5 speed Auto box

[Blackkluger]

Has anyone noticed that when you need more power, and you plant your foot, it wont change down gears, i have noticed a huge difference between this and the Commodore SV6 which would ALWAYS change down 1 or 2 gears, whereas im constantly finding the kluger wont change down at all.

Anyone else noticed this? or maybe not?

Its got good power, but it aint good power if it is in a gear too high...

[blink_me192]

To be honest, i've driven a lot of toyota's and they all seem to be like that. I think its probably tuned like that for fuel efficiency. In the kluger is there any way of manually downchanging?

[RICE RACING]

Hey, I noticed the exact opposite, mine changes down gear very consistently when you demand more power via increased throttle input (but my Kluger is also stupidly fast *proven VBOX3 analysis*, much quicker than factory claims or other magazine tests) so I don't know if I just got a freak one or not? But am amazed with the way it performs.... I find the auto changes spot on when it either D or the other mode (lol I know my car well hahaha).

Maybe it could be a software control thing you can ask the dealer about?

Edited August 26, 2008 by RICE RACING

[Blackkluger]

maybe you got a few more wasps under your bonnet? lol

I dont know, saving fuel as opposed to being in a situation where i expect it to change but doesnt, can put me in a bad spot.

I dont like the manual changes, its 'backwards' to what i am use to so im more likely to make the situation worse!

[holmesie]

The 5-speed auto is my only major criticism of the Kluger. Most competitors have 6-speeds, and it's not like Toyota didn't have one they could possibly have used?

The gap from 4th to 3rd seems HUUUUGE when you're driving in hilly country, and like BK says the manual/sportshift is back-to-front <_<

[boleh]

the auto gearbox features "super ECT" thats supposed to be some AI stuff. it probably needs some training or getting used to your way of driving.

when u put ur foot down, did u step all the way down ? try doing it more often and hopefully the system picks up your driving behavior and knows what you want

as for mine, i find i downshift too much esp when i go slow (<10kph) over speed bump. when that happens it'll downshift to the first gear! i find that unneccesary

[Taka]

The automatic is controlled by ECU, you can tweak it if you know how haha.

Ricey's Kluger is just too fast. My fat one will not able to keep up. haha.

[ME70]

The 6 speed auto in my previous Presara was so smooth I could'nt tell what gear it was in. Given its the same engine as the Kluger surely they could drop the 6 speed into the Kluger.

[Blackkluger]

Yes the pedal was press firmly to the carpet. In fact, with age it might get faster as the carpet wears out...lol

IF it has AI then im stuffed, my wife drives it and then me, so its trying to get a combo of both i guess?

[Blackkluger]

update

Well i thought this gearbox had tiptronic, so that i can change up the gears when i want, well not so.

Once i shift from D to S4, its auto or S5 the same, but unlike the fords and holdens, which start at s1 and you change the gears when you want, i can leave this in S3 for example and it will upchange itself, not what i was expecting...

with the sv6 holden with the 5 speed paddle shift, as with the ford i had before, i could change gears myself, all the S is doing i guess is choosing how many gears you want the car to use and it will change itself. whats the point of anything other than S5? unless im towing.

very dissapointed in this feature(or lack of) but in S mode it does seem to kick down more willingly, but i dont think as much as i would like.

[DHOUS]

Hey, I noticed the exact opposite, mine changes down gear very consistently when you demand more power via increased throttle input (but my Kluger is also stupidly fast *proven VBOX3 analysis*, much quicker than factory claims or other magazine tests) so I don't know if I just got a freak one or not? But am amazed with the way it performs.... I find the auto changes spot on when it either D or the other mode (lol I know my car well hahaha).

Maybe it could be a software control thing you can ask the dealer about?

I agree with Ricey mine kicks down and goes like a rocket and shifts seem to be purfect. (2008 build?)

[Blackkluger]

yes mines april or may 08.

[Kruzenvax]

Have enybody noticet a bit of a knock when accelerating rapidly from about 40 to 50 kp/h?

