how to use the automatic stick

[pacho]

let me clarify, i've driven many automatics before but they were someone else's car, and since they were not mine, all i cared about was the D, P, and the R, but now since i own my very first automatic, I thought I ask about the finer nuances of the automatic stick - if there is.... well, i know its a stupid question to many, but no harm typing the question so there you go. thanks for all the feedback

 

[FrontRange4Runner]

let me clarify, i've driven many automatics before but they were someone else's car, and since they were not mine, all i cared about was the D, P, and the R, but now since i own my very first automatic, I thought I ask about the finer nuances of the automatic stick - if there is.... well, i know its a stupid question to many, but no harm typing the question so there you go. thanks for all the feedback

There really are not any nuances of driving an auto. 95% of the population that drives autos simply puts the transmission in P when they want to park, R when they want to reverse and D when they want to go. Manufacturers know this and basically make these modern transmissions as "fool(literally)proof" as possible. You can use the manual mode on the 4Runner without worry. The computer nanny's will kick in long before it allows you to do any damage. As for using Neutral when at a stop light...it's up to you, but keep in mind that if you ever need to get out of the way quickly, you will be in trouble.

 

[buchaja]

That makes no sense, you can move the lever forward or backward to upshift with a manual transmission, it all depends on which gear you're shifting from, lol.

I think it's just the first to second movement that stays with me and makes me think this way. Whatever it is, it's stuck in my brain and it just feels backwards in the 4runner, lol.

 

[jrandom]

That makes no sense, you can move the lever forward or backward to upshift with a manual transmission, it all depends on which gear you're shifting from, lol.

Yeah but typical stick 2 and 4 and R are down. 2 being the next gear after you mash it and dump the clutch! :zoom:

I try to think of it like the throttles in an airplane. Forward = Go faster / Back = Slow down.

LOL The closest I have come to flying a plane is jumping off a cliff on skis and I usually push my hands down and forward depending on speed/vertical drop so yeah I guess that makes sense.


I really wish the damn truck just had a 6+ speed manual in it anyway, using the toopid mode seems so laggy so it certainly isn't sport, I might as well just mash the pedal with that awesome response time. Good for holding a gear I suppose...

 

[JohnJerk]

What just happened...

 

[jrandom]

[C] mode :madgrin:

 

[IAmTodd]

This is interesting so I want to double check what I think you're saying. They are automatics that prevent both up and down shifting out of the selected gear?

This is how I would prefer it to be, though I suppose too many people would get themselves into trouble leaving it in manual mode when coming to a stop.

Correct. Most of my experience is with Saabs but a lot of others work the same. When shifted to manual mode you control all the changes. If you leave it in first it will take first and bounce off the red line all day long. You can start out in a gear as high as 3, if you try to go higher it will just bump it back to 3. Say you're cruising down the road in fourth and come up to a red light. When you come to a complete stop it will automatically select first and then it's up to you to shift again. If you lug the car down in 6th gear it will stay in 6th, it will possibly downshift if the revs become to low I'm not 100% sure in that situation.

I was very surprised that the 4R immediately goes into '4th' when using selectshift and still shifts through the gears normally. I'd much prefer a standard PRND4321 shift arrangement in this case. I think it's going to be a pain when offroading and only wanting to use first or second gear and having to bump down through the range.

 

[bimrunner]

Correct. Most of my experience is with Saabs but a lot of others work the same. When shifted to manual mode you control all the changes. If you leave it in first it will take first and bounce off the red line all day long. You can start out in a gear as high as 3, if you try to go higher it will just bump it back to 3. Say you're cruising down the road in fourth and come up to a red light. When you come to a complete stop it will automatically select first and then it's up to you to shift again. If you lug the car down in 6th gear it will stay in 6th, it will possibly downshift if the revs become to low I'm not 100% sure in that situation.

I was very surprised that the 4R immediately goes into '4th' when using selectshift and still shifts through the gears normally. I'd much prefer a standard PRND4321 shift arrangement in this case. I think it's going to be a pain when offroading and only wanting to use first or second gear and having to bump down through the range.

Actually that is also how my wife'a MDX also works. It does both ways. If you leave it in regular D, you can downshift with paddle shifters and it behaves like the S mode in the 4runner, but if you go to manual Sport, it will let you completely control the gearing (you can/do still use the paddle shifters to shift). Much nicer implementation, but really isn't why I got the 4Runner so I don't really care. Tapping down to 1 or 2 on the trail isn't difficult and I have gotten used to it.

