up-shifting issue (1 Viewer)

[LC4point6GXR]

Hey guys, long time lurker here out of the shadows with his first post!

Some background: I am the owner of a 2018 GCC spec LC 200 with the 4.6 petrol engine and 6 speed automatic. I'd say about 50% of my driving is spent in the desert and I can't help but notice how sluggish the engine is going uphill on sand dunes. Whenever I floor it going uphill on sand dunes, it tends to up-shift unnecessarily and it loses all power and momentum, even with the shifter on S mode and traction control turned completely off. The up-shifts are driving me insane and I'm seriously considering selling the car because it simply can't keep up with the group during serious desert crossings.

Not sure if this is true, but the general consensus around here is that this is an issue with the 2015+ LC models, and previous year models did not have any issues with up shifting whatsoever. I drove my friend's 2014 LC 200 (6-cylinder, automatic) and the thing will hold second gear going uphill and redline until you let your foot off the gas.

Do you guys reckon an ECU tune will fix this issue? Perhaps a throttle adjuster like pedal commander?

I was reading through one of the older threads on here about how one of the user's was able to locate the ABS fuse and remove it for a better sand dune driving experience. I'll try testing this and see if it makes any difference and report back to you guys.

Let me know what you guys think. Is there a fix to this issue? Or are my dune bashing expectations too high for this car?

 

[04UZJ100]

Do more than just put it in S - select the highest gear that you want the truck to shift into. Or, use the shifter to “manually” select the gears as they’re needed.

 

[LC4point6GXR]

Do more than just put it in S - select the highest gear that you want the truck to shift into. Or, use the shifter to “manually” select the gears as they’re needed.

I always select 2nd or 3rd gear depending on the the incline. For example when approaching a steep dune, I would shift down to 2nd and floor it but halfway up the dune it would shift up to third or even fourth (although the display still shows second) and I instantly lose power and come to a stop.

Just to clarify this is not my first time driving in the desert I’m fairly familiar with gear selection, I just want the car to hold the gear that I selected. My guess is that the upshifts are factory programmed to prevent wear and tear on the engine and driveshaft.

 

[LC4point6GXR]

So I thought I'd test it by removing the ABS fuse in the fusebox, but ran into a small issue, the ABS fuse is located within a long green cartridge inside the fusebox:

Any idea if this piece is removable? It's held in very tightly and I'm afraid I'll break if I pull too hard.