2011 4runner - does your cruise control suck too?
- Thread starter t4rjc
- Start date
CraigRoberts
New member
Michigan is pretty flat, I've never had this issue. :surfer:
Bay33saw
New member
Not that I have ventured far in mine yet,(still under 5000 miles) but I have one or two slight inclines on my way to work and although my gears don't downshift, it does seem to gun it a little too much and by the time I am at the top of the hill is takes it's time for the RPM to settle down again.
Reata
New member
I am certainly sure you are correct. Anyone know what parts would be needed from the Lexus to make the T4R work right?
southman_70
New member
I agree my 08 Tacoma had the same issue. It was very annoying but just learned to live with it.
My 2012 SR5 does exactly this, and it is totally annoying. By far the worst cruise control I've ever used, but I still love this car.
Myron
JB.
New member
Nothing I'm reading gives me any indication the cruise has changed from the 4th gen so I'll venture a post since I use the cruise a ton. It works better for me as a co-pilot than an auto-pilot.
The key for me to keeping the bad behavior mostly under control is frequent use of the steering wheel stalk. It's pretty much driving by hand which is not set and forget, but it's much easier than the foot accelerator. 2-4 spaced acceleration taps approaching hills and then subtract them going up with one for sure near the crest. It's turned into a game, or maybe it's the other way around, where I try to keep the transmission from unlocking or down shifting going up the hill.
Obviously, traffic conditions affect when this should be done, but in light traffic it works well. WAG is perhaps people who hate it most are expecting to set it and forget it. Can be a fun cruise, though. Tap the lever a couple of times to accelerate near the top of a hill and it's like a Six Flags ride.
The key for me to keeping the bad behavior mostly under control is frequent use of the steering wheel stalk. It's pretty much driving by hand which is not set and forget, but it's much easier than the foot accelerator. 2-4 spaced acceleration taps approaching hills and then subtract them going up with one for sure near the crest. It's turned into a game, or maybe it's the other way around, where I try to keep the transmission from unlocking or down shifting going up the hill.
Obviously, traffic conditions affect when this should be done, but in light traffic it works well. WAG is perhaps people who hate it most are expecting to set it and forget it. Can be a fun cruise, though. Tap the lever a couple of times to accelerate near the top of a hill and it's like a Six Flags ride.
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mpaquette
New member
Not yet. It's on my list of things to do if/when I get some free time.
Reata
New member
***update***
OK, I called Lexus parts and they said there was no transferrable part that would help the problem. He said it was in the programming. I will call him back tomorrow and see if he can duplicate the programming in the Lexus over to my 4 Runner. He suggested I call Toyota Corporate and make a file for the problem and get all my buddies to do the same. The more we call and complain the sooner a fix will be sent out. I stressed the fact that the car was accelerating on it's own upwards of a 7-10 MPH swing on the rolling hills in my area.
If you are interested, call and file a complaint as well. Maybe we (the little people) can cause a TSB to be sent out. Also, when you take it in to the dealer, ask when the regional rep will be in and that you would like to talk to him about it.
I will post up what I find out from the Lexus dealer. It may take a few days longer because I will have to get a service advisor to believe in me enough to have it checked out and not charge me for the assessment.
Stay Tuned :snacker:
OK, I called Lexus parts and they said there was no transferrable part that would help the problem. He said it was in the programming. I will call him back tomorrow and see if he can duplicate the programming in the Lexus over to my 4 Runner. He suggested I call Toyota Corporate and make a file for the problem and get all my buddies to do the same. The more we call and complain the sooner a fix will be sent out. I stressed the fact that the car was accelerating on it's own upwards of a 7-10 MPH swing on the rolling hills in my area.
If you are interested, call and file a complaint as well. Maybe we (the little people) can cause a TSB to be sent out. Also, when you take it in to the dealer, ask when the regional rep will be in and that you would like to talk to him about it.
I will post up what I find out from the Lexus dealer. It may take a few days longer because I will have to get a service advisor to believe in me enough to have it checked out and not charge me for the assessment.
Stay Tuned :snacker:
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Jeremy556
New member
I think the every 4runner and Tacoma (probably 100,000 as many 5th gens) since the early 2000s has had this same POS cruise control, but good luck.
fungusbrain
New member
I just slide it over to 4th right as I get to the hill...it keeps the speed a lot better.
captainnemojr
New member
I agree on the suckiness of the CC going up hills. What I particularly don't like is the fact it will gradually accelerate going up the hill just as you would driving it yourself. Then all of a sudden, it downshifts and punches it for no reason just for a little hill! Shifting it into 4th does help, but one shouldn't have to do this.
