Not using overdrive/shifting out of OD

First off I drive like a grandpa let me just put that out there I am usually at or five miles below speed limit LOL. Anyway I notice with the 2.7 auto when I am on a curvy hilly road the tranny seems to not want to downshift when I feel like it should. I know this engine/tranny combo isn't known for power but it just feels like I get sort of hung in a bad rpm range. Is it ok in those conditions to just reach over and manually down shift to third? Any stress or damage to the auto shifting it like that?

 

Or give it a little more throttle?

No problem with downshifting if you want though.

 

My 4.0 auto does the same. Engine lugs & pings in street traffic. I hate it, therefore I constantly downshift. I don't think there is any harm in doing so.

My guess is Toyota programmed the auto trans more towards fuel economy rather than performance.

 

Yeah I figured the way the shifter is set up it was kind of intended, but I also want to make sure it last 200k miles or so

 

i'd like to know that too.i feel the same way about the way mine shifts..mine shifts to a higher gear while going up a mountain when i feel it should stay in the lower gear..is there something wrong or is this normal?i have a 2011 2.7 base model taco...help.....

 

There's no problem slapping the shifter into 3rd when it slows down on an uphill, I do it all the time. Just be sure your foot is on it pretty good when you slap it or there won't be any benefit.

 

Do you have an "O/D off" button? I have one on my 1st gen auto and normally use it when goin up hills... It just disables the trans from using Overdrive

 

But I'd like to put in my 2 cents even if it's late.

I actually downshift quite a bit w/ my 4 speed auto. I use it to decelerate, much like you would with a manual transmission, instead of putting that wear and tear on my brakes. Like was mentioned, the layout of the shifter just begs for this. I love it.

And in the snow and icy conditions, I will drive in 3rd gear all the way (30 miles, mostly highway) to work.

According to the manual, you can downshift the 4 speed into 3rd at a speed of 71mph (or something close) and lower. It's actually like 4th (D) is overdrive without calling it that. They give the max speed you can downshift into each gear for each trans. I use 3rd a lot and 2nd on occasion, again instead of hard breaking on the highway.

 

I understand the whole downshifting with the transmission but isn't is easier and a lot cheaper to slap a set of brake pads and possibly rotors if needed on? Even on a manual with a clutch its still easier and cheaper to use your brakes rather than downshifting and putting that extra wear on the clutch.

 

+1 from me. Transmission work is costly those days, more than the cost of brakes.

 

All of you reminded me of why I bought the 5 speed. The last 4 cyl auto I had drove me nuts. Wasn't so much that it lugged but more of when it down shifted it was always screaming along at about 4k rpm. Seemed like it would downshift 2 gears when it only needed to do 1.

 

I came back to correct my statement. With the 4 speed auto, it's 71mph limit for downshifting from 3 to 2, 34mph from 2 to 1.

As for the replies, not sure why you think downshifting a transmission is hard on it. It's what it is designed to do. It's called engine braking. As long as it's done within the stated limits and not abused or over-used. But to each, their own, I reckon.