Do first GEN tundras any”secret” features?

I came to say " Factory installed self-removinig lower ball joints" but you beat me to it

 

There is one feature I am really curios about that have not found in the owners manual I downloaded. (Our 2wd 4 Runner does the same thing. Both are 2006).
For lack of better term: Hill descent speed control. Similar to downshifting.
I'm wondering if it has something to do with the computer sensing the grade, and curve or what.

Today we had to make a trip.
Wife drove there, and she was getting on the brakes fairly hard slowing down for curves on the down grades, and said it didn't seem to be working.

I been playing with it for a while and trying to figure out why sometimes it seems to activate with deeper downshifts, (rather than just dropping out of O/D it downshifts another whole gear) and sometimes not so much.
On way back I drove, and discovered it seems to be light press, and release on brake pedal right at, or just short of, enough pressure to activate the brakes that results in a deeper downshift of the transmission.

Starting around one curve on a steep down grade I did a light pressure on brake in case i needed to slow down, and released when I knew speed was safe speed to take curve, and it did a downshift that increased the rpm from around 1800/2,000 to 3,000, and held it there until I touched the accelerator at bottom to climb next hill.
On another not so steep slope I applied the same press/release to brakes and downshift took rpm's from 1,000 to 2,000 until I got on accelerator to speed up again.

Does anyone know more about this feature, and will it work on off road slopes, or just a highway feature.

Edit: neither the tundra nor the 4 runner have any kind a descent control feature button, and i think I’ve gone through both owners manual’s pretty good, and have seen no mention of such as we have experienced.
Have had the 4 runner 5 or 6 years and it has done it since first time we drove those roads.

 

Mine sometimes gets stuck in first gear when I come to a complete stop. When it happens, it usually kicks into neutral like 5+ seconds after I stop. It's weird.

 

This acts like it’s part of computer set up. I don’t know. Not being able to find any mention anywhere I’m really curious about it. I posted mentioning it somewhere here before, and how hard it was to get used to touching accelerator to get them to coast.

After I discovered it was light tap I was able to get it to be rather consistent on deeper downshift.
If let off gas going down a hill rpms go up a couple hundred like it down shifts out of o/d to hold speed. As long as foot has slight pressure on accelerator it won’t downshift.
Wife was complaining on way up it wasn’t really working for her the way it usually does in her 4 runner. Not being used to the truck She was being heavier on truck brakes compared to 4 runner, and not applying as soon as normal.

The other type is where go down a hill, and barely apply brakes and immediately let off. Was doing about 55mph down slope going into curve when I tapped brakes, and it down shifted bringing rpm to 3K. Touch gas and it shifts back.

Both of our Toyota’s do this, just hasn’t been very consistent on amount of deep downshifting activation, but playing with it today seems it has to do with how brakes are applied, and after that got it to activate 3 consecutive times with that little tap.
Edit: pretty steep hills going through some of mountains here so maybe if don’t have such steep hills one isn’t going to experience it???

Took 3K rpm to hold back speed for half mile down that hill.

 

Yeah I live in the flat land of coastal Texas, so I don't have any experience with what you're describing.

Do you have a lift and bigger tires?

Do you know if you have the weird master cylinder that some DCs got?

Ever considered having your ECU tuned?

I'd start by doing more research on the A750 transmission, if you can find any info.

 

I think one thing some people here were surprised about was the ability to increase or decrease your cruise control speed 1 mph at a time.

This is done by either pushing up on the cruise control stalk momentarily to increase your speed or pushing down on the stalk to decrease it.

 

I am curious if anyone has ever tried a forced eject command with a stuck CD and got it to work. Basically, you press power on and eject simultaneously to force an eject.

Supposedly works on some Toyotas but not all.

I only found out about it years after I replaced my Toyota cassette/CD/radio player.

 

I just recently put 2884 OME springs on tundra, and 4 runner is stock.
Both ECU are stock, but have considered tuning.
Both have done this it since we got them just now figuring out how to get it to do so more consistently.

Even though 4 runner is v6 From looking both seem to have the same A750E/F transmission.

It’s gotten me really curious so I’m going to be looking into it as I get time.

A 1K rpm increase from a slight activation, and immediate release of brakes running 55mph is pretty significant, and does save brake wear and tear.
But has to be a fairly steep slope.

