Why I hate Toyota's Electronics

"TheOnelectronic" (theoneelectronic) 08/04/2015 at 22:30 • Filed to: None

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This post has been a while forthcoming but I haven’t had Internet for a week.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my five years of Tacoma ownership, it’s this: The electronics are awful.

I don’t mean the wiring, or the lighting, or anything like that. That’s all been fine.

What I mean are mostly two things: The Cruise Control, and the ABS.

Primarily, the biggest thing that pisses me off in this truck is the cruise control.

I get it. My truck is outside the original design parameters. It has heavier tires and is a few hundred pounds heavier. That said, it’s never -not- done this.

But to me, that does not excuse the cruise control’s horrible showing. When it hits a hill, it will lose about 5mph before it kicks down a gear and starts accelerating. Once you hit your target speed again, it backs off the throttle to maintain... I’m just kidding, it actually keeps going to 5-10mph OVER your target speed before it backs off. It’s clearly using some sort of ramping correction rather than a proportional one. It’s the “We’re not there yet, add more” method instead of “We’re getting closer, ease off.” And remember that kickdown? Yeah, that’s never getting undone. Have fun coasting downhill at redline in 4th gear. Don’t even consider that it might use the Overdrive (or something... there’s a small RPM drop in 5th gear when cruising, like a close-ratio 6th gear. I don’t know automatics very well. could also be the torque converter locking up, which is a thing I’ve heard said.)

It’s not the transmission. If I cancel cruise and use my own throttle pressure the truck immediately upshifts. If I get it into 5th and then resume cruise, it will stay there until it hits a hill or a stiff breeze. Something in the cruise programming is holding 4th eternally.

So with the speed porpoising up and down, ensuring the truck is almost always at 100% throttle, and the RPM’s just shy of redline because it will not shift up, you end up using a quarter tank to go 30 miles on anything resembling a hilly road. I have never had this much trouble with a cruise system. I’ve towed far heavier loads in the Cayenne and LR4 and the cruise worked exactly as well as it did unladen. I might be understanding if cruise control was a fairly new technology, and not something that’s been almost universally standard for at least ten years now, and extant for decades longer.

For those saying “Just don’t use the stupid cruise control!”

A) I just did 1800 miles of highway driving. I would have gone /insane/ without cruise.

B) It’s a principle thing. I have a simmering hatred of Toyota anyway, and their lazy refusal to bring their level of quality up to a current level is frustrating. I’m even being polite and comparing it to how vehicles of its debut vintage (2005) perform.

The ABS, meanwhile, is fine until you hit anything slick. It’s incredibly oversensitive, and on mud or snow, it will simply refuse to apply any pressure. Pulling the fuse and doing it myself, I can stop much quicker by just using basic threshold braking. This is why when people say “Oh that must be such a great snow car!” (keep in mind that 33” mud tires are AWFUL in the snow), I laugh. That, and pretty much anyone who’s driven in the snow will tell you that a well balanced, lightweight AWD car on snow tires is probably the best thing short of a tank for the snow. Lifted pickups have so many fatal flaws.

Sorry about the rant, but this is 1800 miles of “WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING THAT!” and “HOW AM I AT A QUARTER TANK AFTER 90 MILES” bottled up and fermented for a week of having no internet.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 22:38

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I learned with the ABS in mine, it all depends on the tire. I had Pro Comp Extreme AT’s when I got it that would lock the brakes when it was humid outside.

HammerheadFistpunch > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 22:42

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I hear you on the kickdown, its strange that it doesn’t come back to overdrive fast, but mine does the same thing in cruise or not. That being said, my cruise is cable actuated and not electronic like yours is (ETB).

The abs is also an annoyance, but something I’ve found that helps is to adjust the LSPV (Load sensing proportional valve) if you have a lift, the rears will be underboosted until you adjust it. that means that all your braking is being done up front, and so you hit your slip threshold sooner and all 4 go into ABS panic. There is a mod, if im not mistaken, to add a switch into the circuit for the ABS so you can turn it on and off at will.

As for the hill issue, I still think there is something wrong with your engine, like over rich, or bad air injection or something thats putting into safe mode and killing your mileage and power. google diagnostic mode and try putting it into that and driving, if the experience is the same as normal than you are in safe mode and there is something wrong, if you mileage tanks even worse and you get less power than...well...you might have to look elsewhere.

tpw_rules > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 22:43

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Have you bothered the dealer? They may be able to update its firmware.

TheOnelectronic > tpw_rules 08/04/2015 at 22:46

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I’ve honestly not considered that. If I end up keeping it for any length of time I might inquire about that.

TheOnelectronic > HammerheadFistpunch 08/04/2015 at 22:49

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Load sensing, huh? How does it do that?

I might try the diagnostic thing, though one would assume the CEL would come on for something like that...

TheOnelectronic > HammerheadFistpunch 08/04/2015 at 22:53

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Looked up diagnostic mode. Nothing showing for the Tacoma. Next step would be to use an OBD bluetooth adapter and see what diagnostic information I can get through that.

