truck drives @1000rpm once get up to city driving speed ...is that normal?

notice any improvement in in s-5 driving or ECT button with TSB??

 

It seems the vast majority of the folks that have had the TSB applied, reported a big positive change.

 

u pushing on the gas when u shot this photo??? or just coasting with foot off gas?

 

Going up hill maintaining speed

 

I'll know when I get to 1500 miles after the flash but as of now, I really havent needed to use them yet. Truck drives well in D so far and I used to use S mode a lot before the flash.

 

May I assume that you drive conservatively and properly?

the problem with the automatics is in sporadic places like new Orleans for example. If I am stuck behind a 40mph car on the interstate in the left lane because he let off the gas while drinking and facebooking ect.
In my stick shift truck, I see the problem ahead, check other lane and signal while simultaneously shifting down getting ready to accelerate into the open lane and its flow of high speed.

in the automatic, it is not the same as par as preparation for the lane change. and the truck has to go from top gear through several gears then sluggishly into second and wammmm, now its over reved and has to up shift.

 

I've never had these types of issues with any driving style...cruising to work or driving like I stole it. The closest I've come to issues has bren my 2014 Tacoma being a bit laggy on shifts if I stand on it. My 2013 SHO was spot on with selecting gears and shifting, even when I drove aggressively...hole shots, threshold braking, you name it.

It sounds like the transmission in the GEN3 falls short and that is compounded by the engine being light on torque. Tough to get around those types of things with software updates, especially for those who regularly use their trucks for 'truck stuff'.

 

^ i was generalizing all automatics i have driven.

 

Toyota trucks and Tacomas have never been know for their speed and gobs of power. In 30 years and five different trucks I've never had a problem doing "truck stuff" with these little engines, One V6 only had 1/2 the hp and torque as the 3rd gen. Gave me 12 years of faithful reliable service.

You want or need stump pulling power or need to be first off the light every time, get a V8 or a diesel.

Tacomas are decent performing pickups, but they're not the most powerful trucks out there.

 

So the transmission issues are mechanical, controller, or a little of both? Just trying to understand where/how exactly the transmission is coming up short for many owners.

 

I think it's the shift points and trying to be fuel efficient. Transmission map in D mode initially would try to get it up to the OD gears 5 and 6 as quickly as possible to try and conserve fuel. This caused the engine to lug around town and acceleration to be weak if power was needed on demand. This was to correct another complaint of past owners, Tacos have always been known to have poor fuel economy.

Since the original map was very aggressive, owners found the truck in the higher gears all the time unless you defeat it by using S mode. However most people like to just throw it in D and expect the same driving experience of other trucks. With the original transmission mapping, that just wasn't possible, it was either a shifty transmission to optimize fuel economy or defeat it by using ECT or S mode. People didn't want to change driving style so they complained.

The TSB has given us a bandaid for less aggressive shifting while still remaining somewhat better in fuel economy.

It's not perfect but it's better now than my 1st gen in both power and fuel economy.

 

So if the TSB was the bandaid fix, then what is the permanent fix moving forward? Kind of half-assed that Toyota would even go this route in order to get a fairly minor bump in mileage. What have they done about this when it comes to the 2017 model year? I've seen lots of speculation but nothing confirmed.

 

Could be an "evolutionary" change.... might be that the software is and will continue to be a "living" thing.

 

Hmmm...sounds like Toyota turned their customers into beta testers. That is a pretty shitty move on their part. It will definitely be interesting to see how they sort this out in the future.

 

Microsoft Windows For Tacoma version 3.11

 

It's a fine line of fuel economy or responsiveness, pick your poison. Transmission has all kinds of get up and go in ECT or S mode but doesn't get the advertised fuel economy. You want fuel economy then live with the two OD gears....

You want it to act more like trucks in the past then get the TSB or drive in S4 or S5.

Any automaker that rolls out a new model year has the consumer as a beta tester. You can't catch everything in a lab or proving ground. Happens with Ford, GM, Honda, BMW.... everyone.

 

That's my bet, easier to change the mapping with programming but hard to please everyone with it.

 

I had the TSB done on mine. I have 8,000 miles. My truck just sits at 1k, around city speeds and in stop/go traffic. My engine does lag, unless I push the gas and get a sudden down shift and surge. I'm not sure why some people seem to get defensive when we are discussing legitimate issues. This is not how a brand new 2016 truck should drive. It's really frustrating.

 

Mine does not drive like that. Has the dealer looked at it?

 

It is if you're driving in D with OD gears available to get the best mileage. If it frustrates you try a different mode like S4, S5 or ECT on.