Surprised by ECT

Hey guys, I've been driving my 2018 OR auto now for 5500 miles in D in an attempt to let the tranny "learn" my driving habits. Its getting better and I dont have any real complaints except it seems to drop off bad under mild acceleration at 40-50mph.
So the other day I tried ECT and WOW, what a difference! It drives incredible! It really turns it into a different truck. The only drawback I see there is, it has a hard time getting into 5th around town. Anyway, just random thoughts. Loving my truck even more now! Kevin.

 

Agree totally, I have had my 2017 now for not quite a month. I generally don't use ECT mode except when I get annoyed by the early upshift into OD gears which are too tall a ratio compared to the rest of the gears. So far that is my only real annoyance is that excessively tall 5th/6th.

 

Yep!

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ect-auto-turn-on-module.514627/

 

Folks just do not understand 5th and 6th gears in Drive mode....they are OVERDRIVE gears, they are supposed to "drop off" rpms for economy! Less than 45-50mph, lock them out with the S shift on your quadrant. Use S4 around town like you are supposed to and the trans will shift smoothly between 1st and 4th...Use S5 50mph and S6 for maximum overdrive.................this is getting to be a repetitive post every day .......whew!

 

I agree with most of what you're saying, but since when are you supposed to use S4 as your normal around town driving mode? I've never had a car that had to be in "sport" mode (or whatever you'd like to call it) to function properly. The gearing in the transmission is poorly engineered and that is why we have to come up with other methods to obtain a smoother drive (ECT or S4).

 

get the tsb 62-18 update and you won't need ect anymore. i've had 2 3rd gen tacos over the past 3 years and my 17 drives like a completely different vehicle after the tsb. it drives like it should.

 

Not poorly engineered...the trans is designed for maximum fuel economy in Drive. S4 is simply the maximum gear once set. From a stop, it goes smoothly from a normal 1st, then 2nd, 3rd, finally 4th...it won't drop off into overdrive S5 or S6 unless you flick it into those gears, or keep it in "D", which automatically cycles through all 6 gears as the norm. That is why Toyota engineers allowed the "D", "S" and "ECT" functions...your choice for different driving habits or requirements.

 

How long has the tsb 62-18 been available. I'm assuming that you would get this update through the dealership.Have they announced this?

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...ota-for-stumble-condition-tsb-0062-18.559435/

july... doubtful it was done at the dealership, but the thread shows you how to check if you pull up the tsb. you look at the ecm version via an app like torque.

 

Still not how a normal transmission should operate. "D" should be for around town and highway driving, "S" should be for spirited driving or if you need to drop down a gear on command to get up to highway speeds and "ECT" should function as a tow/haul mode. To have 2 overdrive gears that are nearly useless except at highway speeds isn't engineered right IMO. Isn't the transmission designed to learn your driving habits in "D"? Wouldn't that mean that it is designed to learn weather you want maximum fuel efficiency or if you're more of a spirited driver? I understand you're explaining it the best way it makes sense (I drive in S4 for most of my commute), but to say the transmission is not poorly designed is simply false.

 

seriously.. get the tsb i referenced above. i think after 3 years of trying, they finally have it right.

 

good too know

 

its about time

 

they know nothing, like sargent shultze

 

Shame on them for thinking that an automatic should shift for itself

Rumor has it that the TSB solves the shifting problems, but I don't have to deal with it so

 

Would continuous use of the ECT damage engine/transmission in the long run? Would be nice to know from somebody with 150K+ on the taco who used ECT 100%.

 

I also prefer ECT on even after the update. I believe there is a member working on a module again to have it on at all times.

 

I don't think so. My reasoning: Two identical manual trans Tacomas, two completely different drivers. One winds it up and the other shifts down low. Neither is gonna hurt it as it's designed to be shifted in a broad range. Same with ECT, just changes the shift points.

 

I have been running the ECT Always-On Modification for 45K Miles with no problem. I have the tsb-62-18 and still run the ECT On. I wish there was a V8 button in the truck!