2024 Tacoma Transmission Overheating on Long Climbs Off-Road

[px3_taco]

I saw some snippet that it doesn't happen on trucks with the tow package. Anyone with the overheating have the tow package?

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[izzy]

Is this the sensation I get of a slipping trans? I swear the first time I drove it, I thought it had trans issues.

It's just got a high stall converter (I think), not slipping. That's why it makes CVT noises until it shifts when you firewall it. I think personally they went high stall to protect the drivetrain both on and off-road, and maybe even to protect the engine from ending up in high-load-low-rpm situations.

The M/T is tuned to have peak torque at 3000RPM vs ATs 1800, I believe this was to prevent people from flooring their truck in 6th gear on the freeway and doing a GR Corolla engine popper ? Turbo engines hate nothing more than high-load-low-rpm, that's how you get LSPI ie, super knock.

 

[james cole]

I really think it has something to do with the comically high stall converter these things have. It makes it fast for sure when you get on it, but Toyota has gotta make em lock up in 4Hi way sooner than they do.

On the street when you punch it, it spins to like 3000RPM for 2-3 seconds before it locks LOL it's cool but if the truck was slower and shifted sooner I wouldn't mind..

Edit: Does MTS ever request that the driver switches to 4Lo? Depending on incline? Descent control I can see it wanting 4Lo. Not sure about climbs though.

This, its comical, people hate CVTs and Toyota managed to make an 8 speed CVT…

 

[izzy]

This, its comical, people hate CVTs and Toyota managed to make an 8 speed CVT…

When you drive normally though, 1/4 throttle to 1/2 throttle it shifts fine, like a conventional auto.

I was riding with a friend and he noticed the high stall too so I don't think its all in our heads ?

There's not much besides the torque converter that makes heat in an auto so ?‍

 

[james cole]

When you drive normally though, 1/4 throttle to 1/2 throttle it shifts fine, like a conventional auto.

I was riding with a friend and he noticed the high stall too so I don't think its all in our heads ?

There's not much besides the torque converter that makes heat in an auto so ?‍

Wonder if this can be tuned out without issues... Its extremely aggravating for me since I have a TRD PRO and the exhaust is loud... so the exhaust just remains at the same pitch and volume like and old clunker when accelerating.

Toyota are you listening?

 

[BAQ717]

Wonder if this can be tuned out without issues... Its extremely aggravating for me since I have a TRD PRO and the exhaust is loud... so the exhaust just remains at the same pitch and volume like and old clunker when accelerating.

Toyota are you listening?

I will say that I don’t mind the transmission behavior most of the time but I do agree with the high stall speed. I put the TRD exhaust on my truck and it’s become much more noticeable when the windows are down. Especially if you’re driving through a tight street and the exhaust is bouncing off of homes/cars. The exhaust sounds good for an I4 otherwise but nothing sounds good when the rpms stick and it drones. For this reason I may end up putting back on the stock pipe some day. We’ll see

 

[james cole]

I will say that I don’t mind the transmission behavior most of the time but I do agree with the high stall speed. I put the TRD exhaust on my truck and it’s become much more noticeable when the windows are down. Especially if you’re driving through a tight street and the exhaust is bouncing off of homes/cars. The exhaust sounds good for an I4 otherwise but nothing sounds good when the rpms stick and it drones. For this reason I may end up putting back on the stock pipe some day. We’ll see

that is exactly right… transmission sticking + exhaust kills the fun.

 

[Gunnison]

Just got the 4Runner back from the second dealer. They ran a health check and found no fault codes. They then ran the Record of Behavior (ROB) and found the two instances of high transmission temps. The first dealer I went to did not find this. The dealer that did created a Technical Assistance Case (TAS) with Toyota and it got assigned to a TAS agent to investigate. This was the first nationwide TAS created for this, so I humbly ask all Tacoma and 4Runner owners who have experienced this issue to take it to a dealer that will diligently inspect the ROB for diagnostic codes and have them create a TAS with Toyota. If Toyota has enough TASs then hopefully they will come up with a fix. Toyota did not say definitively whether or not this would be covered past warranty. Also, the 2024 Tacoma they gave us as a loaner had the same issue when we took it off-road. Thank you everyone for your posts on this.