TOPDECK
New member
I agree with JB. I have used my cruise a lot on very long trips and you have to get good at it. Does it kind of suck? Sure, but there is an art to it. You have to use the CC controls on the column a bit. One recommendation I have is to slow it down just a tad. If you are on a long hwy with undulating hills and it keeps down shifting like crazy, just tap the speed down ever so slightly until it doesn't do it. I have found that each hwy has a sweet spot.
Driving on hwy 40 out to the Mojave all the time has gave me a lot of practice. LOL
I have noticed where some have installed performance chips on their 4Runners. It seems the chips do little more than improve throttle response (which does need help). Does anyone know if the chip helps the poor cruse control or does the improved throttle response only show up at your foot?
I just bought a 2010 4Runner Limited and the cruise is less then perfect on this one as well...I've owned two Jeeps, a Chevy, and most recently a Highlander limited and never had the issue I have with the 4Runner cruise. Just like you posted, up a hill it kicks in and when it all levels off I am going 3-4mph faster then I have it set for...just gotta keep an eye on it.
Bay33saw
New member
I had to chime in on this, I've had my rig for 6 months now, and on my daily route to work it's pretty flat so my cruise control didn't really down shift at all, in fact it stayed spot on.
However on a recent trip to Utah, there were several quite large inclines, now the speed limit is 75 out in NV so I set it for 80 and forgot about it until I came to the first hill, "driving, driving, coming up to the hill, driving up the hill, mid way up the hill still driving, now one down shift revs up to 3500, driving up the hill, then ANOTHER down shift into 3rd! :jaw drop:
Holy sh*t my wife nearly jumps out of her set as the revs shoot up to 6500RPM's or something ". I nearly soiled my pants too and switched the thing off and continued to mess with it on the remainder of the 300 mile trip, still it continued to down shift twice on the hills and any kind of headwind it downshifted once.
My wife has a Lexus IS 250 and her cruise control is perfect, kind of holds the car at a constant RPM and seems to know it's going up a hill, I can't believe they put such a POS cruise control in what is otherwise my favorite car to date.
I will try and "Play" with it like JB says but c'mon man, my two GMC pick ups had better cruise control than this, you would think Toyota would have some sort or "inclinen-o-meter" in the car that tells it, it is going up a hill and hold the gear or something.
OK I still love my ride and it's super comfortable on the freeway.......I may call Toyota directly and speak my mind to them.
:thanks:
However on a recent trip to Utah, there were several quite large inclines, now the speed limit is 75 out in NV so I set it for 80 and forgot about it until I came to the first hill, "driving, driving, coming up to the hill, driving up the hill, mid way up the hill still driving, now one down shift revs up to 3500, driving up the hill, then ANOTHER down shift into 3rd! :jaw drop:
Holy sh*t my wife nearly jumps out of her set as the revs shoot up to 6500RPM's or something ". I nearly soiled my pants too and switched the thing off and continued to mess with it on the remainder of the 300 mile trip, still it continued to down shift twice on the hills and any kind of headwind it downshifted once.
My wife has a Lexus IS 250 and her cruise control is perfect, kind of holds the car at a constant RPM and seems to know it's going up a hill, I can't believe they put such a POS cruise control in what is otherwise my favorite car to date.
I will try and "Play" with it like JB says but c'mon man, my two GMC pick ups had better cruise control than this, you would think Toyota would have some sort or "inclinen-o-meter" in the car that tells it, it is going up a hill and hold the gear or something.
OK I still love my ride and it's super comfortable on the freeway.......I may call Toyota directly and speak my mind to them.
:thanks:
One more ditto to what everyone else has been saying. i had a 4th gen--loved everything about it except the cruise. I had high hopes with technology changing like it has that the cc would perform at least a little better. Nope! On the same 2 lane my Ford Edge (daily driver/highway car) holds within 1 mph of 57 and actually downshifts going down hills the 4R will roll up to 65 going down the hills accelerates to close to 70 going uphill. A small price to pay for all the positives of the vehicle but....
Atlanta_man
New member
No complaints with my 4th gen.
The only weird thing is that if I select 'resume' for a remembered high speed while going up a hill it will get a little over-eager after a few seconds, giving more gas and downshift than expected. Otherwise the V8 does its work very well on cruise.
The only weird thing is that if I select 'resume' for a remembered high speed while going up a hill it will get a little over-eager after a few seconds, giving more gas and downshift than expected. Otherwise the V8 does its work very well on cruise.
