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Gen 2.5 likes to downshift

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by Fitzf15E, Jul 3, 2022.

  1. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:11 PM
    #1
    Fitzf15E

    Fitzf15E [OP] New Member

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    Are all Gen 2.5s shift happy?
    When driving 65-70 on even the slightest incline the truck shifts to fifth, and sometimes fourth (just me and maybe 200 pounds of gear). There are times I don't even realize I'm on a grade, except for the downshift. These are all areas we drive in our other vehicles where they never come out of either O/D or sixth (M/T). Add in my UTV trailer loaded with the UTV (about 2100 pounds plus wind drag) and its even gone down into third, and it seems to be getting worse. Yesterday I wasn't even towing/hauling anything, just me and the dog in the truck, and I accelerated from 65 to 70 on a flat stretch of road using the cruise control. Even that gentle acceleration caused it to shift to fifth, where it stayed for the next mile or so before reaching a slight decline where it finally went back onto sixth. Is this normal in a Gen 2.5?
     
  2. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:16 PM
    #2
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    Our trucks are geared extremely high. The transmissions basically have 2 overdrives. An aftermarket tune can smooth out and alter shift points a bit so that's an option.

    Are you running a stock tire size?
     
    GODZILLA likes this.
  3. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:18 PM
    #3
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    Cruise control love to down shifts just to maintain the speed
     
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  4. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:20 PM
    #4
    Fitzf15E

    Fitzf15E [OP] New Member

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    Yep, same LTX AT/2s that it came with (for now).
     
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  5. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:28 PM
    #5
    Hbjeff

    Hbjeff New Member

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    Bullydog cut down my highway downshifts on those little hills. Not sure what it does different but the trans shifts way nicer.

    the trans will stay cooler in 4th than in 5th or 6th even with higher rpms. There is a ton more power at that rpm
     
  6. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:32 PM
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    Tripleconpanna

    Tripleconpanna Just an X who bought Bud Light from Target

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    Mileage???
     
  7. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:33 PM
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    endagon

    endagon New Member

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    Must be the new programming to keep trans temps down when there's no extra trans cooler. The older ones need a heck of a hill to get it out of 6th.
     
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  8. Jul 3, 2022 at 1:47 PM
    #8
    Fitzf15E

    Fitzf15E [OP] New Member

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    just over 3K
     
  9. Jul 3, 2022 at 2:43 PM
    #9
    RustyShackle323

    RustyShackle323 New Member

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    Yep, I’ve noticed the same thing on my 19 as well. Driving to KY lake we hit some hills going up and down, transmission shifts quite a bit. If I see a large hill coming up I tend to flip off the cruise and control throttle myself to keep if from downshifting. I did notice it really likes to downshift a gear or two going down hill. At first I’m like what the heck is going on, but after a few times of it doing that, I like it. Saves on them brakes a bit and is totally normal for our trucks from what I’ve found.
     
  10. Jul 3, 2022 at 2:44 PM
    #10
    Silver17

    Silver17 Used, but returned and sold as new member

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    When mine was NA I will say cruise control does try to maintain speed too precisely that it caused it to downshift before I would like. Does it have stock exhaust or have you went to something aftermarket? That can effect the cruising torque at those low RPMs. A lot of it is the tuning. You could always get a DAP tune or similar and a lot of that can be improved on.
     
    reywcms likes this.
  11. Jul 3, 2022 at 2:49 PM
    #11
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    I hardly ever use CC. Even on long road trips. You wanna save gas? Don't use it.
     
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  12. Jul 3, 2022 at 2:49 PM
    #12
    CMikeB

    CMikeB New Member

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    My 2010 SR5 has Toyota's Sequential Shift capability. I simply keep the shifter in "S" mode and choose the proper gears for speed, load and road conditions. In Cruise Control, towing or empty, it really makes a difference.
     
  13. Jul 3, 2022 at 2:52 PM
    #13
    Fitzf15E

    Fitzf15E [OP] New Member

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    Still has the stock exhaust.
     
