I'll explain why this pertains to those only with automatics.

I've noticed lately that it seems my trans down-shifts too early or something while slowing or braking.

When braking and slowing down, my car jerks forward. Maybe jerk is the wrong word. It just feels as if the car has suddenly slowed faster than it should have then lets up again. PLEASE NOTE: This is not the instant I first apply the brakes. I'll be riding the brake (not heavily) for 3 -5 seconds and it'll happen. This is with constant, even pressure on the brakes. I know it's not my doing. Whenever I feel it happen I look at the tach and see it jump up to 2000 - 2500 then come back down. So I know it's the issue of going down through the gears.

I just get the feeling I'm still going to fast when the car decides to down-shift and it's the combination of the brakes applied.

What am I missing here?

 

how many miles on the car?

 

I hate when it does that.

It's sort of the same thing you feel when you brake, the AT shifts, then you have to take off again. Like when you're about stop at a red light, and the light turns green before you've entirely stopped.

You can brake early, let off, brake again, let off, brake again and come to a rolling stop to avoid it. I have no idea what that's called, or if there's any technique involved. I just find I get better braking performance if I apply pressure, let off, repeat.

Or, it might be how hard you're braking--the anti-lock feature tends to freak out pretty quickly under hard braking, and I'm pretty sure the transmission will downshift like crazy to compensate.

 

Its normal, especially when braking downhill. The tranny will downshift in order to brake in time, and allow better braking.

You can search online under toyota's, all newer toyotas, and most other cars with autos will downshift if A. Braking hard B. Braking down hill C. All of the above.

 

300 miles

It's not hard braking at all. It'll be the type where you're about to exit the highway on an off-ramp or coming down a hill. Actually I don't feel it at all if I brake hard.

And the annoying part is it doesn't happen all the time. I could apply the same braking another time and it won't do it.

Ok well as long as it's normal I'll just get used to it.

Thanks guys

 

i get this too. with my xB

 

I was talking to a Scion Manager at my local dealer and he said automatics actually have a "smart shifter" in such that its supposed to be able for the driver to "tap the brakes" in order to cause the car to shift up a gear and "tap the gas" to shift down. I am not sure, but this could play into why it shifts that way. Personally I drive a stick and use down shifting to help slow.

 

make sure ur in "D" and not "3"
ur car may be engine breaking in 3rd gear.

 

Do they make tC's in automatics? (lol)

 

i had an auto and i never recall having issues with that. weeeird... and i had mine for 40,000 miles. it was as smooth as, generally, a baby's bottom.

 

hmm... i haven't notice that
it's braking smooth for me, i have 6000 miles now
go take it to dealer. if dealer says its normal and if you don't trust dealer and you want to find out if it is your car, test drive a tC in dealer to see what it is like.