Hybrid Questions

[ColoradoBoo]

I have a few questions after driving my new Taco from Colorado to Tennessee (1,200 miles) to visit family.

-Is hard shifting normal? Like when backing up out of the driveway and then putting it into Drive can, sometimes, cause a noticeable thud. I only notice this when putting it into drive after backing up. (I do stop all the way before shifting into drive.)

-Since she's our 4th Toyota Hybrid, I do worry about the 12-volt battery because I've seen the issues caused when the 12-volt gets low....our Prius and Corolla Hybrid do NOT do a good job on charging the 12-volt while driving and my battery tender has gotten a LOT of use the past few years. Does the screen display the current state of the 12-volt? (I'd like to know the current voltage since I know anything lower than 12.4 volts can cause troubles.....my wife's Corolla hybrid would not start one morning and I tested it and it said it was at 12.2 volts.)

-One dislike is how I lost the underseat storage in the rear because of the traction battery. But glad it only has 3 plastic clips I release to lift it up for access. (Like to test and charge the 12-volt battery if it needs it) But glad the 12-volt looks pretty beefy even though it has just 600 amps of CCA....but the hybrid has no starter so the CCA isn't really relevant.

-I am glad the engine air filter is big.....actually, it's the same filter I had in my 2014 V-8 Tundra. How often does that filter need changing? I know it sucks down a LOT of air for the turbo.

-I did add a cool storage tray behind the 14-inch screen and the other, small one, under the driver's air vent and I keep the FOB in there but SO glad the truck sounds annoying beeps when I forget to grab them when I get out. (I've learned to not ignore the beeps.)

-In my V-8 Tundra, when driving across country, you'd better be stopping to refuel when she's at 1/4th of a tank but don't really need to stop right away with the Taco....when she says 75 miles to empty she will only take about 12-gallons...so there's about 6 gallons, still, in there. We don't mind stopping, anyway, because I get to clean off the bugs all over the windshield.

Overall, this truck is great.....took her through a car wash and then opened the Toyota hard tonneau cover to check for leaks and not a drop. Will be driving home the next two days and expect a lot of rain so will get a better water check. (Will put our gear in the bed in big, black bags just in case water gets in there.)

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[TRBO4X4]

Having a hard shift from 1st to 2nd when the truck is cold is fairly common (mine included). I don't think shifting from reverse to drive causing a noticeable thud is though.

The DTE/Distance to Empty display leaves a lot to be desired for sure.

 

[Baltimore]

Hard shifts,
I get them here or there, more when it's much colder out for the first reverse and the first 1st-2nd shift. Then usually not again. No consistency and not hearing enough to cause any worry, just chalking it up as cold fluids.

Filter change is extremely dependent on your driving and environmental conditions. I changed mine at 1yr and the old one basically still looked new/barely used. But I don't do a lot of dusty driving conditions. Mostly paved roads or grass fields.

I've had the 12v go dead on me twice (but only twice). One was my own fault. One was a sudden surprise. The surprise one unsettled me a bit because I was at home and had the truck in ACC mode just operating the windows and all of a sudden everything slows down and the LED headlights start blinking rapidly. I tested the battery voltage - it was down to about 6.5v! My existing jump pack didn't have an override feature and so wouldn't trigger (have since bought a new one with a force override). For peace of mind I bought a $10 battery voltage display that plugs into the 12v outlet next to the shifter, so I can always see the state of charge (constantly between 12.4 & 14.6). Everything has been fine otherwise.

On MTE - I have no qualms once you understand how they programmed it. MTE = 0 happens at 15.6gal (59L) consumed (2.6gal/10L remaining). "Low fuel" triggers approximately 1 gallon prior. If you track or reset the avg mpg display by tank, you can estimate your "urgent but safe zone".
Recent example:
Low fuel alert at 319.2mi on the tank
Fuel now alert at 340.4mi on the tank
Filled up at 347.0mi on the tank
Put in 16.370 gal at "click off"
Tank average was 21.4 by dash display and 21.2 by my calculation.

 

[redlimitediforcemax]

Hard shifting has a lot to due with the design. For your truck you seem to be experiencing a thud when going from reverse to drive. Every automatic vehicle I've ever owned has done this at one point and is probably normal. I don't get it all the time, but it just depends on the condition of when I'm shifting. I feel like if i don't press the brake pedal down hard enough when I go from reverse to drive, i will get a thud. probably because the truck is creeping backwards a little when it gets put into drive.

Like others here, I have the hard 1-2 shift when first setting off on a drive that cures itself after that first hard shift. It's probably a stuck solenoid combined with poor software calibration. The solenoid probably gets stuck when it sits too long. Luckily there are workarounds to this like putting the truck into Sport mode or S mode on the shifter and shift it to S2 to allow the truck to clear that hard shift without the truck slamming into 3rd gear. One use get past that first drive off, you can put it back to normal drive without issue. I've gone beyond this by having my truck tuned as well as the transmission shift logic preventing the hard shifting.

Check your air filter from time to time. I forget the replacement interval but the part is really cheap and can be done in a few minutes. if it's dirty, change it. If you aren't really driving on dirt roads it probably won't get dirty too often.

 

[ColoradoBoo]

Thanks and, yes, the hard thud is pretty rare so I won't worry about it.

I just got home from our cross-country trip to Tennessee and we love the truck. Unfortunately, the windshield took a rock in Kentucky and, now, I have a cute little star pattern just to the left of where the HUD displays. I'll go down to the windshield chip repair guy today if it hasn't already spread. (I took another rock on the passenger side but didn't see any damage but needs to be checked.)

Got 3,200 miles on her, already. I did the break-in oil change at 500 so will do another at 3,500 to get keep her on schedule....probably use my 2-year Toyota Care when she's at 6,500 for another oil change and tire rotations....let the youngens have to move those 18" tires around.

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