 

[Intruder]

I think it's going to be a pain when offroading and only wanting to use first or second gear and having to bump down through the range.

I actually prefer having the bump up and down off road. I tend to live mainly in 3rd and 2nd off road and when I need to change it's easy to just bump the stick in the direction I want. 1st only gets used on steep downhills, and 4th when there's a relatively flat and open stretch.

 

[IAmTodd]

I agree, I didn't buy it to be slapping gears up and down on the curves so mostly it's fine and since I haven't had it long I'm still getting used to it. When in low does it select the gear you have it in or does it shift until it hits your selected gear?

 

[cbreze]

Sidetracking here... LOL Is it just me :crazy: or does it seem backwards that you pull back to down shift and push forward to go up? It seems totally counter-intuitive to me,

Seems normal to me. I look at it as pulling "down" to downshift and go "up" to upshift.

Side note: I'm always in sport mode and keep it in 4th driving around town.
My town is hilly and the engine braking ability by downshifting really saves on brakes.

 

[bimrunner]

I agree, I didn't buy it to be slapping gears up and down on the curves so mostly it's fine and since I haven't had it long I'm still getting used to it. When in low does it select the gear you have it in or does it shift until it hits your selected gear?

I assume you mean 4L and it will shift until you hit the selected gear (same in all modes). So if you leave it in 2-4 in 4L and stop, it starts in 1st gear and moves up until you reach the gear selected/limited to. I like it like that myself on trail.

 

[IAmTodd]

I assume you mean 4L and it will shift until you hit the selected gear (same in all modes). So if you leave it in 2-4 in 4L and stop, it starts in 1st gear and moves up until you reach the gear selected/limited to. I like it like that myself on trail.

Ok. This will be my first time wheeling in an auto. I'm used to a manual where I start out in second or third and only use 1 when it's really needed.

 

[pimpsta]

Guys, where would I find the shift indicator light? Looked all over the dash and even checked the manual.... :noidea:

 

[Celtic1888]

I have been using a manual stick on all my vehicles all my life, and my 2014 4R is my first auto-stick vehicle. Although i 'think' i know how to use an auto stick, i want to make sure i 'm doing it right. any veteran tips ? for example;
1.) when im in the 'P' position, and i want to go forward or reverse, do i just put it in D or R or am i supposed to press the brake pedal first ?

2.) do i press the brake first before starting the 4runner ignition ? or not necessary ?

3.) when im at a stoplight, i get tired of holding the brake down so i usually put it in N then when its green i put it back in D, is this ok ? or not good ?

4.) when do I use the S position ? only for uphill ? or ?

I just want to make sure i'm not wrecking the auto transmission. thanks

 

[jrandom]

Seems normal to me. I look at it as pulling "down" to downshift and go "up" to upshift.

Side note: I'm always in sport mode and keep it in 4th driving around town.
My town is hilly and the engine braking ability by downshifting really saves on brakes.

You drive it in all the time so of course it feels normal now, how was it when you very first used it?

I used car wheel mounted paddle shifters as an example earlier, this is in effect the same behaviour as a paddle shifter except the shift directions are backwards.

Not that anything I am saying would ever change anything, I just think it was an interesting choice that Toyota made and simply curious how other people felt about it.

 

[eddiebx]

You drive it in all the time so of course it feels normal now, how was it when you very first used it?

I used car wheel mounted paddle shifters as an example earlier, this is in effect the same behaviour as a paddle shifter except the shift directions are backwards.

Not that anything I am saying would ever change anything, I just think it was an interesting choice that Toyota made and simply curious how other people felt about it.

I think our "backwards" shifter issue affects only the purists, whom are really in tune with cockpit. I've noticed that only on more high end race oriented sports cars the +/- are configured in the "backwards" fashion.

Pretty sure the masses don't know the difference and couldn't careless even if they did, lol.

FWIW, I agree with you guys that it seems backwards, but at the same time, I really don't a damn either since I barely use it

 

[Antman]

I've got the definitive source right here. Good old NoLifeJohnnie.:madgrin:

 

[jrandom]

ROFLMAO "THE" definitive, I was going to be mad and say you wasted three minutes of my life but I couldn't stop chuckling

"...and you shift at 43 mph"