It's Midnight; what are my fellow Tacoma owners doing ?

TexasBigBlue said:
Definitely sounds like Loveland pass on I-70 through the Eisenhower Tunnel or Wolf Creek Pass in Pagosa Springs. I'll take my skills and a manuel transmission over an automatic any day of the week.
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Yes, heading east upto the tunnel while snow was flying... There was a wrecker assisting someone in the far right lane so the 3 lane backup for miles

Have you ever been on Teton pass in WY ID border

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton_Pass

That thing had 10% grades that engine braking did not keep a steady speed at all!
Slick single lane oncoming traffic constantly tapping on the brakes to slow down and not slide toomuch

Maybe I shoulda went with the 4lo on that descent to use less brakes but I would have to stop traffic at the summit to shift onto 4lo lol
 
Rock62 said:
Reality. Manual Transmissions are falling by the way of the dodo.

The consumers don't want the manuals, so they are buying more automatics. The manufacturers respond by reducing the number of models with manual trans....... Market demand is driving the availability.
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Since a manual offers a driver more control over a truck, that can come in handy with some jobs. For instance, Cappa has relatives who own an excavation company and they prefer working with trucks that have manual transmissions.

“They like the crawl gear,” he said. “They like to be able to control the transmission themselves. It’s a personal preference on the part of the driver.”

Personal preference for a manual is not all nostalgia. It can be a vital link between driver and truck where the driver gains more control and more confidence as they take on big jobs.

“They can put the truck into gear and, with as much torque as the Cummins has, it just idles and they just lock it in. There’s no need to hit the accelerator at all,” Cappa adds. “They can just pay attention to what they’re doing and the truck can torque at idle probably all the way until second gear. Definitely into second gear and maybe into third.”

“You don’t have to apply any acceleration. They can actually just get the truck to idle and select a speed that way. Whereas with the automatic transmission, it’s going to require some input. In some situations, that’s a necessity.
 
JayQQ97 said:
Yes, heading east up to the tunnel while snow was flying... There was a wrecker assisting someone in the far right lane so the 3 lane backup for miles

Have you ever been on Teton pass in WY ID border

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teton_Pass

That thing had 10% grades that engine braking did not keep a steady speed at all!
Slick single lane oncoming traffic constantly tapping on the brakes to slow down and not slide too much

Maybe I shoulda went with the 4lo on that descent to use less brakes but I would have to stop traffic at the summit to shift onto 4lo lol
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Never been to Teton Pass but I've heard it's a white knuckle, death grip on the steering wheel experience. My most recent drive on a Pass was last winter. I was headed back to Texas from Colorado on I-25 going over my favorite Raton Pass. It sits atop the Colorado/New Mexico state line and although it's a baby pass, it still has a 6% grade and around 7,000 feet in elevation.

It was snowing hard, semi-trucks and cars in the ditch or pulled over on the side and they were just getting ready to close the highway down. I round the corner and I kid you not, a big-lift 2WD Dodge pickup truck with Texas tags stops in the only lane that's still open going up the Pass to chat with a Colorado Highway Patrolman. Most people know once you stop going your momentum uphill you screwed and make your way to the shoulder.

Already in 4-high and 3rd gear going 20mph, I know I gotta get around this yahoo from Texas before I have to stop and move to the shoulder. I start blasting my horn and pass him on the left shoulder yelling " ya just fu**ed yourself and everybody behind you dumb-a$$. Wish I had some pictures to show.
 
Jay. Don't conflate commercial vehicles with the common consumer level vehicles.

Yes, heavy trucks and commercial vehicles there is an advantage with a manual.

The wife's SUV hauling the monsters to soccer practice is not the same as a semi hauling 40 tons of merchandise.
 
Rock62 said:
Jay. Don't conflate commercial vehicles with the common consumer level vehicles.

Yes, heavy trucks and commercial vehicles there is an advantage with a manual.

The wife's SUV hauling the monsters to soccer practice is not the same as a semi hauling 40 tons of merchandise.
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Same goes for a manuel transmission in an SUV Rock62. The science doesn't change.
 
Automatic transmissions seem to have a mind of their own
Shifting all willy nilly all over whenever they so wish to
Or else I don't know how to really drive one of them :(
 
TexasBigBlue said:
Same goes for a manuel transmission in an SUV Rock62. The science doesn't change.
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Agreed. The science doesn't change.

Its the BUYER that makes the choice. More buyers are choosing Autos over Manuals. So, the market is predominantly Autos, not manuals. In fact, many semi-tractors are equipped with automatic transmissions.

Remember 2-door coupe cars.......? They are pretty much gone. Why? More buyers want 4-door sedans. Market shift. The same type of market shift is making 4-door pickups as the predominant selection. Regular cab pickups are pretty scarce, Access (Extended) cab are becoming harder to find.

It is all MARKET driven. A company won't be in business long building product that doesn't sell. When was the last time you saw a rotary dial or a push-button phone? Same reason they died.......market change.
 
yes, i miss those 2-door small coupe cars, had 2 liftbacks Yotas with the 2 door from the '70s
 
FWIW, you can control when the automatic shifts to some extent.

Just choose the highest gear you want. Place the selector in that position. Example, place selector in "3" will prevent shifting into higher gears.

My '06 has a 5 speed Auto. Normally, it is in "D" which allows all the gears including Overdrive. If I place the selector into "4", then transmission will not shift into OD. It can only use gears 1, 2, 3 and 4.

You can also use the selector to shift. Say you are pulling a 7000 lb trailer. You place the selector in 1 to begin rolling. You can bump the selector to 2 allowing the shift to 2nd gear when you want. Same with 3 and 4 and D.

Downshifting works the same way.

Automatics are not magic with a mind of their own.
 
JayQQ97 said:
Automatic transmissions seem to have a mind of their own
Shifting all willy nilly all over whenever they so wish to
Or else I don't know how to really drive one of them :(
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I agree. Auto's are always shifting at the wrong place and time plus too many parts to go wrong. I've never had a cars with an auto last, manuals on the other hand just keep going. Besides, you can not spell manual without MAN.
 
Rock62 said:
In your case.....

I'd suggest to place the selector into OD then let the transmisson work based on speed, load, acceleration, braking.

Don't overthink it.
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the now-beater grocery getter winter slopped car doesn't have OD unfortunately its the base model with 3speed auto that screams bloody heck on the fast-paced freeway to stinkin linkin nearing the triple D
 
24-7 said:
I agree. Auto's are always shifting at the wrong place and time plus too many parts to go wrong. I've never had a cars with an auto last, manuals on the other hand just keep going. Besides, you can not spell manual without MAN.
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dont tell that to a woMAN that is confident in handling a stick and clutching it
 
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