Transmission update / towing !!??

i was having issues with trans constantly shifting while towing a empty enclosed trailer . Also in cruise it would jump to roughly 4000 rpm to climb a hill then never or take forever to shift out to 5th or 6th gear . They did the tsb transmission update today. Hooked up trailer which is a 6x10 empty trailer 980lbs. It does better as far as shifting. It is mint driving with no trailer now and on cruise. But towing any where between 65-75 it holds roughly 3000 rpm. Feels like it don't want to shift out of 4th gear . If I put it in sport and click it to 5th or 6th it will self downshift to 4th and stay there . Is this rom to high to tow for 5-8 hours !? Beyond aggravated with this transmission .

 

OK sell it....
for some reason this forum that is designed to provide helpful communications amongst users is turning into a cry to momma resource....granted you may have issues but why turn here to complain? I suspect your old and wise enough to make decisions on your own instead of venting to the world, make sense?

 

You should be towing in 4th anyways as 5-6 are overdrive gears. I've towed 500 miles each way in 4th with no issues at 75mph. This engine is made to rev.

 

Torque curve on a 6 is different than an 8. Redline is 6500 I believe. If you want low rpm you need an 8, its not the tranny. I wouldn't worry about 3000 rpm myself.
Look at time 4:42 for rev, and 9:43 for uphill review.

5600 lbs up a 7% grade for 8 miles.

Don't read to much BS in here and enjoy your truck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCkBmiZV09w

 

Wasn't looking for your smart response . First time I have said anything negative about my Tacoma . Love it other wise . Just looking for answers maybe if it was ok to tow like this .

 

Thank you

 

It takes HP to punch a square hole thru the air at 65-75 MPH. Stick your hand flat against the air at the speed and you will experience the resistance and then times that up many times.

These VTEC like 3.5 engines make their HP higher in the RPM band and since you are asking it to make enough HP to go that fast, the ECM/TCM says that is where the RPMs need to be to do what you are asking it to do.

Pulling my TT in 4th it turns 3200 RPM +/- and 2600 RPM +/- in 5th @ 65 and will and has run it all day long. If you are annoyed by the sound then turn the radio up.

FWIW I believe you are suppose to tow in 4th with the Autos and Please make sure your trailer tires are rated for more than 65 MPH.

 

That's just the transmission doing its job and working as designed.

Don't get too hung up on the specific RPMs you're seeing. Yes, it's a truck, but despite the common wisdom there's no good reason that a truck engine must exclusively turn at lower RPMs. Toyota managed to squeeze some extra power and efficiency out of this engine by extending the powerband upward and using the transmission to utilize the extra RPMs. The higher RPMs make people nervous because it's not what they're familiar with, but it's a perfectly valid engineering decision.

 

Make it happen..you posted up...

 

It's my personal opinion that you should be able to pull that trailer in drive and use 5th or 6th without issue. There are several towing threads you might review and compare some of the remarks in it.

Earlier this spring I pulled a 5'x9' uhaul trailer with an ATV from Greensboro, NC to Dallas, TX. That's right at 2000 pounds. I have the 2013 Prerunner V6 DC and it had no issues pulling that load. I was in 5th most of the time at about 2100-2200 rpm. It would downshift to 4th on inclines when needed and on a few occasions downshifted to 3rd.

Just providing the information for comparison.

 

Honest question: Why would you expect to be towing in 6th gear?

Part of the transmission's job is to maximize fuel efficiency. That means a tall 6th gear. If you make 6th gear short enough to tow in as well, you're leaving efficiency on the table for normal cruising operation. The vast majority of miles for Tacomas aren't spent towing, so the engineers would be crazy to optimize 5th and 6th gear for towing.

Let the transmission do its job, and don't worry about it.

Unfortunately you can't compare trailers by weight, because on flat ground it's not the weight that matters most. The OP's trailer is an enclosed trailer, which is going to have massively more wind resistance than your little 5'x9' UHaul trailer despite having similar weight. Overcoming that wind resistance is what requires the additional power, and therefore the downshifting. Not the weight.

 

I didn't see the word enclosed. Yep, that will crimp towing style big time.

 

Even 5th it don't like to go in and of it does goes back to fourth. Plan to tow it from ct to nh this weekend I'll do 65 and see what happens . The way it is now I'm seeing 9s for mileage . I know my open I got 11-12. No big deal . thanks for the help guys.

 

I think the engine torque is insufficient for towing with this transmission. There will likely be aftermarket front and rear gears in the future that will help get more torque to the tires in 5th and 6th. They will likely be costly though.

 

On the Ike gauntlet this truck was very impressive, it just had to rev.

 

Agreed. The motor is more of a midsize car motor. Don't get me wrong... I love the motor, but the gearing is out of touch with the motor. Some 4.30:1 gears might be the ticket for most drivers and 4.56:1- 4.88:1 for light towing.

 

The torque is adequate, its just not at the rpm people feel comfortable with. 6 cylinders have max torque at higher rpm, fact. Gear will help some, but not replace an 8 if thats what you are use to or need.
People expect this to behave like an 8, and it is not designed for that.
This can tow 5500 all day with zero issues.

 

You are correct the torque is adequate, but at higher RPMs. I think if 5th gear was a .79, and 6th was about a .61 ratio, combined with an alternate shift point (power) map, we would be in good shape for light duty. Though, heavy towing should not be done in 5th or 6th. The driven planetary gears would take a beating.

 

Another guy recently had his dealer adjust his shift points. This could be another option, as he is very please with the results.

 

I think you're missing the point of the transmission here.

The truck can already gear itself down on-demand. That's what happens when the transmission downshifts. Why would you want to swap out final drive gears to turn 6th gear in to 4th gear? Just let the transmission sort it out for you on demand, and enjoy the additional fuel economy you get in 6th gear when you're not towing.