01 4Runner Cruise issue

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

So my wife's new 01 4Runner (auto tranny, V6) has a touchy cruise control... To start it usually takes a second to catch when you set it... so if you let off the gass before it's on it has to speed back up to get to where you set it at. Once it's on everything is fine as long as it's flat... But we live in the mountains and when it hits a hill it is downshifting and speeding up then upshifting and slows back down, and repeats....

If you take it out of cruise you can usually maintain the speed up the hill in the higher gear, with out downshifting and the tach jumping up to 4k....

Anyone else have this problem? It's pretty anoying.... as we live in the mountains and there's plenty of hills.

 

[Jetboy]

I've got a 96 limited 3.4 4x4 with 265/70/17's and I get exactly the same thing. Well, mine picks up almost instantly when set, but it's super touchy. There is no need for a downshift. I can cancel the cruiser and pull the hills w/o downshifting. I'm also interested to see what people have done to fix it. It's aslo annoying because if I have it set at say 75 it will downshift and race up to 80mph untill the top of the hill, then coast and downshift. The problem is that most cops catch you coming over the hills, so if I leave the cruise on I run the risk of getting picked up at a faster speed than I was intending to go.

 

[FlatlandTRD]

So my wife's new 01 4Runner (auto tranny, V6) has a touchy cruise control...

Anyone else have this problem? It's pretty anoying....

Yeah, but it got a little better after adjustments, hopefully I don't make this too confusing....

The cables to the throttle body stretch a little over time creating some slack. These cables control both the throttle and transmission (throttle kick down I think). Anyway, by tightening these up a little it will help the response of both the transmission shift points and throttle response (decreases the lag time where the slack in the cable is being taken up).

It took me a while but here's some info from another place, and it is a fairly common annoyance.

http://www.yotatech.com/f2/jerky-cruise-control-51488/

Here's a blurb from another post;
"You've probably seen the throttle kickdown cable on the throttle body, right? If not, it's the one further back from the actual throttle cable. If you tighten the throttle kickdown cable all the way, making sure it doesn't limit your full throttle, it will firm up the shifts in your tranny.

That cable connects to a solenoid that increases or decreases the fluid pressure in your tranny. By increasing the fluid pressure inside your tranny, it will shorten the duration of the shifts, which will lessen the heat buildup and friction caused by the clutches."

I did notice a difference by tightening mine up, even inspected the cruise control cable reel do-hicky thinga-ma-giggy under the plastic cover on the passenger side. Just follow the cable and you'll understand.

I hope that at least helps. I'm not a mechanic, and it's been a while since I've stayed at a Holiday Inn. Good luck.

 

[Happy Trails]

I've got the same querk on mine. Because of it, I can't remember the last time I used my cruise control. My foot is better.

 

[Ian Rogers]

I had this problem after a re-set of the ECU, but now after 5k mi its somth as silk. But, my truck cant down shift its self. I find the more i use it the better it gets.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Thanks for the info... I'll have to go looking around in there then... (Who knows... you guys might get another write up out of me...)

 

[Huhwhye]

My cables were loose in my new to me '00. I tightened them up and the cruise seems to work better. My pedal cable was also loose.

 

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Well.... I took a look at it, but I think they switched to a fly-by-wire system at some point. The only cable is the throttle cable, which I did adjust a little, but it wasn't "loose" by any means... There's not cruise "actuator" like I'm used to seeing, no kickdown cable... In the second pic the left side of the intake has a lot of stuff going on, I'm thinking this could be all the cruise stuff in there together... Who knows.... Anyone know of an 01 FSM online?