the radio systems of new Fords.. half way there

 

When I first bought my truck I would go down a hill and be accelerating while coasting with my foot off the gas. I would down shift till the engine started holding back the vehicle. Within a month I would take my foot off the pedal and the transmission was doing this for me.

 

I live in mountains. In high gear "D", going down a long hill and applying brakes, the tranny shifts down a bit to "4" anyway. As I hit the bottom of the hill it stays until I accelerate a bit. If I bump it momentarily to "4" and back to "D" I coast again through the bottom of the hill, it lets me run free. Going down a long steep hill into the canyons and gearing down to any gear, it seems to be all my decision, therefore I can burn my brakes or gear down more, my choice.