Tacoma - OVTUNE - VFTUNER - Update Info and Original Development

I did the 04B80 33’s 5.29’s regular gas.
I did the LV after flashing the truck.
10 miles total. My first tune, so I’m not sure what to expect.

 

You need more miles on it. The first 100 or so it’s doing initialization and setting values. After 400-500 it’s settled in to where it’ll stay.

 

That sounds like A LOT of work. Thank you

 

How does gear lock make the truck tow that much better? Just because it hunts less? Why not trade for a manual or full size? Honest questions here...

 

The manual tows great - I’ve got over 10k miles towing with mine all across the country.

i had a 16 auto and the gearing in the auto isn’t great for towing. If i was towing in an auto it would definitely have 4.88s or 5.29s to put it more in line with the drive ratios of the manual.

 

What will the performance update do? I understand the gear locking... And I'm assuming map switch would be normal to performance via the ect button or something? Just wondering what I have to look forward to.

 

Gear hunting is the main issue. The Tacoma doesn’t tow great no matter what transmission you have. Sure if you keep it at 55 on mostly flat ground with a light trailer it tows OK. If you live in Arizona and tow at 70mph at elevation on the twisties because the speed limit is 75 it’s not great.

A manual isn’t going to fix the problem either. The truck is a dog. It’s a NA 3.5L V6 no matter what method of shifting gears you put behind it. I already have 5.29s. They help, but they still don’t make the Tacoma a full size.

The reason I don’t get a full size is because it is too long to fit in the garage and I like my Tacoma outside of the towing issue which I never even considered when I bought this truck (2nd Taco).

Here’s what I tow:



Here’s what I deal with at 75mph with radar cruise control on flat ground with a tailwind in S5 ECT (this is the current 5.29 tune THX Premium):



Will I keep the truck until October? Sure. If gearlock isn’t out by then I’ll probably trade it in on a Tundra. I was really hoping to keep it long enough for the next gen Tundra to come out.

 

Is it going to tow like a full size? No but it absolutely can tow. I’ve got 2 different trailers i tow on a regular basis (7x14 cargo trailer and 7x14 utility trailer) and i had a camper trailer for a while too.

I’ve been across New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and others with trailers from 2000-4000 lbs. I’ve never had an issue maintaining speed with my truck. I ran 75 mph from tucumcari to flagstaff on 40 and never left 5th gear.

I’ll run 2500-3500 rpm depending on speed and terrain. Typically average 12-14mpg. Really my only complaint with the 3.5 is the lack of engine braking.

the video you posted is exactly what my AT (stock gearing and tires) did when towing. I had to stay 65 mph or less. If i tried 70+ it was all over the place. I think the best i ever got was 10.5 mpg and the worst was around 7 when it was screaming at 4000 rpm

I’ve not personally towed with the AT with gears or the tune as neither was available prior to trading mine off.

here’s one of the trailers.

 

You can test to see if the flash was successful by attempting to "Read" it. The stock tune can be read by the flash utility, OVTunes cannot be read because they are protected.

 

I finally broke down and got the tune/cable and the tune file pak. Ordered a little less than a week ago, got a confirmation for the order, but nothing else so far. Anyone know how long it usually takes before cable and whatever gets shipped/hearing from ov? I am patient, but also very excited!

 

Ah, at least an additional month and a half of a CEL and no cruise control

 

Ok. I admit that was hard to watch... I tow a travel trailer, but mostly hwy speeds. I too noticed that at interstate speeds she hunts a lot. This weekend will be my first towing experience with OVTune. I can see where your coming from though. When I first got the camper my truck bounced back and forth between 3rd and 4th gear, even at 55-60 mph. I installed a cold air intake and that all but disappeared! No joke. Combined weight of truck and loaded trailer for a weekend of camping is 11,160#. That's asking a lot from a mid size in my opinion. I think it does great for hauling more than 1000 lbs over it's own weight. KN Blackhawk... Give it a try. Just be prepared for a screaming engine when you dig into it! Sounds like a pissed off V8 under the hood when your pedal down above 3500 rpm. Might get you to October a little happier.

 

When you switch to the OVtune ...... you may consider ( after you've put 500 miles or more on it to let it settle ) going back to the stock air box.
I'm pretty sure the the OVtunes were developed using a stock air box ......... and I've read on here that going to an aftermarket CAI actually hurt the performance post tune.

 

That little drop at 6secs is where I lose momentum and what kills me when towing and I don't have radar cruise control or even use normal cruise when towing. @OVTune had it tuned out in previous tunes but it's back. I believe it's when the TC unlocks.

 

I just pulled my trailer from 4900 miles from Springfield, MO to Seattle, WA and back. The Cricket is probably still under 2000 pounds when loaded. I started off on 2.0 Final/Premium/33. I got better mileage at 80-85 mph than I did at 70-75 mph. The truck couldn't hold 70 in 5th gear. It would gradually slow until the downshift to 4th. At 80 I could cruise in 5th and mpg would sit about 14 instead of 11 at 70. For the trip back I flashed 19800/91 and I could hold 5th gear at 70. 73 mph was the sweet spot.

 

I also pull a Cricket, all over the mountain west, and while I agree that the Taco is never going to tow like a full-size truck, it works just fine for me. Also, from the manual:

* Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s manual,
whichever is lowest.

* Do not use cruise control (if equipped) or dynamic radar cruise control (if
equipped) when towing.

 

s5 in the AT and 5th in the MT

 

Yeah, I corrected my post after you quoted it. Then there's this of course:

* Do not exceed 65 mph (104 km/h), the posted towing speed limit or the
speed limit for your trailer as set forth in your trailer owner’s manual,
whichever is lowest.

* Do not use cruise control (if equipped) or dynamic radar cruise control (if
equipped) when towing.

 

* Only tow downhill both ways