2008 4WD Transmission Hunting

[kensterling]

My new '08 4Runner has a bad habit of "hunting". When driving on any slight uphill slope, with no load other than the vehicle weight, the transmission will "hunt" and downshift at the slightest incline. This always happens when using Cruise Control and generally when just driving the speed limit. It is as if the V-6 doesn't have the HP to pull the truck up a small rise in the road. The dealer says, " you have to take it out of "overdrive" to get it to stop.(BS)

Anyone have this condition ? ?

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Uneek]

I attribute it more to the programming of the cruise control system than transmission.

Mine will do that as well. The CC tries too hard to maintain the set speed. It seems at the slightest drop of speed, it will rev the engine and downshift, sometimes into 3rd to maintain the set speed.

If I have it set for 70mph, as I approach the incline and gently give it just enough gas to keep the speed above 70mph and it will not down shift nor will you see a spike in revs. This particular why I don't like using CC because if I hold the gas pedal steady without CC, the incline might drop my speed by a mile or two, but it doesn't take much to get it back upto speed with giving a tad more gas and keeping it from downshifting. I find CC mainly useful to stretch my leg a bit or out in a flat open highway.

The next time you're using CC and approach an incline, try to give it just enough gas to be a tick faster than the set speed. It should keep it from downshifting.

 

[kensterling]

Thanks.
I think 50 more HP may not hurt either.....Just a thought.
Ken.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Thanks.
I think 50 more HP may not hurt either.....Just a thought.
Ken.

60more ft/lbs of torque at 2000 rpm would fix it for sure Mine kept getting more powerful and better through 7500mi. The slight difference in power post 7500mi and full tires help a lot. I don't know how many miles you have but it will get a little more tq over time.
:cheers:

 

[alaskaman]

I put my 07 V6 in 4th. problem solved.

 

[Uneek]

Mine kept getting more powerful and better through 7500mi. The slight difference in power post 7500mi and full tires help a lot. I don't know how many miles you have but it will get a little more tq over time.
:cheers:

I've read this posted by more members than I can remember in the past over at ToyotaNation for the 2nd gen Tacoma--same V6 as the 4th gen V6. The general consensus is the 1GR has a very long break-in period and many reported better gas mileage and increased performance after 7500 to 10k miles.

 

[alaskaman]

I've read this posted by more members than I can remember in the past over at ToyotaNation for the 2nd gen Tacoma--same V6 as the 4th gen V6. The general consensus is the 1GR has a very long break-in period and many reported better gas mileage and increased performance after 7500 to 10k miles.

That is news to me............this V6 has always had it's guns loaded...............I rarely wind it out but today I had to pull out from behind a wide load escort car and crank the Beast in full pounding rain............

control + torque/speed = security in my book. :driving:

 

[eskimochaos]

My new '08 4Runner has a bad habit of "hunting". When driving on any slight uphill slope, with no load other than the vehicle weight, the transmission will "hunt" and downshift at the slightest incline. This always happens when using Cruise Control and generally when just driving the speed limit. It is as if the V-6 doesn't have the HP to pull the truck up a small rise in the road. The dealer says, " you have to take it out of "overdrive" to get it to stop.(BS)

Anyone have this condition ? ?

Thanks,
Ken

Its not BS, the trans has artificial shift intelligence. If it feels it will do better remaining in a lower gear then it will do so. If it feels it needs to down shift, it will do so.

Its a complete drive by wire system, based on throttle input the computer tries to "understand" what you want to do based on engine load, rpm, and the reading from the on-board yaw and inclinometers.

There is a hill by my school that you have to start from a stop from. My V8 will happily stay in 3rd gear ~3000rpm until you reach about 50 when it decides if can shift into 4th; however, if I give it less throttle, it will go to 4th much sooner in the rev range.

 

[morphius909]

I put my 07 V6 in 4th. problem solved.

I tried this today during our 2nd to last day of driving home. Wow what a diff on hillls, the rig handled it like a jet engine, didn't even break a sweat!