PWR Button Use (1 Viewer)

[MH_Stevens]

Just looking Doug's fuel consumption thread and see he keeps his power button on while I never use mine unless I'm hurrying in town traffic.

I wondered what use this button gets with the other board members?

 

[OZCAL]

I use mine whenever I am on a road with 35-50 mph rolling hills to keep revs up. Otherwise, I just keep to the inside of the bikelane and try to keep out of everyone's way...

 

[tech_dog]

I tend to turn overdrive off more than I use the power setting.

 

[turbocruiser]

Hmmm, prolly pretty easy to guess with me ...




Powa's Always On!!!

 

[MaddBaggins]

I never use it.

 

[yarborg]

I spilled coffee on mine once and it wouldn't stay in the down\on position. Drove me crazy for about a year and I finally pulled off the console area and cleaned it out. It's always on now.

It may sound crazy but when I see a button that says "pwr" it like having one that says "turbo boosters", I can't resist leaving it on all the time. The difference in performance is small but it feels better.

 

[fuelgeddes]

Maybe I am missing something. Over drive off / vs using the PWR button ? Guess I am going to have to trying some testing....

PWR button - higher revs / shifts - all speeds
Over drive - no over drive shift - faster speed

break it down ..

 

[Truckasaurus]

Never turn it on.

Accelerating a 5300 pound truck...I haven't seen the far side of 3000 rpms in months, and my wallet likes it that way.

 

[LandyLover]

I use mine only when Im towing 3000+lbs or 2000+ through the coastal mountains. If I left it on all the time Id only think of the cost of more fuel, always revving the engine higher than needed, and wearing out the trans from harder shifts.

CHeers

 

[Scamper]

Don't think I've ever pressed that button

 

[Seumas]

I'm with truckasaurus.
Stuck in the middle of nowehere one day, I had nothin to do but reread the owner's manual. Toyota recommends leaving it off for better fuel consumption. I don't usually need to get to places quickly, but I always have trouble keeping money in my pocket, so it's always off in my truck.

 

[tacomafj-80]

i leave it on all the time. feels like a v-8

 

[cheap 40]

I leave it on most of the time, and my last tank was 14.5 mpg. That is the highest that I have ever seen so far. I like having the almost instant reponse from the trans if I need it. It seems to me that if I keep my foot out of the gas it doesn't rev much higher than without it.

Tony

 

[Hayes]

I'm in the Truckasaurus/Seumas camp.

The thing is a fat pig.
PWR button or no, it just doesn't get anywhere fast.
I gently massage my skinny pedal. (That's sure to get a comment.)
It makes me and my wallet feel better when I keep the rpms in the 2k-3k range.

It seems useful for controlling overactive shifting during ascents and when towing.

Hayes

 

[YOTAFAN]

PWR is on all the time. When I first got my LC, I ran a few tests to see the difference in MPG between PWR and NO PWR, and didn't notice much of a difference. So I leave it on b/c I definitely notice a difference in the acceleration.

 

[John E Davies]

My LX behaves better in rolling hlills on Cruise with the Power button off. Maybe it's due to the 33s and stock gears, but with the Power button on it just doesn't seem to have the right shift points to work well on Cruise. I use it rarely - my truck seems to be happier with it off and the mpg is better. I do tend to shift down a lot manually.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[Hants]

I use mine whenever I am on a road with 35-50 mph rolling hills to keep revs up.

Likewise...

With PWR on, I can easily princess: isn't working hard and I'm not standing on the go peddle) drive up a particular local hill at 45-50.

With it off, I have to floor it to maintain 40, or really stand on it to force a downshift.

I generally leave it off except when I'm in rolling hills and trying to maintain the 35-50 zone.

Highways, <30, and TC-in-LOW don't seem to be a problem.

I sometimes wonder if regearing to compensate for the 33's would mitigate this?

 

[LX_TREME]

Never turn it on.

Yep same here never had it on in 9 years.
ON = Unleash the Beast

 

[alvarorb]

Power? What Power?

I gave up on power a long time ago. What I want now is to be able to go slower. As in crawling.

Alvaro

 

[Nay]

Maybe I am missing something. Over drive off / vs using the PWR button ? Guess I am going to have to trying some testing....

PWR button - higher revs / shifts - all speeds
Over drive - no over drive shift - faster speed

break it down ..

Not true. PWR button does not change your OD gearing and you do not get higher revs in overdrive. Would be nice, because that would beat regearing the diffs for sure, but not really possible 'cause that would mean you have a five speed transmission.

I use them both 'cause I live at 7,400 ft. PWR is nice to raise the shift points getting to OD, and it will kick down a lot easier into third, so it is always on just to have a basic power level that isn't lagging all the time around town. I have OD off for long uphills. You don't improve gas mileage by having to stand on the pedal to go 50 mph up a long hill....totally different than flatlander use.

Between the two, it's like having lower gears for the larger tires, but you are manually controlling highway speed gearing. I'm moving up to 35's and with OD off I'll be running about 2,800 RPM @ 70 mph, which is actually perfect.

That's one thing that I think is easy to overlook with an automatic transmission and diff gearing - what you are doing is messing with the shift points as much as anything, and you can accomplish a good bit of that with stock 4.10's and PWR / OD off.

Where you really miss the diff gearing is offroad. Neither button does squat for low range crawling.

Nay