How many people use manual shift all the time?

[Northof49]

I would avoid using the trans to shed speed. Why would you put extra wear and tear on the trans and motor. The brake pads are allot cheaper to replace.

Koz

To some degree.....but there is no way I'm coming down 6,000ft in elevation on a mountain pass without taking it out of overdrive. To a reasonable extent, the engine and trans are designed to engine brake. As mentioned before, banging gears to 4,000rpm while downsift probably isn't the best idea.....but the same hold true for a manual trans.

 

[AlexJet]

I'd appreciate if Toyota will make "ShiftTronic" to the 5th Gen. 4Runner. I like to use "D" in city traffic and "manual" control on a highway, "manual" is also can be used in some off-road condition. So, the best thing is to have both in one. My previous Montero had "shifttronic" and I like it.

 

[Northof49]

I'd appreciate if Toyota will make "ShiftTronic" to the 5th Gen. 4Runner. I like to use "D" in city traffic and "manual" control on a highway, "manual" is also can be used in some off-road condition. So, the best thing is to have both in one. My previous Montero had "shifttronic" and I like it.

Shifting the 4Runner's shifter through it's gates is the mechanical equivalent of shifting with sporttronic, shifttronic, sportshift......just different ways of selecting gears in an automatic transmission.

 

[AlexJet]

Shifting the 4Runner's shifter through it's gates is the mechanical equivalent of shifting with sporttronic, shifttronic, sportshift......just different ways of selecting gears in an automatic transmission.

It's easier to do it using just shift "up" and "down" then via Z-shaped shifter

 

[Casper]

I am constantly going through the gears on mine..a habit of wanting to control what gearr im in from my previous sports cars. The lack of a manual is the one detraction that had me even look at an Xterra

 

[OUTRNNR]

I shift between D-4-3 all the time when coming down from the mountains and to aid in stopping at stop lights, also if I have to make a quick stop in traffic I downshift from D-4-3. I don't believe this would introduce any extra wear to the tranny; all transmissions are designed for engine braking.

I love the 5 speed in the V8's. D is great for highway cruising and turns the engine at low enough rpm to save gas at highway speeds. The V8 also produces enough torque to cruise along in D at 45+ mph and decently accelerate on level ground without downshifting.

The thing that annoys me is while passing or going WOT in 5th gear (D) there is a delay then a quick shift to 4th then a delay and finally a downshift to 3rd; the whole process seems to take longer than it should. Whats wrong with going from 5th directly to 3rd as long as the engine speed would permit it? To cure this, if I know I'm going to pass, I'll pull it down to 4th for a couple of seconds then nail it and it kicks down to 3rd and SEEEEEEYA! :runaway:

This seems like it delivers the engine's power much better than leaving it in D.

my two red pennies....

 

[Koz]

There is no reason why you can't manually downshift to whatever gear you need to pass as long as you give yourself enough RPMs before you need to up-shift. To downshift to 4500 RPM and have to up-shift as soon you mash it down is pointless. I like to be hovering around 3K to 3.5K RPMs when it's time to mash.

Koz

 

[RickyCRX]

Has anybody ever noticed on moderate acceleration from a stop to highway speeds going downhill, sometimes the transmission gets confused in 3rd gear? On my 4Runner, it will let the RPM come up to around 3,000 or so, even if I am not longer accelerating very much, then after what seems like a couple of seconds it will all of a sudden get confused where the rpms climb up about 500 or so, then it drops directly into overdrive where it will then be sitting at 1,800-2,000rpm like it should have been in the first place? I only tend to notice this when I'm leaving my house heading a specific direction that involves a fairly nice downhill right out of my neighborhood onto a highway. It's about the only time I notice it do that.

Ricky

 

[Koz]

Has anybody ever noticed on moderate acceleration from a stop to highway speeds going downhill, sometimes the transmission gets confused in 3rd gear? On my 4Runner, it will let the RPM come up to around 3,000 or so, even if I am not longer accelerating very much, then after what seems like a couple of seconds it will all of a sudden get confused where the rpms climb up about 500 or so, then it drops directly into overdrive where it will then be sitting at 1,800-2,000rpm like it should have been in the first place? I only tend to notice this when I'm leaving my house heading a specific direction that involves a fairly nice downhill right out of my neighborhood onto a highway. It's about the only time I notice it do that.

