How and when do you use S mode?

You may have a different experience, but I have not had the stock brake pads last longer than 60,000 miles.

 

I should probably check them out the next time I rotate my tires. I had stock brakes on my Tacoma at 102K when I traded it in. I had decided that I would pay for OEM again if they would last that long.

 

I use engine breaking all the time. Wouldn’t a dash light start flashing if you even got close to overheating the transmission? I would think they’d implement a “heads up” in that regard.

 

I expect to be roasted for this being a newbie, but. Engine braking and down shifting and double clutching and listening to the pipes snap cracking and popping is so much fun that I take my daughter’s Mustang GT out occasionally. Using engine braking in the DFW area is ok too. It does, however, put wear and tear on the engine and drivetrain. Brakes are cheaper.

 

I use S mode all the time when off-roading and use it when on-road down steeper hills. Helps to not have to ride the brakes.

 

These threads always bring out the flatlanders.

 

Could be a bad memory… but I think I remember reading in the owners manual to use S mode for some breaking in the mountains.

 

I didn't see anything specifically about mountains, but it does say to use it for engine braking.

 

Thank you for being kind to me. My experience comes from 50’s and 60’s dump trucks and cement trucks. Back then brakes were cheaper and engines and transmissions were less reliable.

 

Okay…

I’ve never heard truck operators being told NOT to use engine braking, given how heavy trucks are, and how easy it is to fade the brakes or literally boil the brake fluid (if you’re not using air brakes).

Also, since jake brakes are illegal in many areas, you HAVE to use the transmission to engine brake. And that’s why there are brake check stations all over the mountains.

Once again, this just seems to be something that is completely alien and incomprehensible to people living in flat country.

 

First of all, to dispel the myth – engine braking does not harm your engine at all. Engines are designed to run at thousands of revs per minute for hours at a time. Changing down, whilst may be a bit jerky at times, hence, it doesn't inflict any damage.

 

Will sequential mode in S4 help prevent the transmission from heating up when doing a lot of mountains/highway driving

 

Yes, I believe so. I use S4 and drop to S3 if needed. Going downhill you can bump it to S5, or keep it in a lower gear to engine brake.

 

It's just like shifting down to 4th. It will prevent the 4 to 5 change but it will not prevent the convertor locking and unlocking which can seem like a gear change.

 

Actually, I think it *might* prevent lockup in S3 and S4. I think I read that on the forum awhile back.

 

Not sure about 3rd but I've had it lock up in 4th.

 

I don't think that's correct. I know for sure mine locks into 4th in S4. S3 I'm not positive about, but I can't imagine why they would engineer it not to.

I know that when I downshift it will engine brake in any gear, which suggests to me that it is locking in.

 

That is correct. S mode limits the top gear. Useful for engine braking your speed when descending hills. Just put it in D around town, no need to manually run through the gears.

 

Sure. But your engine will be revving into higher RPMs since it will be limited to 3rd gear, burning more gas. The 4R transmission is pretty robust. You’re not going to hurt it. But if it bothers you that the torque converter hunts in and out of lock in slow speed stop and go city driving try running it in 4. See if that is more pleasant.

 

It's the same as moving the gear selector down on a auto that has all the detents. It will start in 1st and run through the gears as needed to the limit you set. 4th works for me in some uphills with traffic. You'll get a warning before the trans overheats though and a couple of shifts isn't going to get it there.

Same thing as selecting 3rd gear with a shifter.

 

Some vehicles had a slippery surface start in a higher gear so torque is reduced. 4Runners do not have that feature.

 

It depends. After you drive it a while and get used to the 4Runner you can tell by the RPMs. The TC unlocking is kind of a small increase. 5th to 4th is a greater jump. I have an iPhone app and a compatible OBDII interface dongle to monitor some engine parameters, temperatures, and voltages, and it also shows when the torque converter locks.

 

I have not paid attention to slow speed TC operation.
Here’s the app (Car Scanner ELM OBDII), and the Carista dongle. You can also use the Carista app to customize some 4Runner features.
https://caristaapp.com/

 

I always thought of S mode as manual override. I use it when going up and downhill for engine brake but I stopped after watching Scotty Kilmer said you will wear the transmission, and it's cheaper to replace brakes than a transmission.

 

I usually leave mine in S4 in the city, and whenever I won't be going over 40 MPH or so. Like @ElectroBoy said, you won't hurt the transmission. But, if it's constantly downshifting, you're not really saving fuel in D anyway.

I wouldn't worry about what Scotty Kilmer says. The Manual suggests using S mode for engine braking.

 

I think it should be renamed from "Sequential" to "Sure to confuse some owners."

 

Yeah, when I was test driving it the sales guy had no idea how it worked and I was confused until I RTFM and experimented.
BTW, I’m wondering when it was named “Sequential” Mode. I did a search on the 2018 owner manual and it only lists “S Mode”.

 

I was curious, too. I thought I had read it here. But, the manual just calls it "S mode".

 

When I purchased my Tacoma new in 2010, the salesman didn't know what 4wd was.

The S function has been around since I believe the last gen Celica and it was "Sequential Shift" back then. I think calling it a mode is a mistake because people seem to think it does more than let you choose a top gear.

 

That's what I think of when I hear "sequential" or "sport" mode, a transmission that shifts when you tell it to. Our S mode only allows you to choose a top gear and downshift to engine brake, like you mentioned. I don't think calling it S mode os misleading. What else would you call it?