Tundra shifting weird? Really annoying

I recently bought a 2017 Tundra 4x4 5.7, with low miles. I have put around 1,200 miles on it since I got it. I noticed almost right away that soon after I let off the gas at 40MPH or any speed less it downshifts almost right away to what feels like a very low gear and doesn't let me coast at all. It slows itself down pretty abruptly after letting off the gas. It downshifts like you would a manual transmission when your coming to a stop from a distance and you don't want to use the brakes. I almost always have to then press on the gas to pull back out of the lower gear.

It doesn't matter if I'm driving down a hill or flat ground, it does it every time. It also downshifts when I let off the gas at higher speeds too, but that seemed to have gotten a little better after I started driving the truck more aggressively. Has anyone else experienced this? It also always makes a quiet single ticking sound at around 35-40mph whenever I accelerate relatively quickly. It sounds like its coming from the engine/dashboard area.

 

I have not experienced this on my 2016. Sorry that I'm of no help on this one.

 

You aren't in tow/haul mode by any chance?

 

no not in tow haul mode. I think it still did it in tow haul mode too though.

 

Not in manual mode, either?

 

I believe there is a shift position sensor and it could be AFU.

 

Or memorized the Previous Owners driving habits. Maybe a Battery disconnect will reset it.....js.

 

I assume you are in “D” not in the manual mode on the shifter. I’m not sure what all the possible modes of operation are.

As mentioned, it could be a memory thing. I noticed that if you are coasting and touch the brakes it will do a slowdown, but is dependent upon how recently you have done it. When going to a coasting mode, are you doing a gently decrease or a foot off the accelerator in a microsecond? My 2 cents.

 

One other truck manufacturer claimed a shift solenoid in their tranny needed replacing.......

Were you driving a FFFfffffffff ( can’t even say it)

 

either something different with 2017 or its your car. One of my complaints (coming from manual trans background) is that My 2016 "coasts" or lugs too much in higher gears without downshifting ... but I learned this is normal. sounds like your car is downshifting too much.
I know that the tow mode has a different program and downshifts more often ... are these kind of things programmable using for example techstream or other tools?
if so, maybe previous owner tweaked it a little!

 

DAP tune it. You won't ever talk about bad shift points again.

 

Should be under warranty. What does the dealer say?

 

Dealer says What ?

 

Yes its in D mode, automatic mode.
It starts slowing down before my foot is even completely off the accelerator. I do take it off gently though. I take it to the dealer next week.

 

Be interested to hear what the dealer says. Mine does the same thing. I DAP tuned it so my shift points are smooth, but still get that down shift when letting of the gas pedal. I’ll pay attention to it more tomorrow morning.

 

Mine use to do that. It has learned me now.

 

Was your dealer able to correct the problem? Any info would be appreciated.

 

The ticking sound I think was actually coming from the dash area and has gotten quieter and less frequent. The dealer didn’t seem to be concerned.

The shifting went away after I put more miles on the truck.

 

when I first bought my truck, I experienced the same thing, but not to the degree that you are talking about. after a few thousand miles, the ECU learned the tune and my driving habits and the shifting became smooth.

 

Glad I found this thread. Just purchased a 2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4x2 (148k) and noticed this behavior after 2 days of purchasing vehicle.

When I am coasting down (no accelerator application) it downshifts firmly at 40 mph and feels like the car is braking/holding back.

At first I thought it was some advanced assistive braking since it’s a big truck, but after some quick internet time it’s apparently something a lot of people experience.

I’m taking it in to the Toyota Dealer this Friday for an inspection and will tell them to check it out or get feedback on if this is usual.

Any other recommendations or advice or am I getting worried over nothing?

 

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but it seemed better than starting a new one with the exact same question.

I have this exact same frustration with my 2018 as others have explained in this thread (downshifts immediately upon releasing accelerator / also downshifts too quickly when depressing accelerator. Basically, it's impossible to make any kind of subtle speed/throttle adjustment when traveling at highway or cruising speeds, without feeling the slight jerk into lower gear and hearing the engine rev up.)

Have any of the previous commentors - or anybody else for that matter - found resolution?

The idea of letting the computer learn my habits" hasn't worked. I'm not sure how it could, when it's overriding my intentions all the time.

 

Same. Watching

 

The OP hasn't been on in a while. I wouldn't hold your breath for a response from him, but somebody else can help you out.

