ShiftSense Pro - transmission shift controller for Gen3 Tacoma

Yea the vibration is terrible at 2200 rpm

 

You are not kidding!! Haven't notice any vibration, but its a freakin task to keep this truck flat at 75. I'm still factory and I really don't want to go aftermarket unless it's going to do magic for my freeway commute... Missing my old truck more and more everyday. I'm soooo close to trading this in for a real truck....

 

The current programming will shift from 4-5 anywhere from 52-53 mph at lowest throttle position, up to 70+, at the higher throttle positions. The SS determines the optimal shift-timing based on the accelerator 'demand'. At speeds less than 52, the RPM in 5th gear would be decreased back down to 1500 (give or take), where is is difficult for the engine to produce enough torque to maintain speed.

Again, this will feel quite different from what we are used to with the OEM shift maps. That map will put it into 5th gear at speeds in the low 30's mph. Take some time to get accustomed to it, and I think you will find that it is actually keeping the engine operating right in the sweet spot where it is maintaining good torque and significantly reducing the constant up/down shifting, which is one of the primary goals of the device. This is also one of the primary complaints of the OEM 'drive' shift mapping (shifting up too early or putting you in too low of an RPM range where it starts to lug)

 

Mine is shifting 4th -5th around 55mph, so below that Im getting the vibrations cruising in 4th over 50 mph(2100- 2200 RPM's)

 

Regarding the 5-6 shifts in the 70's, this is also placed in the ideal range to maintain the engine in best operating range. If you perform an experiment once and manually place the truck in S6 then drive in the 65-70 mph range, you will find that it will have more tendency to be constantly shifting up and down (especially with any bit of wind or grade). Our testing and data has shown the engine actually performs better with less 'load' when running 5th gear at 70 mph as opposed to 6th.

If you look at the Gen 3 (6-speed) versus the Gen 2 (5-speed), the final-drive gear ratio is nearly identical for 5th gear between the two models. At the same time, the gen2 4.0 liter had much better torque at lower RPM.

As a second 'overdrive', 6th gear in the Gen3 is 15% higher ratio yet. Considering the lack of low-end torque of the 3.5L means that it is a bit more ideal to hold 5th in this speed range 65-73 mph (and comparable to the Gen2, because that transmission did not have a 6th gear at all). So even though 6th is available, it doesnt always make sense to use it at speeds that low. Hope this helps!

 

One thing I've noticed in the 40-50 range of cruising(S4). The torqe converter doesn't spend a whole lot of time in lockup. When it does, I'm not so sure it's even full-lock...
Has anyone with a SS and scanner noted temp increases?

 

In all of our testing and driving with ShiftSense, the trucks are in lock-up almost the entire time while in 4th gear. The only time they will not be in lock-up is if the engine temp or transmission temp is below the engagement spec, or if you let off the gas completely, (which is normal operation). You should feel it lock right back up once you get back on the gas. You will be able to confirm lockup while cruising if you feather the throttle (without letting off entirely) and notice negligible change in engine RPM.

 

It's really sad ain't it!!!! And really sucks all the fan boys can't just admit this thing is a failure. Buy you a 4Runner you will not be disappointed

 

If I get rid of the Tacoma, i'm done with Toyota.

 

Yea I feel but I will say the 4Runner is a nice machine. It's nothing like this turd gen Tacoma. 4Runner power train is good has plenty of power

 

I agree, I owned a 5th gen 4runner , briefly for work , but didnt need a SUV . Because i'm not in the market for a 4runner, i'll be done with Toyota after the Tacoma. I'll keep it for two years then trade it in ..

I do love the Tacoma , its a badass little truck, i've learned to live with the powertrain .. didnt buy it to be a race truck.

 

That's all that matter if you can live with it. And I agree it's not a race truck. But damn be able to hold 70 mph without down shifting twice on a small hill

 

I've been running the shift-sense for a week now. Very pleased with the shift points. Overall, the truck just feels more "eager" to move. In stock form, I always felt like I was fighting the truck to accelerate....that seems to be resolved.