Ricky

As posted above;

The 4Runner's trans will stay in the gear you are in when you let off the gas, it will not up-shift. This is very helpful when off-roading and going downhill on pavement.

Koz

 

[RickyCRX]

I never said I lifted off the throttle. I simply reduced my throttle position as I got to a cruising speed. The strange part that I'm curious about is that the tach will surge up about 500-800rpm, then the transmission will all of a sudden engage itself in overdrive, dropping the revs back down about 1,500rpm or so into overdrive. I've never had a vehicle do that.

Ricky

 

[Koz]

I think what is happening is you approaching the next shift point and the trans' electronic intelligents is getting two commands, shift and reduce acceleration (on a decent) at the same time. So basically the trans is being told to shift and maintain that gear, then it realizes it needs to shift.

Koz

 

[Iowa4Runner]

I never said I lifted off the throttle. I simply reduced my throttle position as I got to a cruising speed. The strange part that I'm curious about is that the tach will surge up about 500-800rpm, then the transmission will all of a sudden engage itself in overdrive, dropping the revs back down about 1,500rpm or so into overdrive. I've never had a vehicle do that.

Ricky

The tranny shift controls have a few bugs that need to be worked out, this could be one of them. Two of the problems I've noticed usually happen when on a slight downhill. Interesting...

 

[OUTRNNR]

Maybe it the change in rpm you are seeing has something to do with the torque converter locking in or out due to change in throttle position. Then the computer realizes there is enough momentum to shift into overdrive.

 

[Koz]

The trans is going to delay the up-shift based on the throttle position. If you are WOT it will not shift until you have reached the maximum safe RPM programmed in (approx 5500 RPM). If you decide to change the throttle position to, let

 

[RickyCRX]

The trans is going to delay the up-shift based on the throttle position. If you are WOT it will not shift until you have reached the maximum safe RPM programmed in (approx 5500 RPM). If you decide to change the throttle position to, let

 

[Koz]

I just don't like the fact that the torque convertor unlocks when you take your foot off the gas pedal at 60+mph... I wish it would stay locked up at all times at highway speeds (unless it needs to downshift).

That's the single most annoying thing about the 4Runner is the torque convertor coming unlocked on the highway when the cruise control is on and it reduces throttle to the point that there IS no throttle to prevent the vehicle from gaining speed. When the cruise control later re-applies throttle to maintain speed, the TCC does not lock back up until you disengage cruise control, wait for it to lock while your foot is on the gas pedal, then turn cruise control back on. It makes using cruise control a real pain in the butt when you are in hilly terrain.

Ricky

I have never noticed the converter unlocking unless you are on an incline. I actually remember thinking to myself, when is the converter going to unlock even on an incline. I usually set the cruise at 65/70 mph. I'm going to check it out and pay attention.

Koz

 

[RickyCRX]

I have never noticed the converter unlocking unless you are on an incline. I actually remember thinking to myself, when is the converter going to unlock even on an incline. I usually set the cruise at 65/70 mph. I'm going to check it out and pay attention.

Koz

Yeah, you'll notice that when you're cruising along at, say, 70-80mph with the TCC locked up, when you take your foot off the gas, the tach immediately drops several hundred RPM.

I had a '98 S-10 Blazer prior to this, and when I took my foot off the gas pedal at 65-80mph, the tach didn't move immediately.... As the vehicle began slowing down from the engine braking, the tach would then go down respective to the vehicle's speed until I got under 45 or so mph, at which point it would unlock itself and downshift.

The 4Runner, you will notice, unlocks it and when you get back on the throttle to go back to 'steady cruising' the tach will go back up slightly, then you'll see it drop a little when the TCC re-locks itself.

I am very in-tune with vehicles and what they do... I also notice when things behave strangely or in ways that make no sense at all (for example that 'confused' state it gets in when accelerating down a good hill).

Ricky