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Old 06-03-2016, 08:57 AM   #121
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According to the 2016 manual, my Off Road with automatic transmission should be set in a maximum of 5th gear (which is the first overdrive) when towing.

While there is no "Tow/Haul" specifically, there is a "ETC Power" button: "Use when high levels of response and feeling are desirable, such as when driving in mountainous regions or when pulling a trailer."

I haven't towed the trailer yet, but hope to get it out next week...
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Old 06-03-2016, 09:07 AM   #122
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Jon, my guess it that all the ETC button does is that the computer makes the transmission downshift sooner with accelerator pedal use. But maybe it has some much more sophisticated routine it runs? Our Corolla has a special ECO mode -essentially all it does is buffer accelerator input. To me it feels like someone put a piece of soft foam rubber over the pedal, but it would probably be great for teenagers.
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Old 06-03-2016, 10:15 AM   #123
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All the electronics makes me appreciate the simplicity of the 1960 Willys Jeep I used to drive around the estate I worked on while in High School & College. Of course, it wouldn't pull an Escape 19, let alone my 17...
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Old 06-03-2016, 01:35 PM   #124
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2016 Toyota Tacoma

That's why I've given up on doing much of any work on cars. I look under the hood and wonder which black box is which. Pulling the engines and rebuilding them was easy with my VW Bug and Volvo 122s. My 1961 F250 Ford pickup had so much space under the hood I could climb in next to the straight 6 to work on it. Of course I was also a lot skinnier then too...


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Old 06-03-2016, 02:10 PM   #125
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That's why I've given up on doing much of any work on cars. I look under the hood and wonder which black box is which. Pulling the engines and rebuilding them was easy with my VW Bug and Volvo 122s. My 1961 F250 Ford pickup had so much space under the hood I could climb in next to the straight 6 to work on it. Of course I was also a lot skinnier then too...


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I had a 1963 f100 with a 292 engine . That is just what I did climb in and sit on the fender and do my tune ups . So much room to work in . You could see straight down to the ground in case you dropped something . Carribean Torquiose was my color . Embaressed my kids riding in that truck .All worth it . Pat
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Old 06-03-2016, 02:10 PM   #126
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It's the "ECT Power" button (not ETC or EXT)... it helps to have the right term when searching for information. "ECT" stands for Electronically Controlled Transmission mode, which is the traditional name of this function in some Toyota vehicles. I have had two Toyotas but neither had this - the first had a manual transmission and the Sienna just doesn't have the switch.

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Originally Posted by Vermilye View Post
While there is no "Tow/Haul" specifically, there is a "ETC Power" button: "Use when high levels of response and feeling are desirable, such as when driving in mountainous regions or when pulling a trailer."
Thanks Jon. Unfortunately, this appears to be the entire extent of description of the ECT PWR feature in the owner's manual.

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Jon, my guess it that all the ETC button does is that the computer makes the transmission downshift sooner with accelerator pedal use. But maybe it has some much more sophisticated routine it runs? Our Corolla has a special ECO mode -essentially all it does is buffer accelerator input. To me it feels like someone put a piece of soft foam rubber over the pedal, but it would probably be great for teenagers.
The ECT Power button is essentially the opposite of ECO, as far as accelerator pedal response is concerned.

I haven't found a good single detailed description online (although I have found a couple of bad ones) or in the owner's manual, but it certainly does appear that Eric is correct: it is a transmission mode switch, but with throttle response logic tweaks as well. It essentially is a Tow/Haul mode switch for both transmission and engine. It changes shift points (as Tow/Haul should), but I don't know if it also changes torque converter lockup clutch logic (which Tow/Haul should to reduce transmission fluid heating).

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The EXT Power button engages the direct injectors On up hills , I tried it a few times it seems to set a earlier down shift Vrs rpms, It's like manual shifting. And it will stay in the lower gear longer unless you let up on the gas petal.
I'm sure that the engine management computer uses the port and direct injectors as appropriate to conditions regardless of a mode switch. The shift behaviour change with ECT is as expected for a "tow/haul" or performance mode.
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Old 06-03-2016, 02:14 PM   #127
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Jon..not sure if your new Tacoma has this crawl control feature, but it was pretty impressive when shopping for a truck a few months ago ...ended up with a full size truck but sure liked some of the Tacoma features...and there are actually several videos..search youtube for Tacoma 2016 crawl control
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Old 06-03-2016, 03:00 PM   #128
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Originally Posted by Patandlinda View Post
I had a 1963 f100 with a 292 engine . That is just what I did climb in and sit on the fender and do my tune ups . So much room to work in . You could see straight down to the ground in case you dropped something . Carribean Torquiose was my color . Embaressed my kids riding in that truck .All worth it . Pat
Mine was canary yellow -- with a red hood. 223 inline 6 in mine and they loved to throw rods. I got it very used and went thru the original and then 2 junkyard engines in it. At the time it was cheaper to go to the scrap yard and get a used one than buying the parts to do a complete rebuild. In hindsight I would have been much better off rebuilding the first one!

