How Do You Keep An Auto Trans In The Highest Gear? - Toyota Yaris Forums

bronsin · 04-08-2011, 02:06 PM

Or: what is the slowest speed you can go in a Yaris and still be in 4th? I ask because I may be driving in remote sections of Canada this summer where roads are bad and fuel infrequent. I will need to maximize fuel economy at times.

Thanks!

staticorex · 04-08-2011, 04:46 PM

Your manual tells you that max speed you can be in before having to shift up. I believe it says 85mph before you have to be in 4th. But I haven't checked it in over a year and my memory is terrible. You should be able to look it up in your manual.

As for the slowest, My Nissan Rouge lets me shift manually and I can shift up to 6th gear at VERY low speeds. I think I was driving around 25-30mph in 6th the other day. But that's a cvt transmission. I'm not sure if it's the same.

Hope that helps you somehow.

Tonavi · 04-08-2011, 08:13 PM

I think you just have to be really gentle with it. My 1991 Acura Legend went in 4th at 25 MPH if I was really gentle.

BIGTAZ351 · 04-09-2011, 05:25 AM

If I'm easy on the gas pedal 30-35, the car seems to get the best mpgs at about 45 mph. Get a scangauge2 its worth the money! RPM's, instant MPG, Avg mpg, and much more at the press of a button.

rick996 · 04-10-2011, 12:32 PM

I recommend the Scanguage II too. Besides helping you drive more efficiently, it gives you a pretty good estimate of the gas left in the tank and how many miles you can go on it using current conditions.

R2D2 · 04-12-2011, 08:51 PM

Bronsin,

The Yaris wants to hold 4th for dear life! It will do so for as long as possible and is more dependent on load than speed. When cresting a hill you can back out of the throttle gradually and keep the load low enough to avoid a shift. When it does decide to shift it needs to and is saving fuel! Fantastic auto trans IMO.

R2

bronsin · 04-13-2011, 07:16 AM

Hmm interesting. That is some valuble advice. The main thing I DONT like about it is its insane programming to remain in thrid until the cool blue light goes out. A manual you can shift into 5th at 35 on a level ground immediately.

R2D2 · 04-13-2011, 11:33 PM

Yep. You've got that right. I'm glad I don't immediately have to get on a highway on cold mornings-that would really be a bummer! I really hate having to rev a cold engine above about 1500 rpm.

I wonder if CTScott knows how to engineer a fix for the 4th gear lock out?

bronsin · 04-14-2011, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R2D2

I wonder if CTScott knows how to engineer a fix for the 4th gear lock out?

Oh PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!

CTScott · 04-14-2011, 10:05 PM

It would just be a matter of switching a resistor in parallel with the engine coolant temperature sensor. The ECM sees a dead short as 140C and a full open as 40C, so it would just be a matter of selecting the correct resistor value to put it in the normal warm range. I am packing to head out of the country tomorrow morning, but I'll do some experimentation when I return.

bronsin · 04-15-2011, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CTScott

It would just be a matter of switching a resistor in parallel with the engine coolant temperature sensor. The ECM sees a dead short as 140C and a full open as 40C, so it would just be a matter of selecting the correct resistor value to put it in the normal warm range. I am packing to head out of the country tomorrow morning, but I'll do some experimentation when I return.

:thum bup:

:w 00t:

If this works it will be so awesome!

Maybe you should postpone your trip and get started working on it right away?

Kal-El · 04-15-2011, 09:22 AM

Bronson, considering you opened two threads about the auto not doing what you want, it looks like you should've bought a manual.

DebbyM46227 · 04-15-2011, 10:00 AM

I drive a manual, but I still don't go above 40 MPH until my cool light goes off, and in the winter when it's really cold outside, it can be 3 or 4 miles before the engine warms up enough for it to go off.

There's a reason Toyota did this, they didn't set up the automatics this way just to tick you off.

bronsin · 04-15-2011, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kal-El

Bronson, considering you opened two threads about the auto not doing what you want, it looks like you should've bought a manual.

I never would have but my feet are numb and get painfull pushing in a clutch. Had to go auto.

Say do they make a hand clutch adapter for handicapped people? I would be so there.

bronsin · 04-15-2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebbyM46227

I drive a manual, but I still don't go above 40 MPH until my cool light goes off, and in the winter when it's really cold outside, it can be 3 or 4 miles before the engine warms up enough for it to go off.

There's a reason Toyota did this, they didn't set up the automatics this way just to tick you off.

And the reason is...THEY ARE MORONS! I work with engineers all the time and you would not BELIEVE the insane things that get in their heads sometimes.

Im thinking this mod is going to be as big as the cruise control one!

CANT WAIT

Deb you are an ENABLER!

sbergman27 · 04-18-2011, 01:27 AM

I wonder what other effects might result from tricking the ECU into thinking that the coolant is always warmer than it is.