Chasaboo > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 22:56

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I hate Toyota for their crap engines. Google 4 cylinder engine repair. About 1 week after the warranty ended on our 4 cylinder Camry the bottom of the engine let go. Toyota did not pay, reduce the cost or help in anyway for us. That’s why Toyota is a crap company building products they know are crap. Buy a Toyota at your own risk.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Chasaboo 08/04/2015 at 22:58

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Yes, because Toyota has gained their reliable reputation from being unreliable.

dailydoseofmindlessness > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 22:59

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Not a Tacoma (we don’t get them here in South East Asia), but a 2013 Hilux, the damned ABS is a persistent irritation especially with the often “slick when dry” roads.

XJDano > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 23:01

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I don’t want to hear about fancy electrics. I think I have been driving without cruise for going on 5-6 years.

My wife’s car for some ungodly reason doesn’t have it (05 Equinox), I only get it if I drove a 24’ box truck from work, the 16’ers don’t have it either.

But I get yah, if you have it it should damn well work the way it is supposed to.

TheOnelectronic > XJDano 08/04/2015 at 23:03

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Yeah, at least if it didn’t have cruise control I could be a snob about it everywhere and feel superior about myself. That’s honestly not aimed at your comment, that is legitimately the only advantage I can imagine to lacking cruise control.

XJDano > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 23:10

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Trust me, no cruise on a road trip is no fun for 12 hours.

E92M3 > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 23:15

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The only Tacoma electronic complaints I’ve ever heard were about the radio. I’ve seen reports of people getting 2 replacements before the warranty expires. My MDX acts similar minus not upshifting after cresting the hill. I will stay in 5th until it drops 5 below the set speed. Then it will downshift, and won’t upshift till 5 mph over the target speed. It’s constant erratic throttle operation. It drives people behind me crazy. They quickly grow tired of the speed fluctuations and pass. It’s wastes so much gas too. I don’t even use it now, it’s just easier and smother if I control the throttle. The last time I used it was on a 1400 mile roadtrip while crossing flat Kansas. I wonder if the computer is actually built with those 5 mph swings on purpose. If the threshold was 1 or 2 mph both directions it would be shifting a lot more often. Perhaps it’s saving wear on the transmission?

TheOnelectronic > XJDano 08/04/2015 at 23:16

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Oh I know. For the above reasons, I could only use it for a small segment of my 35-hour roadtrip last week.

HammerheadFistpunch > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 23:19

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hmm, with the cruiser its a pin link that you use to set the timing, it puts on a base map and disables all the inputs from the sensors.

HammerheadFistpunch > TheOnelectronic 08/04/2015 at 23:23

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actually, looks like they dumped the mechanical system in the new one. now its electronic. nerts.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > TheOnelectronic 08/05/2015 at 00:00

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I've never actually tried my cruise control.

Roundbadge > TheOnelectronic 08/05/2015 at 08:35

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My 2005 Tacoma is just about the lowest-optioned vehicle I’ve ever owned. I’m happy to say I’ve never experienced this...as mine doesn’t have cruise. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have ABS either...but I suppose I could be wrong on that. I will say that long trips in it are maddening, though.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > TheOnelectronic 08/05/2015 at 08:48

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The cruise in our Sienna does this too. I really think Toyota is riding its reputation right now...

BJ > TheOnelectronic 08/05/2015 at 09:17

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The cruise control on my 4Runner is the same. Whenever you get into hilly country, you look like a raging asshole because the truck over-accelerates going uphill; you end up passing on the right the car that just started to overtake you because the cruise control was lagging...

The kickdown/up-shift problem I don’t have, maybe it’s your oversized tires tricking it out? I have the 5-speed transmission, it works fine for me.

I’ve not had any experience with the ABS, yet. I know it works but that’s about it. I suspect my brakes are shot, so I try to take it easy until I can get a quote for a full replacement.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TheOnelectronic 08/07/2015 at 21:55

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I know that gauge cluster quite well... The Taco I drive had no cruise control, which makes sense since all I do is sit and traffic or cruise winding backroads.

As for the ABS: yes. YES. YES. When I got the Taco, I had to relearn how to brake. You tap that petal and you get fucking whiplash. And then sometimes I’ll mash the damn thing down and it feels like a sponge.

Mine gets 25mpgs, because base 2WD.

TheOnelectronic > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2015 at 22:12

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I’m assuming yours is the 4-cylinder then?

I always thought the absolute base Tacoma, with the 4-cylinder, stick shift, would be an awesome truck for light duty sort of things.

Probably because I have massive tires on it, the brakes have never seemed too aggressive. In fact I’m pretty sure I -cannot- lock the brakes no matter how hard I mash the pedal. (on pavement)

The worst car for that I’ve driven (although it just took getting used to) was the new Mustang. It took barely any pressure to slow that car down FAST. I kind of liked it once I got used to it, though.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TheOnelectronic 08/07/2015 at 22:26

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Si, it is the 2.7L 4-banger. But it’s no secret that the fuel economy on the 4.0 is pretty... low. For someone who used to daily a rusty Tercel wagon, the Taco is downright luxurious. “Oooh! Air conditioning!” Even though the base model is a little on the plastic-fantastic side.

TheOnelectronic > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 08/07/2015 at 22:32

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Mine’s no better on that front. It’s got essentially the same interior as the base model. Plastic everything and cloth seats (which are actually wonderful. Doing two 16-hour driving days in a row and my back only hurt a little bit towards the end)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > TheOnelectronic 08/07/2015 at 22:41

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There are edges of plastic that are like razor blades in mine. I’m a big fan of the seats though, but, mine are really light gray so they discolor if anything touches them, even a splash of water.