 

[TacoFreak]

Wow - so ROBs are secret stashes where our trucks hide things so dealers can blow us off.

Makes you wonder what is in my truck's ROBs, which I assume only a dealer has access to.

 

[maxx075]

Wow - so ROBs are secret stashes where our trucks hide things so dealers can blow us off.

Makes you wonder what is in my truck's ROBs, which I assume only a dealer has access to.

Just doing a quick Google search, and it seems that they're accessible via TechStream, so yea pretty much lol.

 

[WhiskeyTallwood]

I saw some snippet that it doesn't happen on trucks with the tow package. Anyone with the overheating have the tow package?

I have a 2024 TRD Off-Road with the tow package. Had it in Colorado two weeks ago and experienced this issue going up to the peak of Imogene Pass. I was in 4H and the trans temp was slowly increasing all the way up the trail. It never got to a warning message, but I did stop a couple of times to let it cool down in the hopes of not getting a message.

 

[IttyBittyFitty]

Maybe I’ve missed it but I’m curious to know if you guys experiencing trans overheating have bigger and heavier tires.

 

[izzy]

Maybe I’ve missed it but I’m curious to know if you guys experiencing trans overheating have bigger and heavier tires.

My trans temp went up while offroad in 4Hi on the stock SR wheels 245/70/17

Didn't overheat though, switched to 4Lo and it stopped climbing. The trans temp was however climbing in 2Hi too fyi.

Here Toyota I fixed the truck for you:

#include <iostream>

class Vehicle {
public:
    bool isInclinometerAbove5Degrees(float inclinometer) {
        return inclinometer > 5.0;
    }

    bool isSpeedBelow20Mph(float speed) {
        return speed < 20.0;
    }

    bool isTransmissionTempAbove190Degrees(float temp) {
        return temp > 190.0;
    }

    void useGears(float inclinometer, float speed, float transmissionTemp) {
        if (isInclinometerAbove5Degrees(inclinometer) &&
            isSpeedBelow20Mph(speed) &&
            isTransmissionTempAbove190Degrees(transmissionTemp)) {
            std::cout << "Use gears 1-3" << std::endl;
        } else {
            std::cout << "Conditions not met for using gears 1-3" << std::endl;
        }
    }
};

int main() {
    Vehicle vehicle;
    float inclinometer = 6.0; // Example value
    float speed = 15.0;       // Example value
    float transmissionTemp = 195.0; // Example value

    vehicle.useGears(inclinometer, speed, transmissionTemp);
    return 0;
}

 

[Muckle]

I should be climbing about 4,000 feet tomorrow, towing my 1,500lb trailer. It will undoubtedly climb in temp in 2WD - I haven’t had it go into limp mode yet but it’s been very close to

 

[Bcphoto3]

So, took my TH to dealer to have the Blind Spot Monitoring fix done and had them pull the ROB.. They showed me the printout.. Talked to the tech and told him that neither episode of Trans Overheating (which also trigger Limp mode once) was represented.. Even though I know the date and time and have a video recording of both.. They said they couldnt do anything about it if it wasnt happening there.. They suggested calling Toyota Customer Service as I would get quicker resolution.. They said to open a case, I would have to leave my trcuk with them for 1-2 weeks.. I said bull crap, let me know when a FST is scheduled to be here and I will bring truck and meet him and we can talk.. There is nothing the dealer can do in 2 weeks to try to cause the Trans Overheating.. The fact that the 2 instances didnt even show up on the ROB is disturbing..
Any suggestions on what to say or do to escalate this to Toyota Corp and their engineers?

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