Sounds like a bad idea to me.

I'm not that familiar with the Yaris' control systems, or what is controlled by the ECU and what is handled by discrete systems, but...

Any strategies that the ECU uses to optimize fuel economy and driveability during warm up would likely be thrown off. And at normal operating temperature, the radiator fan might run continuously. (Or is that independent of the ECU?) And the ECU might go into emergency measures (timing advance? idle speed increase?) to control the "overheating" situation it erroneously detects.

Rather than messing with the ECU's sensor inputs, I think I would be more inclined to investigate the rationale behind the temp lockouts in the first place. I suspect they are there for a good reasons which we might agree with if we knew exactly what they were.

If the engineers who wrote the control software are "morons", I'm not quite sure what to call the person who messes with fundamental sensor inputs, like coolant temperature, without taking some time to think very carefully about the possible repercussions.

-Steve

bronsin · 04-18-2011, 06:17 AM

Maunal transmissions can be shifted into 5th at any time after starting the engine. Are THEY having problems because of that? If they are they are keeping very quiet about it. No of course they are not! Eveerything is just fine! Now...is it possible the..er...GENIUSES who designed the software for the ECM have made such a rats nest of it that messing with the sensors will ball everything up? Why of course! We have to be carefull. But maybe there is another way to make the transmission shift into high just like the its manual brother can. I dont know.

Let me tell you something about engineers and scientests. They are IDIOTS just like everybody else. They invented the ATOMIC BOMB for Gods sake thinking it was a great thing! Was THAT a good idea? Are you you happy living in a world that could be blown to bits, thanks to them? I hope the answer is NO! Well there, are you going to let these people tell you what to do? Tell you how to live your life? Fall at their feet and worship them and eat their shit? Well good for you! I will pass on that one thankyou very much! I will do whatever I can! And if I want to try to make my auto trans shift into forth before YOURS does that is just too bad!

yaris2010RS · 04-18-2011, 10:38 AM

^^ o00o0o0o0o0o0o thread just got very interesting

04-08-2011, 02:06 PM	#1
bronsin Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: nj Posts: 4,792	How Do You Keep An Auto Trans In The Highest Gear? Or: what is the slowest speed you can go in a Yaris and still be in 4th? I ask because I may be driving in remote sections of Canada this summer where roads are bad and fuel infrequent. I will need to maximize fuel economy at times. Thanks!

04-08-2011, 04:46 PM	#2
staticorex View User's Garage Drives: Sc'd Yaris Sedan. Join Date: May 2007 Location: civilwar town. Posts: 660	Your manual tells you that max speed you can be in before having to shift up. I believe it says 85mph before you have to be in 4th. But I haven't checked it in over a year and my memory is terrible. You should be able to look it up in your manual. As for the slowest, My Nissan Rouge lets me shift manually and I can shift up to 6th gear at VERY low speeds. I think I was driving around 25-30mph in 6th the other day. But that's a cvt transmission. I'm not sure if it's the same. Hope that helps you somehow. __________________ Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum.

04-09-2011, 05:25 AM	#4
BIGTAZ351 147K-Blue / 24K-Yellow View User's Garage Drives: 2010 Ylw 3dr. AT(Blue-Wife's) Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North Branch, MN Posts: 78	If I'm easy on the gas pedal 30-35, the car seems to get the best mpgs at about 45 mph. Get a scangauge2 its worth the money! RPM's, instant MPG, Avg mpg, and much more at the press of a button. __________________ All Weather Package, Power Package, Cruise, WeatherTech Floor Mats. Altimax Arctic Winter Tires. Repair List: 1 new blower motor, making funny noise. @ 91K (Water pump @ 120K) Mod List: 1. Black tape on most of the annoying blue high beam light behind the lens. (thank you CTScott)

04-10-2011, 12:32 PM	#5
rick996 Drives: 2010 5 door hatch w/5 sp man. Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Coventry, CT Posts: 160	I recommend the Scanguage II too. Besides helping you drive more efficiently, it gives you a pretty good estimate of the gas left in the tank and how many miles you can go on it using current conditions. __________________

04-12-2011, 08:51 PM	#6
R2D2 Crazy Oil Sniffer Drives: MM 09 Yaris 5 Dr LB "Click" Join Date: May 2009 Location: ME Posts: 498	Bronsin, The Yaris wants to hold 4th for dear life! It will do so for as long as possible and is more dependent on load than speed. When cresting a hill you can back out of the throttle gradually and keep the load low enough to avoid a shift. When it does decide to shift it needs to and is saving fuel! Fantastic auto trans IMO. R2 __________________ "The howl was the sound of God’s casting pot, the morphing of my cells into shape, the forming of oceans out of molten premordial plasma. And I could feel it. I could cry for it. I could cry with it." -The Fitful One

04-08-2011, 08:13 PM	#3
Tonavi Drives: 2007 Yaris HB Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: die Vereinigten Staaten Posts: 134	I think you just have to be really gentle with it. My 1991 Acura Legend went in 4th at 25 MPH if I was really gentle.