The only "quirk" that I've noticed is on the shift from 4 to 5......once I level off speed and hold it there, it will only shift to 5th if I let off the gas a fair amount....more than I should have to in my opinion. For example, I might accelerate from a stoplight and get all the way up to the 55-60mph range.....hold speed.....and the truck will not shift to 5 unless I let off the throttle. In some instances I feel like I have to let off a lot to make it happen (like almost all the way). The truck will shift to 5th at speeds as low as 52-53....but I have to MAKE it happen. Trying to get used to this, but It's slightly annoying if I'm being honest. Even still.....big improvement over stock.

 

@dcz108
Just finished a week of my normal city driving and here is my updated feedback. This feedback is based on roads with 20-45MPH limits, stop signs, and traffic lights.

• 2-3: Is good.
• 3-4: Still feels a bit overstretched at times even though the RPMs are within an acceptable range. Sometimes I'm expecting an up-shift, but it still holds on a bit longer. It really depends how much my foot is into the pedal or if I'm holding around a general speed within a few MPHs.
• 4-5: I haven't hit this shift point that much with my city driving routes.
• 5-6: I haven't hit this shift point this week as I haven't been doing highway driving.
• Mileage: I've seen a decrease in city mileage so far; somewhere in the range of 1.0-1.5 mpg loss. However, I know highway use will be good mileage. It's the stop & go BS with cities that craps on MPG figures.

Overall: The updated shift points give the driver the perception of a better responsiveness from the engine & transmission. You can obviously recreate the same behavior by manually using S-mode. However, if you want a "set and forget" driving experience, then the SSPro is a good tool to utilize. I'm going to hold on to my unit and continue usage. I'm curious if the MPG ratio will change once I'm fully use to the shift points.

 

This is what I am experiencing too.
Will add, overall it is a great improvement. I pulled out into traffic this morning and didnt have to floor to get moving.

 

just installed and took for a test drive. mine shifted from 4 to 5 about 53 mph. Has the revised chip.

 

Definitely hear you regarding the need to let off very-light throttle to shift it into 5th at the lower speed. This feature is actually by-design. It basically allows you to use your accelerator pedal to 'choose' which gear you want to be in at 52-57 (approx) mph. The device really has no way to know if you are slowing momentarily or maybe just relaxing the throttle as you reach a lower-grade on a hill. It also doesnt know if you slowed up for the car in front of you (who sucks at merging into the freeway), or if you have actually reached your desired cruise speed. In most cases, to continue accelerating, the truck should be in 4th gear in this speed range (52-64). So rather then making an unnecessary upshift and immediate downshift if you get back on it, it is purposely tuned to be a little on the tough-side to get it to drop to 5th gear at the low-end.

Once you get used to feathering the throttle to put it into 5th, it becomes second nature. But if you know you are going to continue accelerating a few moments later, it also allows you the opportunity to hold 4th as you like as well.

I can say it is definitely tough to design a shift-map which is perfect for all situations, but we have tried to keep it as middle-of-the-road as possible for all of the different types of driving styles and situations. I hope we did a bit better job than Toyota! , but it is great hearing all of the feedback which will only allow us to improve!

 

Thanks for the explanation. That actually makes a lot of sense and I'm sure it will become second nature to lift off the throttle to shift after a while....like I said, it's only been a week.

Very pleased overall with how the box is working....and I appreciate that you are hanging around the forum to answer questions and take suggestions! A coworker of mine bought his Tacoma about the time I did this past winter and has been waiting to see how I like the shift-sense.....I think he'll be ordering one soon.

 

How does a person know when transmission locks?

 

My impression with the new shift sense pro 2nd version. Overall shifting is much better than stock. My biggest criticism is shifting from 3rd to 4th gear;. It revs too high.....I keep waiting for it to shift into 4th gear. I have had a few problems with the unit not down shifting appropriately when I romp the accelerator while passing, merging or sudden acceleration.....it would not allow the engine to Rev up to the redline and upshifted way too soon at 4500 rpms. That is with the "pedal to the metal". Has anyone experienced this? This has happened more than 2-3 times this week.

I wonder if DIP switches could be used to give the owner more control over the shift points for each gear?