Help, Pro's, Con's and questions on the Tiptronic system

My next car will more than likely be a VVTI tiptronic, and I am trying to get some information together about the Tiptronic system, like members views on the good and bad points.

Also could some one explain the thing I keep reading about, this problem with hitting 130 mph and the changing of gears? can it be run in pure auto and/or button shift? is there any problem with the position of the steering wheel when wanting to change gear?

Any reasonable comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Bob.

Basically if you are above the red line change over point(135mph) between 3rd and 4th in an tiptronic, and go WOT the gearbox will change down into third no matter what speed you are already doing at partial throttle. So you could be doing 150, got WOT and it changes down to 3rd at 150.

It also means if you are going for a top speed run at WOT, the car won't change from 3rd to 4th without lifting off the throttle slightly. But then you run the risk of hitting WOT and it changing down again.

As far as I'm aware, there isn't a way around it. There was some talk of getting around it years ago, but again I think nothing came of it.

Some recent discussion about someone having the same issue here: http://mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?297504-VVTI-Tiptronic-gearbox-issues-and-Delimeter-chip-issues

Having worked on MKIV's for many many years I have yet to see any shop manual detailing the VVTi Tiptronic set up on the JZA80, and correct diagnosis routines for it. No doubt they exist in japan, almost certainly in Japanese only, but even that would be a help. See the problem here? Syvecs have apparently mastered the coding to allow their aftermarket engne ecu's to talk with the auto boxes, and an S6 with an add on box to allow it more channels, will now control the auto boxes completely independently. Whether they talk to auto boxes on the VVti models with the stock paddle shifts I do not know. If I were to be buying myself another MKIV TT automatic I would make damned sure it was NOT a Tiptronic, to be frank. More hassle than its worth unless you have a particular, perhaps physical, need for controls on the steering wheel. Going Syvecs may work, but it's one hell of an expensive way of removing the top speed de limiter. Of course, a stock VVTi Tiptronic, without attempts to remove the top speed de limiter (and maybe convert to a MPH instead of KPH display), will work as Toyota intended.

I would imagine both Motec and Syvecs will by now know why "normal" attempts to speed delimit Tiptronics fail. Whether they would share that I have no idea. Aeally good auto gearbox repair guy could probably work out what was happening, too, but he'd need to be electronically savvy, not just mechanically. Is it worth the hassle???

Thanks for that, its a bit worrying that speed thing, if you didn't want to go over 130 mph then there is no problem, it does sound like MattP sorted his other problems out.

Indeed the VVTI can only be Fully De restricted with a standalone ECU at this time so basically by the end of 3rd gear you must ease off to half throttle.

A Syvecs can control the cars autobox by the stock buttons if you wish aswell as fully delimiting the car.

The VVTI Tiptronic is by far the best gearbox Toyota made for the Supra in *MY OPINION* its so much better/fun to drive than my old pre facelift non VVTIs Autos,I had a go of a few 6 speeds and wasnt impressed with the Notchbox they feel clunky and heavy however there power handling is not be be ignored its just in the end the Auto appeals more to me in my area Heavy daytime traffic etc.

Its pretty much all opinion on this matter to be honest I think the VVTI Tiptronic is a great Toy/Daily Driver A perfect set up for BPU+

NOTE*

The boxs are not the same as non Tiptronic TTs however SRD can rebuild a stock Tiptronic box

Thanks Matt, that's all good to know, exactly what mine is a daily drive/toy/DB cruising car, I like the Toyota auto's and 400 BHP is fine for me.

