Foretuner quirks

[Cupladays]

I now have done 5000k in the Tuna now and have a couple of questions that I wouldn't mind throwing out there:

1. If you move the automatic from drive mode over to sports-shift mode it drops a gear down immediately you move it over to sports shift. My last car would not do this, it would just flash up the current gear it was in and wait for instructions to move up or down a gear from that point. In a way the old car let me "prepare" to shift up or down by having it in the sports shift mode ready and waiting. In the Tuna, I now have to wait until I need the lower gear before i shift to sports mode (semi manual) Seems a bit weird ?

2. When coasting into a T intersection at lowish speeds (on the flat or down a hill) and then turning and getting back on the accelerator it seems to go into a sort of "neutral" gear before dropping into first, revving up and lurching away. A new Hilux driver here at work agrees that his does this too. Any ideas? It could easily turn these types of corners in second gear without missing a beat and that seems to me what it should do. Am i right here? Anyone else notice this/

3. And most importantly - I cant seem to get Double J on the DAB radio despite doing a rescan - Anyone have any other ideas? Double J is an ABC radio station so should be nationwide but I just can't find it.

Thanks everyone - over to you..

[Spook1205]

I like how when you shift to sports shift or manual shift because it keeps it out of overdrive when towing. 5th and 6th are really tall gears and I want to keep the tow weight off gearbox with such ge****t ratios.

[Cupladays]

Hi Spook - good to know that for when I hitch up the camper - Ta

[tekka maki]

I think the S is for "selective" rather than "sports". I only use mine on the nastier 4wd tracks in 4L mode to give me control over the gears for steep and tricky ascents and descents. It allows you to navigate hairy descents with very little braking, just crawl down in first gear.

[Cupladays]

Hi tekka maki - I am just wondering why it drops a gear down in ratio as soon as you select "selective" - as opposed to going into selective mode and leaving in the current gear? I used to use selective mode quite a bit - but I have to get used to this new way of doing things. Before I could think "soon i will need 2nd gear lets put it in selective" but now i have to think "if I put it in selective I will change it into second gear" you see what I mean?

[tekka maki]

Yeah, it does seem like strange behaviour Cupladays. Fortunately for me, I guess, I've never had it any other way. The Fortuner is the first automatic I've owned with a selective gear mode.

[borgna]

i find it a little funny how if you are doing 100km/h on the high way and switch it over to sports shift it will drop straight back to 4th gear. I can then manually change to 5th but it won't change into 6th it will just hold 5th. The best way i have found to get into 6th gear is in drive mode get up to speed and then take your foot off of the accelerator pedal completely for half a second and then gently accelerate to hold the speed. When it changes into 6th i get just over 1500rpm and use less fuel. This is all when i am not towing

[Cupladays]

Ahhh yes - basically the same thing I am explaining. Drops a gear "down" when moving across to "sports/selective" Funny thing is that mine will change to 6th no problems in drive? However I did not know it will not change to 6th in "selective" or "sports mode" I will have to try that for myself...

[Spook1205]

A quirky thing with the fortuner is even after nearly 2.5 years and over 930000 kms I really still enjoy driving the vehicle.
Also I do find I drive it pretty hard more than not, especially on a regen.

[Cupladays]

Spook - but do you reckon what I have described in points 1 & 2 above happens to you as well? - considering you are basically becoming a Tuna guru hahaha

[Spook1205]

Hi Cupladays,
1. I only ever put into manual shift when towing now, mainly because of what you found about it dropping into lower gear. I actually do drop it across and back to put gearbox back in higher gear after light braking coasting down a hill and it drops two gears for engine braking.

2. Yes also I find this but normally aware it’s going to happen so to overcome the harsh shift it’s gently gently on the throttle till it finds itself.

[Anthony]

Cupladays; I still experience the same thing going around corners & round-a-bouts, & liken it to the the car going into neutral for a second or two, or trying to find the gear, before acceleration.

I find that if I wait 1 or 2 seconds before driving off around a corner or round-a-bout it helps select the gear & reduces the likelihood of that "car in neutral" feeling.

I did mention this to Toyota at one of my previous services & the tech / mechanic drove in the car with my & said its gear changes were normal, (when cold) before the car get up to operating temperature?.

[Cupladays]

Hi Anthony - Ok officially now, you and me are Tuna brothers OK? You see and feel what I do. Makes me feel "not so weird" . Surely its not just 2 people alone who are on the same page? I don't want to wait 1 or 2 seconds before driving anywhere...My wife says - whats the car doing? when she drives it. This I don't need. Haha. Its just a small thing but now makes me think about how I'm driving so i can prevent it happening. Now I know I'm not alone I will go and ask some real questions.....No one else out there has this issue??

[Vaughnus]

3. And most importantly - I cant seem to get Double J on the DAB radio despite doing a rescan - Anyone have any other ideas? Double J is an ABC radio station so should be nationwide but I just can't find it.

Check out my response in the following thread: https://www.fortunerforum.com.au/for...l-on-dab-radio

[Hylife]

Point 1. All Toyotas with sports (tiptronic) autos do this.
But don't get me started on the tuna's f**king useless paddle shift system that will not override the transmissions own choices when you want to up-shift to a higher gear.

Point 2. If your vehicle was a manual you would without even having to think, change down a gear to apply engine braking as you approach a slow point such as an intersection and set your trans up for the required lower gear for acceleration.
With a modern auto trans the car now does this for you as the Trans is now linked in with the ECU and other vehicle sensors.
If you don't like this funny neutral (delay) feeling then you need to change your old school way of driving and start telling the trans in advance what you want it to do, by making use of the brakes.
On gentle deceleration, such as when you are approaching an intersection or roundabout, if you lightly brake then the trans will automatically "down shift" for you and apply engine braking. This saves your brakes from wear and tear when you have to brake more heavily at the last minute and positions the trans in a lower gear ready for the required acceleration.
If drive poorly and you brake too heavily because you enter an intersection too hot, expect the trans to downshift to first because it assumes you are coming to a complete stop.
Smooth acceleration and braking will result is a more responsive feel and better fuel economy.

[Spook1205]

I can easily understand it won’t let you shift into a gear that it wouldn’t choose itself as a damage control feature.
Not everyone will make good gear choices

Good tip with the light braking 👍

[Anthony]

Thanks. Makes more sense to me now.