Transmission D or 4? Overheat trans or lug engine

[hoggy]

I have a 2007 4runner I got 2 weeks ago. I live in Seattle area where there's lots of hills etc. I am wondering if it hurts the 4runners tranny to run in 4 all the time except on the freeway. The engine seems to either be lugging all the time or tranny shifting up and down especially around 40 mph. Seems almost like a no win situation. Purhaps Toyota should have stayed with the 4 speed with the V6 or geared it a bit diferently with 5th being a true overdrive. Anyway which is better of the 2 evils?
Thanks
hoggy

 

[Northof49]

Of course it does not hurt to run in 4 when not on the freeway.....on the other hand, the tranny will not let the engine "lug" by the definition of "lugging" before downshifting.

Neither is evil IMO....do whatever returns the best driving dynamics for your situation. That thur fancy gear shiftin' stick has 5 positions for a reason...I've never understood why people are so scared to use them

Just use good judgement and you won't be breaking anything. No need to drive around at 3,500+rpm constantly, but no need to be in D around town. Either way you won't break it....it's not a Dodge Caravan auto tranny here.

 

[hoggy]

I used to manually shift my Trans Am's automatic. That practice destroyed a ring gear in the tranny because when in second gear it didn't get enough lube if left there too long and I don't want a repeat situation with this 4runner. I realize ones a toyota and the other a Pontiac but other than that 1 thing that TA ran flawless and is still going strong with 109k. Some times in certain gear positons in auto trans they don't get good oil flow and keeping them in certain gear ranges hurt them if you leave them there too long. I do NOT know Toyota's trannys well enough to know what could/will hurt them in the long run. I hated trading the TA in on the 4runner but needed a vehicle like the 4runner more than the TA. I'm 57 and the TA was getting really hard to get in and out of. Thanks for your reply though. Any Toyota mechanics here that knows for sure the answers I'm looking for?
Thanks all,
hoggy

 

[JB.]

From 05 V8 manual.

 

[toto]

Putting the trans in "4" on the 4th Gen is equivalent to using the "Overdrive Off" button while in "D" on the previous generations.

 

[TheBlueWave]

From 05 V8 manual.

The tranny won't lock up the torque converter unless its in "4" or "D" (5th gear).
BTW, I rented a Grand Prix to drive somewhere for work, a 2008 model. It was cramped and crappy, but it had a cool info center that had a tranny fluid temp readout. It only reset every couple minutes or so, but it gave some good insight. For example, I was cruising for several hours in "D" going 65 mph, and the temp was a steady 186F the whole time. Then I hit stop and go and within 15 minutes it was showing 219F. The sending unit may be in a weird place or something, but unlocked torque converters build heat. I drive the runner around town in "4" almost all the time and haven't had problems yet.