We’ve just found it by accident on ours traveling so many hills to visit relatives.

 

A feature mentioned in manual that’s really annoying because I don’t have a key fob right now.
If unlock door with key it turns on the cargo light, and it will come on every time you open door even if turn it off in cab.

 

Yeah, I hate that but at least it times out.

 

Mine doesn’t as long as door is open it stays on.
I like to keep mine blacked out at night.

 

you could always remove the bulbs.

 

Many Subarus used or use frameless windows. The window itself seals to the door seal, can easily use any random stick to unlock them.

 

My truck will downshift automatically on this one hill we go down, almost every time we go out to mow. However, this other hill, which is several grades steeper, nothing. Oh well....that particular hill (I'll attach the photo) is so steep, when I have the trailer in tow, I've begun to use Shift L to ease things on the brakes.

 

Yesterday I learned the big seat lever on the driver's seat, raises and lowers the seat / flattens it out.

I'll have to play with this to find the optimum setting.

 

My 1975 Pontiac Bonneville is like that. Push button locks too. Both good and bad. The theft possibility is there but I recall one time dad using a coat hanger when he locked his keys up in the car.

 

Currently, BRZ. In the past, 01-09 Outback, Legacy, Impreza (including WRX and STI),Baja just to name a few

 

Generally speaking, the Tundra was ahead of its time. I offer as evidence two very sturdy and good sized cup holders in the 60/40 fold down, plus two retractable cup holders in the dash, plus two more sturdy and good size cup holdersin the rear fold down. That's six cup holders designed into a relatively small interior a quarter century ago. burp...

 

I agree....the Tundra has a lot of neat features plus being a very capable truck.

We don't use the in-dash slide-out cupholders but we do use the two in front of the center console and the in back of it. The door pockets are full of change (in used pill bottles....can't wait to see the cop's face when he finds those!), small tools, Tums, tire pressure gauge, etc.

My front cupholders will take a gas station Gatorade bottle, wife's tumblers, etc.

 

Thanks for verifying the information I provided.

 

You're welcome

 

How much of an RPM increase does it give on the one it automatically downshifts?

On the one hill it doesn't automatically downshift on try that quick tap, and release, on the brakes then let me know if it does the downshift.
Just barely activate the brakes, very slight drag of pads, then let off completely to see if it down shifts.
I think our 4 runner is light pressure on brakes for a second, that kicks it in: I just can't remember if it only activated on the release, or just holding it for few seconds.

It's only on the release of brakes that mine activates the deep (full gear downshift.) It's taken me a few months of playing with it to get it to do more than downshift out of O/D almost every time I want it to.
I would think it would have to be some kind of feature considering our Tundra, and 4 runner plus your Tundra automatically downshifting sometimes.

 

We'll be out tomorrow (Friday) going down both of the hills mentioned and pulling a loaded trailer......I'll see what I can notice.

 

Forgot to do it on the really steep hill, but did "Shift L" since I had a loaded trailer.

Tried it on the less steep hill but could not get it to go. Will experiment further.

 

Tomorrow I'll see if any of hills are steep enough to get it to activate, and video it if so.

 

Yes, I'm pretty sure I've experienced this. I use my CD player frequently and once in a while it'll get stuck between discs if you change discs too fast. One day I got pissed with the "error 3" message and repeatedly tried turning the radio on and off while pressing eject and bumping my fist on the dash. It worked- and spit out a disc.

 

Did anyone mention some years have the quick key turn ignition (don't need to hold key on to start).

 

I use a cig lighter power outlet to plug in a bluetooth receiver/fm transmitter. It receives via Bluetooth what is playing on my iPhone and transmits to my OEM radio via FM signal. Sounds quite good. I suppose there could still be a CD in the unit. If so, it's been there for many years.

 

Here is one video did on way here this evening.
It’s a slight activation, and release of the brakes.
Took 2 tries to get it to kick in cause wasn’t either wasn’t steep enough yet or didn’t tap it right first couple tries.
Once it kicks in if get back on the throttle while still going downhill RPM’s will increase rather than downshifting unless really get on the gas.
Once you’re out of the slope it will upshift like normal.
I took some more but will have to look and see if they clear enough to use.
https://youtu.be/hUMqirFOxfM?si=qFj0nDWInOzgeIL1