Force an upshift?

[StormRnr]

Howdy,

My 2017 Taco is my first automatic transmission vehicle. I've driven manuals for 30 years. I'm so dumb, I once skated my wife's F-150 down a sketchy hill because I didn't know I had to shift to neutral to go into 4 low. So I have a question about the Taco.

Can I force an upshift? With cruise control on it wants to upshift to hold speed. I'd rather it just hold in 5th and maybe just go 68 instead of 70 for a minute or two. Is there any way to make it just stay in gear instead of upshifting to 4th?

Just got back from our first long trip in it and this was annoying me. It seems to hold in 4th well after we crest the hill and are stable at the set speed. Granted, I was towing a trailer. But it still seemed excessive.

Thanks,

-M

 

[Tacomadad18]

I don’t think you can force it and keep it to stay. The electronics probably won’t allow for it.

I would ask if you had the ect button on while towing?

Are you wanting the extra pep from a lower gear at higher rpm, or are you wanting lower rpm from a higher gear?

 

[StormRnr]

I did not have the ECT on. I want it to up shift for a lower RPM. It has the sport mode, but that just sets max gear, it'll still downshift.

 

[Tacomadad18]

I did not have the ECT on. I want it to up shift for a lower RPM. It has the sport mode, but that just sets max gear, it'll still downshift.

You can try it with the “his and hers” on the shifter/ gear selector. I know there is another name for it but I’ve always call it that lol. I just have my doubts the electronics will let you stay in the higher gear.

I tried the his and hers shifter on my wife’s car and even if you try to not down shift or up shift, the car will just do it on its own- since it does not require a clutch to engage each gear.

 

[Relic]

Here's what I have understanding of:

Apparently, s mode isn't sport mode like you will find on usual cars. It's a shift limiter mode. Basically you can tell transmission to limit the up shifting to selected gear. This means you can force a downshift, but not an up shift. If tranny doesn't want to go to 6th from 5th it won't.

 

[Biohazard]

There is a super detailed series of threads on this topic on tw, but in short, the 2016-2019’s have a complicated transmission shifting algorithm designed to keep you in the engine’s powerband. Unfortunately, it shifts around a lot and downshifts more than usual.

My major complaint on my 2016 was this issue, and it got me into a Jeep for a few years. I’m now back into a Tacoma, and for 2020 the tranny algorithm has been considerably reworked, in my opinion much for the better. No more gear hunting, and it holds the upper gears longer.

In 2017 Toyota would flash the truck’s computer to update the tranny algorithm, and I suspect that is a possibility again. It won’t make your truck hold the gear absolutely, but it might make the experience better.