 

I'm not the OP, but I posted the comment that I think @BiloxiTundra was responding to. I haven't achieved a satisfactory solution yet, but have learned more since posting. For what it's worth:

A. I think a tune is going to be the best/only way to deal with this. Basically, you'll want to adjust the shift points (for both throttle and speed triggers). The three things that have kept me from doing this still are: 1) There aren't as many off-the-shelf tunes available for 2018 and later trucks, because the computer interface connection (whatever it's called - where you'd plug in under the dash) is different than older trucks; 2) I live in a rural area, so it's not easy to get to an experienced tuner to do this in person; and 3) most of the tunes (and tuners) are geared toward hot-rodding. I wouldn't mind more performance, but I'm really after better drivability and it's going to take some trial and error to fine tune it - even with someone experienced - if they are accustomed to tuning for off-the-line performance.

B. One of the things that bothers me about the early down-shifting and inability to coast, is that I imagine it's hurting my mileage. After watching it closely, I don't think this is the case - or is not as bad as I think. On the other hand, it undoubtedly DOES reduce wear on the brake pads. In fact, being someone who prefers manual transmissions, it's now become second-nature for me to shift into the sequential mode and down-shift when slowing down rapidly, to try to use brakes as little as possible. So this has masked much of my annoyance with the truck downshifting for me.

C. An interesting fact about the factory shift points & throttle tuning is that it's designed to prevent damage to a fragile, under-sized transmission. Some of the performance tunes could introduce some pretty jarring forces that the transmission isn't designed to handle in the way that, for instance, old turbohydros could. (Imagine a scenario upon rapid acceleration: if a gear is held longer into higher RPMs, and the throttle is not electronically backed off as intended while shifting, you will "slam" into the next gear with more force than the engineers designed for. Forces would be worse if someone put larger-than stock tires on.) Not really relevant to what I personally want to achieve, but good to keep in mind.

D. As you've probably noticed, the truck's behavior is most annoying right around 55 mph. This is not only where it's constantly hunting for gears, but is also where it is the loudest. Kind of odd design decisions because - at least in my little part of the world - that's the highway speed where I have to spend most of my time. On a road trip with larger and less crowded highways where I can go faster, or on dirt roads or in the mountains where I'm going slower, it's not as big of a deal. Separate from the shifting issue, it turns out that the incessant, droning, maddening, mind-numbing noise can be tuned out with something called a Helmholtz resonator. (A search in the form will show some options.) Basically, it's a short, tuned section of exhaust pipe with a closed end, that bolts on and branches off your main exhaust near the rear axle and spare tire. It works to cancel the resonant frequency similar to the effect of blowing over the top of a coke bottle. You reminded me that I want to do this this summer!

 

you mean this transmission?

“The AB60E/F, therefore, took all those lessons learned from both trucks and cars of the 1990s and early 2000s, and put them all into a unit that is built to last. It isn’t the most powerful, isn’t the most tuneable, and isn’t really even known by name. But with its onboard sensors, high-tech communications with all other driveline components, and storied history behind its development, this unassuming transmission can handle 600+ lb-ft of torque without issue.”

 

I guess so. But I think it's safe to assume that the torque it can handle when locked into a gear is completely different than what it can handle during the act of shifting. Probably not unlike a bomb-proof Sturmey Archer 3 speed planetary gear hub that you might have had on a bicycle as a kid. Many of those built in the 1940s are still in service and working well. But if the indexing is off and a strong rider pedals hard while between gears, all sorts of pieces will shear off.

I'm not suggesting that Toyota's transmission is inferior. For all I know, ALL modern transmissions are designed this way. My point just that sometimes when the behavior of vehicles seems inexplicable and annoying (particularly to us older guys who grew up knowing absolute control over our vehicles through things like manual transmissions, CPU-less points ignition and carburetors with mechanical throttle linkage and manual chokes), there's a reason.

I derive no "joy" from driving my Tundra - or any other car that does half the thinking/driving for me. But I'm learning to accept that for what it is. I DO find joy in having time to do other things because of Toyota's reliability. My first-gen tundra sure was a nice middle ground though - at least it accelerated when I wanted it to and didn't decelerate or shift when I didn't.

 

My 17 was low on fluid from the get-go. Once that was corrected the inconsistent shifting up and down stopped. Check your fluid

 

Didn't everyone else who had this issue say that it fixed itself once the ECU learned how they drive? If you bought the truck from someone who used both pedals hard, then the ECU would be programmed to accommodate. I don't know if this is the case, but I wonder if the ECU is taking clues from how you use S mode in order to program D.

My truck coasts just fine at any rate. It doesn't downshift when I let off the gas, unless I use the brake.

 

I'm suspicious that this could be something to do with Flex fuel units. My 17 is and I only drive with one foot and try to let it roll as much as I can, but it downshifts at slower speeds in traffic. Perhaps others could chime in on this. I do not use E 85 and never have. The truck had 38,000 when purchased and there are signs it was driven by someone with long acrylic fingernails and both feet