Ok, I've driven nothing but American v8's my whole life until I dove into the Scion. My tC has only 900 miles on it, and i'm having some trouble adjusting. I do like the car, and it has many attractive features, but i'm having problems shifting and maybe could get some advice from you guys.

You see, in my other cars, the engine and driveline used to speak to me. Without having to look at my tach, I could always seem to feel without even realizing it where my RPM's were, and when to shift. Maybe it was the louder exhaust, the quieter radio, maybe it was the engine compression that slowed you down when you let off the gas. Whatever it was, I was comfortable all the time.

The Scion, however, if it does speak to me, I'm not dialed in. I admit the excellent stereo makes me play it a little louder, but the car is so smooth, the engine so quiet, and the throttle so.... numb? Whatever it is, I find myself always looking at the tach, trying to figure where I am. This engine revs so freely, and quietly, and the gears are so close together, that I just get lost. On 2 occasions, first passing someone doing 30 in a 45 (and trying to beat oncoming traffic), I found myself not wanting to shift until I finished the pass, not wanting to look at the tach while passing a car I probably should have waited to pass, etc. Not sure, but I think I got the revs close to 6, not something I want to do with 900 miles. Another time, I was lost in thought and casually looked at the tach and realized that I had been cruising in 4th gear at almost 5000 RPM for a minute or longer and hadn't even realized it.

So, does anyone else have this problem? Maybe a louder exhaust? I know I don't want the "boy racer" Bzzzzzz sound that I hear from the tuners, I think it sounds tacky. Will I get used to it?

Thanx

 

You can always get a trd exhaust and an aftermarket intake like injen...make the exhaust note lower and a tad bit louder.

 

you really just need to develop a timing or rhythm with the car. my turbo tC is super loud and makes big power, and my bmw 335i is just as fast but quiet as can be, they also have completely different power bands and completely different gearing. my scion is loud and has short gearing, and while i can hear the exhaust, once the waste gate opens up, it is hard to tell when it is near red line because it sounds nearly the same from 4k to redline, but since the gearing is so short, and it makes so much power, i know that it is just a few seconds before i need to upshift.while the bmw is quiet, it makes a nice rumble once you start to floor it, but the gearing is so much longer, you need to know when you're about to redline to upshift, and that can be hard.

the best thing to do is memorize the speeds at which you have to upshift for when you have to pass.

my 05 tc redlines 2nd gear at 54 mph, and 3rd gear redlines at 77 mph if i recall correctly, and 4th is 104 mph. so when planning to over take, i check how fast i am going, how fast i'll need to go to overtake, and then i know what gear to go to, and what gears i'll need to use. the bmw redlines 2nd gear at nearly 70 mph, and 3rd gear is over 100 mph, so overtaking with that car is an absolute breeze because usually 2nd gear is all i need to overtake somebody.

so what you need to do is spend time with the car, noticing how fast you can go in each gear before you redline, and learning the timing of how long it takes to accelerate at full throttle to that gear to redline. you'll develop a rhythm. since you only have 900 miles with your tc, i doubt you've achieved perfect sync with your cars shift points for use on the street. it has taken me a couple thousand miles to get insync with my bmw.

 

"learn you must... one with the car you must become." Give it time. It will come.

 

Crimson, I'm in the same boat you are. I've driven everything from an '88 Mazda B2000 to a souped up '98 BMW M Roadster, '66 Chevy 1500 (3-speed on the column), a clutchless semi, to an '06 Corvette and this is a little different. Rather than yelling at you for doing 3K rpm or more (like your V8s will), the tC is quite content to just cruise there.

I have over 2500 miles on my tC and I'm still getting used to the shift points. It's also a little weird downshifting 3 gears to pass (from 6th to 3rd when accelerating at 60 mph) but I think it'll come. I did some homework and talked to the dealer and the only think Toyota says to avoid for the first 1,000 miles is setting the cruise for more than an hour. I haven't heard anything about avoiding red-lining it. I took a road trip in my tC this week (I was at 1100 miles when I left my house) and set the cruise at 90 most of the way. The car seemed to love being over 3K rpm.

Don't know that it answers your question, but I understand your concern but agree learning the shift points will come with time.

 

The engine is sooo smooth. I have been guilty of not shifting, looking down to see I am turning 4500 in 2nd without even realising it. My Mazda had such a noisy engine and poor cabin sound-proofing it never let you forget.

 

I have about 1100 miles on it now. I have driven some back roads, and just tried to get the feel of it. I'm getting much better at feeling the car, and where the revs are without looking at the tach.

In other words, it's coming, getting better!

Thanx for the input.

 

Here is descendant's exhaust http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUALVFo7_JQ

 

Get motor mounts instead of exhausts if they make them yet. You'll feel connected then!

 

get a tach that lights a big bright yellow beam in your face

 

I know where you can get motor mounts . Pm me if your interested!

 

I JUST went back to N/A after being turbo for the longest time and having the motor mounts definitely makes the car feel connected.

 

I want some!

 

Sent you a pm