Manual Valve Body to control down shifts

[vDawG14]

When I first bought my '06 hatchback it did not have cruise. The car did not down shift to maintain speed my entire drive to work. When I added cruise the car kicks down on several hills. Has anyone ever tried a manual valve body and did it help fuel eco?

[daf62757]

VDawg....

I have an unrelated question for you. I have to drive next September to Halifax. I am looking at flying to Portland Maine and driving. Is there any best route or local info that would make this easier? Is this a very populated area along the route or only in the larger towns?

[eTiMaGo]

The Yaris auto gearbox is electronically controlled, no messy hydraulics involved ;)

[vDawG14]

So how do I make it operate like a manual valve body?

[eTiMaGo]

I'm sure there are ways to tweak the operation of the gearbox ECU, but that's never really been discussed, examined or actually done, as far as I know.

[nookandcrannycar]

VDawg....

I have an unrelated question for you. I have to drive next September to Halifax. I am looking at flying to Portland Maine and driving. Is there any best route or local info that would make this easier? Is this a very populated area along the route or only in the larger towns?

Not VDawg.....but my 2 cents from experience might help. My answer is it depends on how much time you have. If you don't have at least 2 days (and at least 3 is better) then...unless flying into Portland is way, way cheaper (or free) in might be better just to fly into Halifax. The fastest drive time would be (as Mapquest correctly states) would be to take I-95 to the Canadian border and the continue on Hwy 95 in Canada to Highway 2 (part of the Trans Canada Highway) and take the Trans Canada Highway all the way through New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia. Then take Hwy 102 South--soon hitting Truro (where VDawg lives) and then about 40 miles later, Halifax. Unless this route has changed a lot since 2006 and 2009 it is not too populated, except in the larger towns (although I haven't driven the part between Bangor ME and where 95 meets the Trans Canada Highway).

The most beautiful route, IMHO, would be to take I-95 to Bangor, ME and then get off I-95 and drive to Lubec ME.....beautiful views from well marked turn outs and you could spend the night in Lubeck. In the morning you could drive out to Quoddy Head Lighthouse (at that time of the year, depending on when exactly, it is where you can first see the sun rise in the U.S.). After returning, you could have breakfast and then drive over the short bridge onto Campobello Island and see President Franklin Roosevelt's house there (the island is in Canada, so you cross the border when you cross the bridge). After seeing FDR's house, you could take the ferry to Deer Island, drive across Deer Island (only a few minutes) and then take the Deer Island - Letete Ferry to the mainland and then drive to Hopewell Cape to Hopewell Rocks. After spending time at Hopewell Rocks you can then drive to Halifax to spend the night.

If you have an extra day, you could stop in Saint John and take a wet powerboat ride and sightsee around the city....then drive to Alma (Fundy National Park) and spend the night in a B and B or camping and then onto Hopewell Rocks the next day where you could see the tide in and the tide out (the difference is amazing -- Wikipedia doesn't do it justice) and then on to Halifax to spend the night.

In 2006 I entered Atlantic Canada from Quebec and spent about a month there. In New Brunswick I stayed in Fredericton, Alma, and Grand Bay-Westfield (near Saint John). In Nova Scotia I stayed in Pictou, Lunenburg, Smith's Cove (near Digby), and Baddeck. In Newfoundland I stayed in Corner Brook, Port au Choix, Green's Harbour, and St. John's.....and on Prince Edward Island I stayed in Cavendish. However, I drove to quite a few other areas on day trips. I drove to L'Anse Aux Meadows, Gros Morne National Park, and Rocky Harbour from Port au Choix. I drove to Hearts Content, etc. from Green's Harbour and to Cape Spear from St. John. I drove to Mahone Bay, Peggy's Cove, etc. and to Halifax from Lunenburg. I drove to Digby and to Brier Island at the end of the Digby Peninsula from Smith's Cove. I drove The Cabot Trail, Sydney, Bras D'or, and North Sydney from Baddeck. I drove to Hopewell Cape/Hopewell Rocks from Alma. I drove to Campobello and Saint John from Grand Bay-Westfield....and on Prince Edward Island I drove to Charlottetown and quite a few small towns from Cavendish. These...among others.

In 2009 I drove from Boston to Bangor ME and then on to Lubec ME, Quoddy Head, etc....then Back to Bangor and then to Lewiston ME and then back to Boston. That trip started in Texas and also included NYC. In 2006 I had driven across Canada to get to the Atlantic Provinces. I drove my own car on each trip and in 2009 it was my Yaris.

If you do fly into Portland ME, make sure you know the fine print of the car rental contract because each company has a different policy re driving into Canada.

If you drive the I-95 to Hwy 95 to Trans Canada Hwy #2 route please post details. I plan to eventually drive to Madawaska ME in my Yaris and it would be great to have more details.


.....and (to Bronsin) -- Have you ever made it up to Madawaska on your bike?

[10 Francis]

The automatic transmission with NO 'messy hydraulics' has yet to be built by Toyota or any manufacturer; the electronics just control the hydraulics. that being said, it would be possible (theoretically, but not by the average owner) to modify sensor outputs to the ECU or ECU outputs to the solenoids to adjust the shift points just like a piggyback fuel injection controller. That being said, I wouldn't recommend trying it unless you're an automotive engineer. I think you would be better advised to adjust your driving- turn off cruise control on hilly terrain, and "drive with load".