[matt_kluger]

weren't these issues a major probelm in the gen 1 kluger (relating to transmission)... i thought toyota would have fixed this up for the second generation...

i have a gen 1 and do not seem to have massive transmission problems/issues like others i've read.

[Dave L]

update

Well i thought this gearbox had tiptronic, so that i can change up the gears when i want, well not so.

Once i shift from D to S4, its auto or S5 the same, but unlike the fords and holdens, which start at s1 and you change the gears when you want, i can leave this in S3 for example and it will upchange itself, not what i was expecting...

with the sv6 holden with the 5 speed paddle shift, as with the ford i had before, i could change gears myself, all the S is doing i guess is choosing how many gears you want the car to use and it will change itself. whats the point of anything other than S5? unless im towing.

One query if I may:

If you put the box into S2, will it (from take-off) go from 1st to 2nd and hold in 2nd until you change it up to S3, then S4 then S5, and again downchanging from S5 to S4 (etc), does it hold you in 4th ?

Also, does it let you downchange from S5 to S3 (assuming that you're in a rev range that would allow this to occur) ?

[mdv]

If you put it in S2, it will stay there until you select S3. Essentially, S4 = 4 speed auto; S3 = 3 speed auto, etc.

But if you select, for example S4, geabox will change down automatically to S3 if it sees the need.

I find quite often that on hitting a steep hill in S5 (or even D5) the gearbox will change down to S4/D4 and then straight on down to S3/D3. I often see this when in cruise control.

The other gripe with cruise control is that when it resumes (from cancel) it wants to get back to the set speed as quickly as it can ... this also causes gearbox to drop back to S3/D3 when S4/D4 or even S5/D5 would seem quite adequate. Example: set speed at 100kph and resume cruise control at 90kph when in 5th gear ... watch it kick back straight to 3rd and make up that last 10kph in a blink of an eyelid. Does nothing for fuel consumption.

[Dave L]

If you put it in S2, it will stay there until you select S3. Essentially, S4 = 4 speed auto; S3 = 3 speed auto, etc.

But if you select, for example S4, geabox will change down automatically to S3 if it sees the need.

I find quite often that on hitting a steep hill in S5 (or even D5) the gearbox will change down to S4/D4 and then straight on down to S3/D3. I often see this when in cruise control.

The other gripe with cruise control is that when it resumes (from cancel) it wants to get back to the set speed as quickly as it can ... this also causes gearbox to drop back to S3/D3 when S4/D4 or even S5/D5 would seem quite adequate. Example: set speed at 100kph and resume cruise control at 90kph when in 5th gear ... watch it kick back straight to 3rd and make up that last 10kph in a blink of an eyelid. Does nothing for fuel consumption.

Thanks MDV.

So if you are in S4 and put your foot into it, it changes down to 3rd gear for you......but in reality if you were "sports-shifting" wouldn't you want to manually shift down to S3 then put your foot down (emulating what you'd do with a manual gearbox) ?

In my mind (which may be wrong), the box is doing your work for you, unless you take over and manually downshift.

And again, with upshifting, at 20km/h, you wouldn't take off in 4th gear (even with a manual box), so when you stop at the lights you would need to manually change the box to S2 which doesn't give you the option to hold in 1st gear, but from 2nd, you can manually change up from S2 to S3, S4 then S5....again emulating a manual box.

Am I incorrect in my thinking here ?

In regards to the cruise being aggressive, I don't think that's too uncommon, but I agree it should be smoother.

Perhaps they should have it read the box and if in D, it should get up to cruise speed gradually...if if S mode, it should be more agressive.

It's certainly no sequential sports shift from a Ferrari, but then again a Ferrari can't fit 7 people in the back and is a REAL sports car :)

[Mikeyboy]

It all depends on how you have been driving before.

With the KX-R, I always accelerate quickly to the speed I want and then cruise at that speed. I get good economy and it always picks the right gear.

With the Grande, which my wife usually drives, it seems to be in a higher gear than I want and the economy isn't so good. When I have the Grande, I find that after about half an hour of a different driving style, it seems to be picking the gears I want and the economy improves.