  14. Jul 3, 2022 at 4:20 PM
    #14
    Tripleconpanna

    Tripleconpanna Just an X who bought Bud Light from Target

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    Depending on your driving habits (especially if this was your first road trip of duration), the truck (computer) may still be learning your pedal habits, etc...

    I do agree w/the other comments on CC; if you're in D and start to climb or descend (add or reduce engine load), it seems to 'wait' a little too long and then you get a sharper reaction as it tries to catch up. When towing, I generally had my '08 in D4, and it helped reduce the up/down shifts. After owning it for a few years, I started to use the sequential shift on FWY/HWY grades to eliminate the up/down shifts even w/o having something in tow or being loaded. Also, as Rustyshackle stated, if I'm beginning a downhill grade and slap it over to D4, the engine braking will help with allowing me to feather the brake pedal to maintain appropriate speed in lieu harsher brake applications.

    My '21 has adaptive cruise, and it seems to stay at speed much better (not sure if it's the CC system or due to it being a newer vehicle). I have noticed this truck holds a gear a little longer than my '08 under normal driving conditions, but I'm just passing 3k miles as well; so, i'm not sure if it's still doing some learning. What I can say though (I know we joke about the tow/haul button a lot) but in all seriousness it really smooths out the shift point (consistency) and will even downshift faster, etc... It is my understanding that by engaging this button you are essentially remapping the transmission (to make up for load) and this also increases throttle responsiveness (which is why some of us use it to have some fun with). You may find that by engaging tow/haul under certain conditions helps give the truck more balance between your input as a driver and what you expect out of it...

    I hope that makes sense!
     
    CMikeB and Retired...finally like this.
  15. Jul 3, 2022 at 4:57 PM
    #15
    batman900

    batman900 Yep

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    Mine does pretty good without about 150lbs added plus me. It's a dream compared to the current gen Tacoma. That truck downshifts going downhill if there's a headwind.
     
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  16. Jul 3, 2022 at 5:53 PM
    #16
    Clemsonman14

    Clemsonman14 New Member

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    Coming from a Silverado that lugged up hills I like the way my tundra shifts. In the Silverado you had to absolutely floor it to get any power going up a hill
     
  17. Jul 3, 2022 at 7:01 PM
    #17
    EmergencyMaximum

    EmergencyMaximum New Member

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    Interesting! For mine, it's quite the opposite. To let her downshift on the highway, I have to either do abrupt gas pedal press or depress her pretty deep. She typically has no issues keeping 6th and maintaining speed uphills.

    She will happily downshift below 52, but anything above, you have to make her. It's fun though
    :burnrubber::yay::smack:

    When going downhill, downshift usually happens when you touch the brake. If you don't, the truck will keep going. Depending on the rate of acceleration(grade) going downhill, truck may jump two gears down instead of one, making a strong engine brake.

    I often trick her by gently engaging the brake pedal before heavy downhill starts and she won't downshift. I figure if it's not a long way ahead and I'm not pulling anything, no reason to make transmission do the braking and rather use rotors to slow down.

    2010 dclb 4.6 v8 tow pkg.
     
  18. Jul 3, 2022 at 7:11 PM
    #18
    Winning8

    Winning8 New Member

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    I think the non tranny cooler is more shift happy, just to keep the tranny temp cooler
     
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  19. Jul 3, 2022 at 7:19 PM
    #19
    Fitzf15E

    Fitzf15E [OP] New Member

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    These last few replies are the exact opposite of my experience:

    My Silverado never lugged, and rarely downshifted unless it was towing heavy on the steeps (granted, it was the big Duramax, so no real comparison there). Even my ancient Tahoe (also with a 5.7) could tow my boat up out of Salt Lake towards Evanston without ever coming out of overdrive.

