TipTronic info

[SolaraChihuahua]

Ok, I just recently got my 2005 SE V6

I've messed around with the tiptronic shifting a little bit but I was also scared I'd blow the transmission or something so I didnt wanna mess with it too much until I knew what I was doing. I've read on here about downshifting, and when to shift up...but im still a tad lost, since I've never driven a manual car before. So if there's like a "sum it up" explanation somewhere...I'd be grateful. I especially want to learn/understand the downshifting technique, so I can haul some ass on the extremely off chance I'd ever need to.

[NeFaRiOuS_SLE]

Ah yes, the good ol' slushbox that can be treated like stick.

First, you start off in 1. Step on the clutch (just kidding) and get it going, then instead of remembering the speeds and shift points and all that other cahooey, you watch the tachometer. Generally speaking, you can shift around 3000 for economic driving, or very close to redline (but not ON redline) when you're trying to keep things fast.

Also, keep in mind that you should rarely, if ever, downshift from a higher gear if you know for a fact that it's going to redline. Redline is almost always verbotten, but not the end of the world. Since the automatic transmission is very flexible and doesn't need a clutch pedal, you don't need to worry about griding gears or placing it in the wrong column when you shift too fast.

[alan8888]

u won't messed it up..go ahead and try...it is diffcult to kill your car

[Sebas007]

No worries to have...

When you go from D to S you'll see on you dash board a 4. It means that the higher gear you let the tranny goes to is the 4th gear. It always that...the number writtin is the number of the higher gear you let the car goes...it is not the current gear. Upshifting never will have a problem. Starting with the fact that you add 1 to the number on you dash board, you just give some more freedom to your tranny. Downshifting, never you'll have a problem because if the ECU (electronic computer unit) calculate that you are running at 4500 RPM in the 3th gear that's equal (example) 7000 RPM in 2nd gear....redline is 6200...it will not let you do it and it will bip to tell you. To drive it more manually you can go in 1st or 2nd and when the engine revolution more that 4000 you can upshift...it will make you see what it is.

Ok, I just recently got my 2005 SE V6

I've messed around with the tiptronic shifting a little bit but I was also scared I'd blow the transmission or something so I didnt wanna mess with it too much until I knew what I was doing. I've read on here about downshifting, and when to shift up...but im still a tad lost, since I've never driven a manual car before. So if there's like a "sum it up" explanation somewhere...I'd be grateful. I especially want to learn/understand the downshifting technique, so I can haul some donkey on the extremely off chance I'd ever need to.

[SolaraChihuahua]

So if I were to pop it over from D to S (and it reads "4") it would then act like an automatic through fourth gear? So for example from a red light I pop it into S, it will shift up automatically until it reaches 4th gear?

[lambition]

So if I were to pop it over from D to S (and it reads "4") it would then act like an automatic through fourth gear? So for example from a red light I pop it into S, it will shift up automatically until it reaches 4th gear?

Yes.
But if you set that to 2 before you move the car, it will just be 2 not 1 then 2. (Unless I'm mistaken) I do not remember about 3rd gear, but I think it will just start at 3 as well. When it is set to 4th gear, it will automatically shift form 1 through 4 and not go to 5th gear.

You will not need this feature in normal driving anyway. I only use them when I need engine break. (Going long down heal, snowy road and so on.)

It also helps to put your gear low if you are going slow on the hill and the gears are keep on shifting up and down.

[Sebas007]

it's not complicated...Sport shift is managed like that automatic but you just limit the automatic to go to a specific gear...it all react the same 1st to 5th ...if you go at 30 MPH and you put 2 sure it will not do 1...2 but if you go from 0MPH then it will do 1-2 like a normal automatic

So if I were to pop it over from D to S (and it reads "4") it would then act like an automatic through fourth gear? So for example from a red light I pop it into S, it will shift up automatically until it reaches 4th gear?

Yes.
But if you set that to 2 before you move the car, it will just be 2 not 1 then 2. (Unless I'm mistaken) I do not remember about 3rd gear, but I think it will just start at 3 as well. When it is set to 4th gear, it will automatically shift form 1 through 4 and not go to 5th gear.

