Transmission question

Hello all,

Not too long ago I purchased my first Toyota a 2018 Tundra SR5 2WD, 4.6, completely stock, one owner, 41k miles with every service done as it’s supposed to. Most of my previous trucks were manuals so I decided to post here and make sure I wasn’t over thinking how this truck behaves. I have recently noticed under light acceleration up to 30/40mph when shifting into the next gear the rpm’s will raise maybe 200 rpm’s. When I say raise it sounds/looks potentially like slippage because it doesn’t feel as it’s grabbing like typical behavior when rolling through the gears in other vehicles I’ve driven. I only noticed this due to the sound of the exhaust the other day. You can visually see on the tach that the rpm’s will almost immediately raise (always under 2k) after shifting into the next gear while still slowly raising in speed. Could be how these trucks drive normally and possibly overthinking it but I thought I’d ask here before taking it to the dealership and looking like an idiot. I’ve only towed a small moving trailer to my storage unit so I know I haven’t overloaded the truck. I’m also covered by a 100k bumper to bumper but I would like to stay on top of any potential problems before they get worse. Thanks for your guys help.

 

How many miles have you driven it since purchasing it? These, like other modern transmissions, are adaptive learning and shift control changes times with driver behavior.

 

So far I’ve driven roughly 3500 miles since purchase. I’ve definitely noticed smoother shifts since I’ve owned the truck, as well as increased mileage on the range screen. I’m hoping it’s just adaptive and that’s normal for the transmission rather than a mechanical or fluid issue.

 

At 41K it probably has not had any drain-fills. One can't hurt except maybe the pocket book a bit.

 

I decided to check Toyota for the service history just in case you were right about the drain and fill. It shows that the truck was serviced roughly every 4500 miles at my local dealer Toyota Auto Care. Nothing explicitly states transmission but they do include all services needed with multi point inspection, recalls etc etc. I am coming up on the 45k mile service so I will be getting that done. Just wanting to make sure this is normal operating behavior or something else.

 

Are you sure it isn't just the torque converter locking/unlocking?

 

Could be, I’m not used to having an automatic. Wasn’t sure if it would behave that way with light throttle, it’s not as if it’s slipping like it’s out of fluid but from the few trucks I’ve driven before it just felt different especially noticing the rpm difference. I’ve had some bad luck on vehicles previously so could be overthinking this and being overtly cautious.

 

Drive the truck around in "S" or sequential mode and see if it still does it. If it doesn't, then it is probably just the shift control having not adapted to your driving patterns.

Our Tundra was bought used and did this at the beginning, with abnormal shifting and downshifting. I can't remember how many miles it took, but it did eventually resolve.

 

Disconnect n native battery terminal overnight. Reconnect it in the morning, start the truck, and let idle for 5 minutes. Drive normally. This will reset learned values and the computer will relearn your driving habits