Going a bit off topic but the best manual six speed TT gearbox I ever used was one where the customer allowed me the freedom to try a mod I had done on other gearboxes using the then fashionable very short gear lever. I made a bespoke lever about 3.5 inches longer, so although it had more travel, it also applied a lot more leverage. also removed the rubber noise and vibration isolators in the gear lever extension to gearbox casing mountings, and the rubber anti vibration crush washer in the bearing of the gear stick. I ran Neo oil in it and it was transformed. Light gear shift, very positive, throw still FAR from excessive, and no more noise or vibration was noticeable by either myself or my customer over stock. I feel the stock lever is too short, and effort too high. Probably done to meet fashion demands. My Skyline has an 15 inch gear stick, but that's another story

If im honest Chris the 6 speed really isnt that bad its just Im 23 now and I have a disease called lazyness the thought of pressing a clutch in and out on a drive through Durham sounds exhuasting

I have suffered from that for years, wouldn't contemplate a manual in a road car, given a choice, unless it was a sub 1.5 litre.

I love my vvti tiptronic

Got a delimiter/ converter but as said it stills has a problem at the higher end

I however have had a run in with a ferrari in Italy and got upto 170 ,

You just need to feather the throttle which I do now no problem

Red line it in 3rd then your know anything lower then it's fine

I have a spare ecu for when somebody sorts this out

The ecu for the gearbox is built in with the engine ecu and that is were the problem lies

Thanks for your inputs, I feel a bit more ejumacated now.

Just to add aristo v300 have the same vvti engine and gearbox but they dont suffer from this problem with a delimiter. Ive had 3 aristos vvti's non with any problems after delimiting (HKS SLD everytime). Plus the triptronic is a great box for a daily driver. Smooth, fast and when you want change gears yourself.

I also have a tiptronic box which i love, great for busy roads and when the misses is in the car nice , and when she's at home, drive nice at easy in through town then just floor it and let it do its thing or have a play with the buttons, which i find a bit slow to respond but you can get used to that and allow for it.

on a side note the fastest i have been is 140 because of the gear change relying on the speed signal not the revs I believe? what I intend to try is fit a switch that operates two relays that will lock the gearbox into 4th gear so it can't change down into 3rd when i floor it at speed, don't know how this will behave with things like the line pressure changing and accumulator pressure changing when it tries to change down with the gear change soleniods lock into 4th gear? any thoughts?

regards chris

I also have a tiptronic box which i love, great for busy roads and when the misses is in the car nice , and when she's at home, drive nice at easy in through town then just floor it and let it do its thing or have a play with the buttons, which i find a bit slow to respond but you can get used to that and allow for it.

 

on a side note the fastest i have been is 140 because of the gear change relying on the speed signal not the revs I believe? what I intend to try is fit a switch that operates two relays that will lock the gearbox into 4th gear so it can't change down into 3rd when i floor it at speed, don't know how this will behave with things like the line pressure changing and accumulator pressure changing when it tries to change down with the gear change soleniods lock into 4th gear? any thoughts?

 

regards chris

If your regurlarly over 140 it would probably be better for the engine and box to install a syvecs that will moniter everything its a costly way of doing things but if your keeping the car for say 3-5 years it should be worthwhile

If your regurlarly over 140 it would probably be better for the engine and box to install a syvecs that will moniter everything its a costly way of doing things but if your keeping the car for say 3-5 years it should be worthwhile

very rare that i do 140, its just i want a cheap quick way that i could see what top speed i could get without the fear of it changing down to 3rd at say 170, and spending 2-3k on a ecu for me to do 140 plus once every year is mad

Spend allllllllll the money's

Going a bit off topic but the best manual six speed TT gearbox I ever used was one where the customer allowed me the freedom to try a mod I had done on other gearboxes using the then fashionable very short gear lever. I made a bespoke lever about 3.5 inches longer, so although it had more travel, it also applied a lot more leverage. also removed the rubber noise and vibration isolators in the gear lever extension to gearbox casing mountings, and the rubber anti vibration crush washer in the bearing of the gear stick. I ran Neo oil in it and it was transformed. Light gear shift, very positive, throw still FAR from excessive, and no more noise or vibration was noticeable by either myself or my customer over stock. I feel the stock lever is too short, and effort too high. Probably done to meet fashion demands. My Skyline has an 15 inch gear stick, but that's another story

How much for that gearstick mod?