You will not need this feature in normal driving anyway. I only use them when I need engine break. (Going long down heal, snowy road and so on.)

It also helps to put your gear low if you are going slow on the hill and the gears are keep on shifting up and down.

[Down2TheC]

Simplest description... It sets your top gear for the auto-transmission. That's all it does.

[PXLpainter]

LOL! You mean the "Craptronic" shifter?

Whatever you do don't treat it like manual shifting - that will only confuse it and it will have a hard time knowing what to do if you let up on the gas before making the shift.

Instead, like D2TC says, it only limits what your highest gear is. Other than that, its just a slushbox A/T like any other car your mom might drive.

There are days I just want to put my car back to stock and forget about it all, I tell ya. Even if we can get Forced Induction with this crappy tranny and its hesitation/confusion issues, it might as well be squirrels in a friggin' cage!

[theprodigy79]

LOL! You mean the "Craptronic" shifter?

Whatever you do don't treat it like manual shifting - that will only confuse it and it will have a hard time knowing what to do if you let up on the gas before making the shift.

Instead, like D2TC says, it only limits what your highest gear is. Other than that, its just a slushbox A/T like any other car your mom might drive.

There are days I just want to put my car back to stock and forget about it all, I tell ya. Even if we can get Forced Induction with this crappy tranny and its hesitation/confusion issues, it might as well be squirrels in a friggin' cage!

Damn dude... mid-life crisis still getting to ya? I seriously feel like sometimes your car is your worst enemy with as much as you've been complaining about it recently... I've never driven the convertible, but I do know that the coupe moves pretty good for what it is (and I've surprised quite a few people I know who drive "quicker" or "faster" cars)... My tranny doesn't act up anywhere near as much as it did before I got it reflashed... It still hesitates on very rare occasions, but when it does it's only for a fraction of a second and then it nails it... I'm sorry, but I don't consider a car that can chirp Michelin Pilot Sports from a roll (and completely break them from a stop) to be sluggish...

[PXLpainter]

^^ You have an 04, not an 06.

There is NO FLASH for the 06 - we're stuck holding our dix until Toyota decides its a big enough issue to actually do something about it!

How long did you guys have to wait for a re-flash solution?

No mid-life crisis here... I just know what a responsive tranny should act like - my '01 3.4 V6 Tundra for example with no additional engine/tranny mods and hugeass tires would run circles around the Solara!

Yeah - the styling is nice - handling is better with the TRD stabilizers, but the performance still sux and I will continue to bitch about it until there are real solutions available to us.

[theprodigy79]

I have an '04 not an '06... True... But the mid year '05s and up already came with the flash that I had to go back to the dealer and get... We have the same tranny, but you had the updated firmware from the start. What else did Toyota do to the '06? I'm not sure... Supposedly there are other differences as well, but I can't imagine they'd make that much of a difference...

[PXLpainter]

Do a Search - this has been discussed at length here already.

The 06 has a very different ECU programming than previous years and there has not been a Flash of any kind to fix anything to date. I've actually had the regional office talking directly with the factory technicians about this issue. Nada.

Now I wonder if I was able to just swap out a "Flashed" 04/05 ECU with my 06... ???

[theprodigy79]

Yup yup, I know there are differences... It's just weird to me that Toyota would do that...

The ECU swap would actually be a worthwhile idea to look into. You should check it out! You may be able to pick one up pretty cheap from a salvage yard.

[Sebas007]

Yeah I feel the hesitation too....it's why when I don't want to feel it I play with the "sport" shift mode to let the engine rev higher to not let it hesitate to which gear it have to take. CP-e have the problem with the different ECU programming...it's why I went in Maryland...bring them my ride to solve this situation.

I heard the same bullshit about the mid'-05 model and higher...maybe I would have to test it with an other V6 Solara...I didn't take enough the time when I took a ride in a '04 SLE V6 that has been flashed.