Hey all you car-techies out there I have a question for ya'. I've searched the forums for a good four hours but can't find anything related to my query. As noted in the title, I have an '09 xD 4spd automatic with less then 19k miles under its hood and I'm curious if there's anything I can do to help me get up some decent hill sizes. I live in Orange County, CA and if anyone's familiar with the toll road towards the 91 or the general area they'd know how some of the hills can get. I never push my car very hard so I'm unsure what RPM ranges are good and bad, minus the obvious redline.

Going up these hills even with only one other passenger in the car (combined weight of 330lbs), I feel my car slug way down. I typically approach these hills at 60ish-MPH in 4th gear @2k-RPM and about half way up the little Scion starts to slow down until around 45MPH but stay at 2k RPM's with my foot nearly on the floor, and sometimes will go to ~2300RPM with no increase in speed and sometimes even a decrese still.

I understand that we run a little 1.8L power plant with only 120hp and it's not meant to be pushed ricky-racer like, but I'm curious if there's any safe ways to get up the hills a little easier without killing the engine? I'm not looking to fly up them, just any suggestions of RPM, MPH, and gear selection ratios that would help me so I don't get ran over by 18 wheeler semi-trucks in the slow lane .

 

Either you're lying about having your foot almost to the floor or their is something wrong with the transmission. The car should downshift to third gear (maybe second) on an incline with a heavy throttle load.

 

Yes, should be downshifting.

The reason the RPMs go up with no increase in speed is that the torque converter is unlocking, which is normal. The fact that it isn't downshifting does not seem normal.

 

Nah not lying about foot almost to the floor. Would seem a little pointless to lie when asking a question, would get inaccurate answers which then wouldn't help me.

If it is downshifting properly, is there an RPM range I should be looking for? Would downshifting it into third myself help at all?

 

Shifting is determined by speed, throttle input, and engine load. I don't work for Toyota nor have access to their PCM info but off the top of my head I would say 40%-50% throttle should for sure cause the transmission to downshift.

Only way to know for sure is to try it yourself. Either way the car should be at a dealer ASAP.

 

Your not going to hurt it by pushing it hard(as long as you're not bouncing off the rev limiter all the time). Instead of having your foot "nearly to the floor" push it all the way to the floor. I don't think you're giving it enough gas. keeping it at 3k or 4k rpm on a hill should be fine.

 

You need to push down harder... until it downshifts.
You are doing more harm lugging the engine than if you
were to let it rev higher in a lower gear. DOHC engines are made to
rev and get their peak power in the upper rpm ranges.

Let it rev and zip up the hill... The 1.8L has plenty of power to make
it up hills.. if you put it in the right rpm range..

 

Thanks for all the great info guys, I really appreciate it and will do what you suggested to see how it goes next time I meet those unsightly hills. You all really know your stuff! .



I shall do so if the problem persists, and again much thanks .