04-13-2011, 07:16 AM	#7
bronsin Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: nj Posts: 4,792	Hmm interesting. That is some valuble advice. The main thing I DONT like about it is its insane programming to remain in thrid until the cool blue light goes out. A manual you can shift into 5th at 35 on a level ground immediately.

04-13-2011, 11:33 PM	#8
R2D2 Crazy Oil Sniffer Drives: MM 09 Yaris 5 Dr LB "Click" Join Date: May 2009 Location: ME Posts: 498	Yep. You've got that right. I'm glad I don't immediately have to get on a highway on cold mornings-that would really be a bummer! I really hate having to rev a cold engine above about 1500 rpm. I wonder if CTScott knows how to engineer a fix for the 4th gear lock out? __________________ "The howl was the sound of God’s casting pot, the morphing of my cells into shape, the forming of oceans out of molten premordial plasma. And I could feel it. I could cry for it. I could cry with it." -The Fitful One

04-14-2011, 10:05 PM	#10
CTScott ULTIMATE View User's Garage Drives: 09 5dr LB, 2x 08 3dr LB Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: USA, CT Posts: 13,460	It would just be a matter of switching a resistor in parallel with the engine coolant temperature sensor. The ECM sees a dead short as 140C and a full open as 40C, so it would just be a matter of selecting the correct resistor value to put it in the normal warm range. I am packing to head out of the country tomorrow morning, but I'll do some experimentation when I return. __________________

04-15-2011, 09:22 AM	#12
Kal-El Drives: 07 Yaris S Sedan 5-Speed Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,179	Bronson, considering you opened two threads about the auto not doing what you want, it looks like you should've bought a manual.

04-15-2011, 10:00 AM	#13
DebbyM46227 View User's Garage Drives: 2017 Yaris IA, Pulse Red, Auto Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 538	I drive a manual, but I still don't go above 40 MPH until my cool light goes off, and in the winter when it's really cold outside, it can be 3 or 4 miles before the engine warms up enough for it to go off. There's a reason Toyota did this, they didn't set up the automatics this way just to tick you off.

04-18-2011, 01:27 AM	#16
sbergman27 Drives: 2008 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Oklahoma City, OK Posts: 323	I wonder what other effects might result from tricking the ECU into thinking that the coolant is always warmer than it is. Sounds like a bad idea to me. I'm not that familiar with the Yaris' control systems, or what is controlled by the ECU and what is handled by discrete systems, but... Any strategies that the ECU uses to optimize fuel economy and driveability during warm up would likely be thrown off. And at normal operating temperature, the radiator fan might run continuously. (Or is that independent of the ECU?) And the ECU might go into emergency measures (timing advance? idle speed increase?) to control the "overheating" situation it erroneously detects. Rather than messing with the ECU's sensor inputs, I think I would be more inclined to investigate the rationale behind the temp lockouts in the first place. I suspect they are there for a good reasons which we might agree with if we knew exactly what they were. If the engineers who wrote the control software are "morons", I'm not quite sure what to call the person who messes with fundamental sensor inputs, like coolant temperature, without taking some time to think very carefully about the possible repercussions. -Steve Last edited by sbergman27; 04-18-2011 at 01:47 AM.

04-18-2011, 06:17 AM	#17
bronsin Drives: 2009 Base Hatch 2 Dr Auto Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: nj Posts: 4,792	Maunal transmissions can be shifted into 5th at any time after starting the engine. Are THEY having problems because of that? If they are they are keeping very quiet about it. No of course they are not! Eveerything is just fine! Now...is it possible the..er...GENIUSES who designed the software for the ECM have made such a rats nest of it that messing with the sensors will ball everything up? Why of course! We have to be carefull. But maybe there is another way to make the transmission shift into high just like the its manual brother can. I dont know. Let me tell you something about engineers and scientests. They are IDIOTS just like everybody else. They invented the ATOMIC BOMB for Gods sake thinking it was a great thing! Was THAT a good idea? Are you you happy living in a world that could be blown to bits, thanks to them? I hope the answer is NO! Well there, are you going to let these people tell you what to do? Tell you how to live your life? Fall at their feet and worship them and eat their shit? Well good for you! I will pass on that one thankyou very much! I will do whatever I can! And if I want to try to make my auto trans shift into forth before YOURS does that is just too bad!

04-18-2011, 10:38 AM	#18
yaris2010RS View User's Garage Drives: no-longer-boosted '10 Yaris Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Angus, Ontario Posts: 1,891	^^ o00o0o0o0o0o0o thread just got very interesting __________________ If it has boobs or wheels sooner or later your gonna have problems with it

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