If you don't want the cruise to quickly accelerate to the previous speed when you resume, gradually accellerate yourself. It won't take over unless you are taking too long to get there.

[BigHeavyVehicle]

The automatic is controlled by ECU, you can tweak it if you know how haha.

Ricey's Kluger is just too fast. My fat one will not able to keep up. haha.

Hi Taka, re tweaking the ECU, I'd love to program mine so that it would NOT kick down below 4th on the highway with cruise control on. Presuming all wasps are flying in the one direction that motor should be able to pull up any hill in 4th at 90kph or above. How hard would this be to program? Logic would be: IF speed >90 AND Cruise "on", no gear below 4th.....

[mdv]

So if you are in S4 and put your foot into it, it changes down to 3rd gear for you...... [Yes] but in reality if you were "sports-shifting" wouldn't you want to manually shift down to S3 then put your foot down (emulating what you'd do with a manual gearbox) ? [Yes, again]In my mind (which may be wrong), the box is doing your work for you, unless you take over and manually downshift. [i prefer to manually downshift just prior to overtaking or steep hills]

And again, with upshifting, at 20km/h, you wouldn't take off in 4th gear (even with a manual box), so when you stop at the lights you would need to manually change the box to S2 which doesn't give you the option to hold in 1st gear, but from 2nd, you can manually change up from S2 to S3, S4 then S5....again emulating a manual box. [if you are stopped, gearbox will select 1st no matter what gear you have selected in 's' mode. By selecting a particular gear in 's' mode, gearbox will not change to a higher gear than selected. You could (if stopped) select S1 if you wanted to, and gearbox would stay in 1st until you change up or engine blows up. Around town, I use 's' mode to manually change down from S3 or S4 to S2 for roundabouts and turns - I hate going around corners in 4th. I also manually downshift when coming to stop, and then usually select S3 prior to taking off again. But that's just the way I do it, others may do it differently.]

Am I incorrect in my thinking here ?

In regards to the cruise being aggressive, I don't think that's too uncommon, but I agree it should be smoother.

Perhaps they should have it read the box and if in D, it should get up to cruise speed gradually...if if S mode, it should be more agressive. [Maybe I find it too aggressive because I usually use 's' mode rather than 'd' mode - I will have to check in 'd' mode next time I take it out on the highway. The again, I always thought the 's' stood for 'sequential', not 'sports'???]

It's certainly no sequential sports shift from a Ferrari, but then again a Ferrari can't fit 7 people in the back and is a REAL sports car :)

Edited August 29, 2009 by mdv

[Kesawi]

I've changed my driving style to that of a 90 year old to improve fuel economy. The acceleration and gear changes used to be very responsive, but now the ECU has also learnt to drive like a 90 year old <_< I've been caught out a couple of times already when trying to turn right through a small hole in traffic, planting my foot only to have the car slowly take off. In my opinion an ECU should interpret planting the foot to the floor as wanting to go somewhere very quickly now.

Edited August 30, 2009 by Kesawi

[Turkey Galoot]

In my an ECU should interpret planting the foot to the floor as wanting to go somewhere very quickly now.

If the ECU has learned to think like a 90 year old, it may have deduced when the pedal hit the floor that your foot had spasmed :D

Ken.

[PC XT]

Hey, I noticed the exact opposite, mine changes down gear very consistently when you demand more power via increased throttle input (but my Kluger is also stupidly fast *proven VBOX3 analysis*, much quicker than factory claims or other magazine tests) so I don't know if I just got a freak one or not? But am amazed with the way it performs.... I find the auto changes spot on when it either D or the other mode (lol I know my car well hahaha).

Maybe it could be a software control thing you can ask the dealer about?

Hey I recon I have a Monday Made press car aswell (Mine was one of the First pre orders in OZ) so is the Foz THEY both scream for stockers!

There are a certain amount of Press cars made with Different more aggressive tunes and tighter tolerance etc Not much is known about them, I heard about it last month when my forester was on the Dyno...its not huge but it helps ;)