ShiftSense Pro - transmission shift controller for Gen3 Tacoma

Order#1200

 

Yes! Order 1107 received! Will install and test after I get the tranny re flashed on sunday.

 

I got mine in and tested it. I live by the mountains (Mt Baldy) in SoCal. I'm not as impressed as everyone else. I tried it uphill, downhill, flat city and freeway. It up-shift from 1st, 2nd and 3rd fine. I feel getting from 3rd to 4th is longer than it needs to be by about 200-300 RPM no matter what the accelerator position is. If you're going uphill it won't shift until about 3000 RPM. Flat about 2500 RPM. I understand that he's trying to keep it within the power band but I'm not sure that's always the best answer, not unless the accelerator position sensor is demanding it. When coming to a stop, I feel that downshifting to 3rd gear is too aggressive and happening too soon. I feel myself being thrust forward a little. I got on the freeway and didn't hit 5th gear until 70 MPH. What the crap. I never saw 6th gear. When going downhill and no acceleration demand, there's no reason not to up-shift to the next gear and coast. Let the RPM's drop to a 1000 and idle the engine. Downshift once the brake pedal is hit or the accelerator demands it. Why slow the truck down just to stay within 1800-2000 RPM? I applause the effort but maybe a compromise between the stock shifting and powerband might be a better solution How about a mode/switch to allow you to choose? Powerband or semi-econ mode?

 

Good observations, but isn't that the point of the Shift sense? If you want eco, switch back to D mode?

 

What part of "maybe a compromise between the stock shifting and powerband might be a better solution" wasn't clear to you?

 

Understood. Do you have the original chip or new chip and I wonder if that would make a difference?

 

I don't know. My order is 1110. I assume I have the latest chip where he moved the map down.

 

Like pressing the ECT button?

Semi compromise?

I don't have a shift sense but I'm pretty sure I simulate it in S mode.

 

They screwed ECT mode up with the latest TSB. 1st to 2nd takes too long. They are still using the exponential map according to DCZ.

 

Good to know. I'm headed to the dealer soon.

You say too long. Like it winds out before shifting?

 

What sucks about this truck, I've owned it just over a year now and every time I drive it, my thoughts are on the way it shifts. I can't just enjoy it. Even after installing the ShiftSense Pro. I just want to drive it and not think about it.

 

Well, mine will be up for sale tonight in classified. Tried it for a week and its not for me, prefer D mode.

 

First, I'm watching this thread with interest, but I don't own a SS Pro, or anything for that matter. Just original TSB, not even the revision 2 or whatever.

I realize you feel like you paid for 6 gears so the truck should use them all, but the simple truth is, 6th is a bonus, and since it's a 2nd overdrive, it's not really needed much. If this truck was a 5 speed and they just didn't have that .58 6th gear, it would be fine. However, since it's there, you feel like you have to use it.

Personally, 6th gear on the stock gears is barely an RPM decrease at 75 mph than 5th, and adds a good bit more "lug" to the engine due to being wayyy outside of powerband.

I had to drive 800 miles for work this week and they rented me a Jeep Cherokee. It has 9 gears. I never ONCE hit 9th. Even when I was in shift mode and told it to go to 9th, it never went.

Drove a Chevy Equinox for a few years. If you even looked at a bridge, hill, or slight grade it would instantly pop out of 6th gear, just like this truck.

Honestly, stop worrying about using all the gears Toyota gave you if you're so concerned with how those gears feel. The MPG difference between 5th and 6th is pretty negligible and 5th lugs the engine a lot less. Long term, I'd rather this truck leave 6th alone unless I can put in gears high enough (like 4.88) to make it run lower RPMs while still in the powerband on the highway.

I hope I get to ride in a vehicle with one of them shifter programs eventually, maybe I'm missing something. But none of these software solutions are going to solve the mechanical problem of having too low a gear mated with an engine that has a higher powerband than those gears are optimized for. So I applaud the efforts of the OP for making it better, but I'd say don't expect this software to fix a fundamental mechanical problem, science doesn't work that way. This is probably the closest you'll get without swapping out gears.

 

It just seems as if it would feel and sound better shifting a little sooner by 200-300 RPM. This is when cruising around waiting for it to shift from 3rd to 4th. Like it does from 2nd to 3rd. That feels right when up-shifting, not down though. Just the opposite.

 

I understand what you mean. And I'm just being Devil's advocate here, I don't really have a dog in this fight. Just saying that the expectation that it's a fix to everyone is unlikely. An improvement for everyone seems more of a reasonable statement.

 

What SB mode/setting are you using?

 

Received mine in the mail yesterday (order 1104). Install was a five minute affair. So far it seems to work as advertised. Mine shifts from 4th to 5th at 53 mph....so it's apparently the new program.

I've been driving around the city in s3/s4 for a couple of weeks now to kind of simulate how this thing works and my fuel mileage has not really been affected....if anything, it has gone up over the last two tanks slightly. I've also been using s5 for anything under about 72 on the highway and the truck is just much more pleasing to drive that way...cruising at 2000-2200 rpm is quite acceptable IMO. The truck has power to maintain speed and accelerate as needed.

Thanks to the OP for putting this product out there. This is an ingenious way to make the truck behave half-way normal and more pleasant to drive!

 

The Transmission thermostat will open up.around 210° . You can pin the thermostat and it will run about 150°. Toyota wants it to run around 190°

 

I received mine today. I haven't installed it yet. Emailed you and asked you about using it with a ScanGauge 2. Is a ScanGauge II device a fast polling device? I really want to be able to use this with the shift sense Pro.

 

I just received my email today saying they are shipping mine. Order #1142
I'm looking forward to using it.