Off topic again - someday I'll be banned for it, but I just can't help myself....
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Old 06-03-2016, 03:21 PM   #129
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Mine was canary yellow -- with a red hood. 223 inline 6 in mine and they loved to throw rods. I got it very used and went thru the original and then 2 junkyard engines in it. At the time it was cheaper to go to the scrap yard and get a used one than buying the parts to do a complete rebuild. In hindsight I would have been much better off rebuilding the first one!

Off topic again - someday I'll be banned for it, but I just can't help myself....
Those were great colors and great trucks ! Pat
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Old 06-03-2016, 03:31 PM   #130
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Search the Tacoma forums for the advocates of 4th gear towing.
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Old 06-03-2016, 03:41 PM   #131
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Search the Tacoma forums for the advocates of 4th gear towing.
But make sure you're reading about the same transmission. The current Tacoma has a 6-speed automatic; the previous one had a 5-speed. They are clearly different transmissions, with different ratios and likely significantly different control systems.
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Old 06-03-2016, 04:33 PM   #132
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Hence the thread title 2016
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Old 06-03-2016, 05:22 PM   #133
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Hence the thread title 2016

In almost every discussion of tow vehicles, many of the posts are relevant only to the wrong generation of the vehicle, or to different models entirely. It would be very easy for someone searching the forums to find information about earlier years and not realize that it is a different transmission.
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Old 06-03-2016, 05:39 PM   #134
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Sorry about the reversed letters. My excuse is that ETC is the manufacturer of the most popular theatrical lighting fixtures (one of our alumni ran the initial roll out of the product in the 70's). My fingers just couldn't help typing ETC in palace of ECT.

As to what it does, Toyota doesn't make it clear, at least in the manual.

I did discover that even if you are not in cruise control, as you head downhill with you foot off the gas, it will downshift to keep the speed constant.

As to "Crawl", yes, it is part of the "Off Road" package. So far all I've used it for is to drive into my back yard.

The top two gears are overdrives, and without a trailer it does a lot of shifting between 6 & 5. I suspect that with the trailer even with this transmission 4th may be necessary to prevent constant unlocking of the torque converter.
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Old 06-03-2016, 06:25 PM   #135
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on, for me, the only rule I try to follow is to listen to what the transmission is doing. I try to find a gear/speed combination that gives me a decent enough uphill speed while not constantly shifting up and down. I keep thinking the computers will get smart enough to do this for themselves, but so far, (at least in this area) I still seem to be ahead of it.
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:19 AM   #136
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Anyone have an opinion on the TRD OFF Road compared to the TRD Sport? I am thinking the suspension on the Off Road might help with the bottoming out concern, but the tires might not be the best for mostly highway driving.
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:48 AM   #137
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Jon Vermilye, how do the Off Road's All Terrain tires feel on the highway?
Why did you choose the Off Road rather than the Sport?
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Old 06-10-2016, 08:48 AM   #138
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When shopping for my rear sumo-springs the forums mentioned the 4x2 TRD sport has the same undercarriage as the 4x4 model. I did not have time to follow up and research it myself.
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Old 06-10-2016, 09:20 AM   #139
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The off road tires are a bit louder, but the Goodyear FuelMax tires I had on the RAV4 were pretty loud as well & the Tacoma seems to be better insulated. The end result is about the same, or even a bit quieter.

I drove in very windy conditions yesterday, and found the truck not quite as stable as the RAV4. Whether it was the extra height, the tires, or what ever, the difference was noticeable, but not a problem.

As to why I went with the Off Road, I wanted the Crawl option & the locking differential. Probably overkill, but I got tired of being concerned about running around in the desert in the RAV4.

I'll have a towing report next week - I'm hauling the trailer in for bearing & brake service.
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Old 06-10-2016, 01:09 PM   #140
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2016 Toyota Tacoma

I have the crawl option on my 2005 Tundra and have only used it a couple of times, but what a delight to be able to lumber down a steep slope without using the brakes, and then back up again just as easy. Our change from passenger to good truck tires really reduced trailer sway on towing. And yes, the ride is rougher.

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