    I can't get the Tundra to downshift/engine brake coming downhill out of hunting camp, even in tow/haul mode so I wind up using S mode to keep speed under control, which is probably what I'm going to start using more in regular driving to prevent incessant downshifting.

    I put the GCS tranny cooler on the Tundra, so temps shouldn't be an issue, though maybe the shift programming just assumes no cooler rather than looking at actual temps.
     
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  20. Jul 3, 2022 at 7:57 PM
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    MadMaxCanon

    MadMaxCanon New Member

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    Too many, but not enough....
    I just did a road trip and noticed the same thing.
     
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  21. Jul 3, 2022 at 8:42 PM
    #21
    texasrho83

    texasrho83 DGAF#1

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    In light of this, you may wanna let the dealer take a look at it.
     
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  22. Jul 5, 2022 at 7:13 PM
    #22
    PA452

    PA452 New Member

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    I don't really notice my '21 shifting any more than my '18 did. I never use cruise control though. Never once even tried it in my '18 or '21. I bet I haven't used cruise control in any vehicle for about 15 years. Was just never a fan.

    Now my '21 definitely has less pep and poorer fuel mileage than my '18 did. My '21 with tow/haul engaged feels like my '18 with tow/haul off.
     
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  23. Aug 4, 2022 at 4:39 PM
    #23
    Fitzf15E

    Fitzf15E [OP] New Member

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    OK, went down another rabbit hole with this shifting thing a couple days ago. Decided to experiment a bit as it was the first time I'd taken the Tundra up one of the bigger local hills, 2700' rise across seven miles. It's a big hill, but every other vehicle we have handles it at 70 mph just fine in overdrive or in top gear (manual transmissions). Not so much with the Tundra, it was down in fourth again, and its not like I was challenging it, not towing anything, just me, a Leer cab height cap, about 250 pounds of gear and less than half a tank of gas. Fourth gear? YGBSM! OK, I'll fix this. I swap to S mode and move it to S5, but the computer has a different idea, back to S4 it goes for a few seconds, then back to S5, then back to S4, back to S5, after it did about four iterations of this I put it back in D. Fine, let's try something else, I select tow/haul mode and swap to S mode again selecting S5, same thing, back and forth it goes between S4 and S5 all on its own. What's the point of S mode if it overrides even when you're already in a good part of the power band?
     
  24. Aug 4, 2022 at 7:01 PM
    #24
    Jaypown

    Jaypown New Member

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    Can’t comment on the constant shifting but “S” mode only limits the highest gear. It doesn’t lock into a single chosen gear. So if you go into S5, it can still shift automatically from 1-5.
     
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  25. Aug 4, 2022 at 7:03 PM
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    endagon

    endagon New Member

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    Mine only downshifts out of 6th if engine load on the ultragauge passes 92%, but we don't have many 7% long grades around here.

    High altitude will make it shift happy just due to requiring more throttle to make the same power
     
  26. Aug 4, 2022 at 7:25 PM
    #26
    EmergencyMaximum

    EmergencyMaximum New Member

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    Automatic transmission is meant to downshift under load. If she doesn't downshift under load, I'd be worried.
     
  27. Aug 4, 2022 at 10:33 PM
    #27
    art64

    art64 New Member

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    The S mode only limits the highest gear the transmission will upshift. You need an aftermarket tune to have Gear Lock and Direct Shift features. These features will lock the gear you selected and the Direct Shift will allow you to upshift without ecu intervention. So it is a quick upshift.

    Safety stuff are put in place. If rpm goes below 1500, then the ecu takes over and direct shift and gear lock features are not in effect at that point and the transmission will be in automatic mode. To get the features back just downshift the shifter to match the actual gear the transmission is in I.e. from S6 to S5. More usable torque available when using these features.

    Now, the torque converter lock is another tunable area but may not be desirable all the time. Better to have a manual external controller or module where you can turn it on or off--as far as tc lock. When tc is locked in 6th gear, there's not much torque available compared to when the tc unlocks.
     

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