DZ Custom Innovations ShiftSense Pro V2 Owner's manual

DZ Custom Innovations, LLC © 2018
ShiftSense™Pro V2 Installation and Operation
Do not attempt to use this device on applications for which it was not intended. This model is
designed for use on:
•2016-2018 Toyota Tacoma 3.5L V6 with automatic transmission.
ShiftSense™ Pro is an automated transmission controller which operates while the vehicle is in the
Sequential-shift “S” mode. It works purely electronically and is only applicable to vehicles with the
Sequential-shift feature (manumatic transmission option). This device does not override, modify,
or alter any of the vehicle’s control computers, ECT, ECU, instrumentation, or emissions
controls. The benefit provided by the device is that it allows the driver to take advantage of an
after-market shift-mapping (combination of throttle position, speed, RPM), without the need to
modify any of the vehicles' ECU systems or controllers with alternative programming or
transmission 'chips'. It does not require any modification to the OEM vehicle components or
systems whatsoever. It is plug & play, interfacing with the vehicle through two connections. The
first is to the OBDII port under the dash. Through this connector it obtains speed and throttle
position in real-time at approximately 10 cycles-per-second. This data is standard output from
any modern OBD interface.
The second connection is placed in series with the OEM connector within the shift-lever console
(drivers-side). Through this connector, it reads if the vehicle is in Sequential-shift ‘S’ mode, and
can make the shift-up, shift-down commands at the appropriate/calculated speed and throttle, by
closing switched relays which send shift commands to the vehicle, similar to a driver making S+/S-
shifts by hand. Once the device is engaged, at any time if the operator manually pushes the lever
to command a shift up or down, the automated control of the ShiftSense™ Pro is cancelled and
control is relinquished back to the operator. Also, the system is only active in Sequential mode. If
the driver wishes to drive in "D', he may go ahead and do so; the device will remain totally
inactive.
The device includes an audible alarm which notifies the driver when the unit is engaged and
operating, and also any time that the control is cancelled. If it is cancelled while driving, the
vehicle simply stays in the currently selected Sequential-shift gear and reverts back to manual
control. From that point on, the device is inactive and the Sequential shift control will work as
OEM until it is intentionally re-engaged by the operator (placing the vehicle into Drive ‘D’, and
back into Sequential ‘S’).
The ShiftSense Pro V2 contains three shift-maps options which may be selected by the driver;
Level 1, 2, 3. The method for selecting the map can be found later in this instruction manual.
Before starting or driving vehicle, perform ‘Functional Verification Test’ outlined in this manual.
For any questions related to installation or operation, please email customer service at:
[e-mail]

Installation Instructions:
(performed by purchaser –requires approximately 10 minutes)
It is recommended to view the video of installation, which is available at:
https://youtu.be/CJjecnSawdo
STEP 1: Accessing Shift Lever Connector
It is recommended to disconnect the negative battery terminal prior to completing this
installation.
Center-console cover must be loosened to allow access to the shift-lever electrical connector.
With VEHICLE IN PARK, remove shifter knob. Slide the locking-ring of the shift-knob downward,
then unscrew the shift knob from the post by turning counterclockwise.
Pull parking brake up slightly and open the lid of the center console storage compartment.
Grasp the center console on both sides near the forward cup-holders. Pull straight-upward to
unclip the plastic cover from the underlying tunnel. Then grasp the center console near the rear
cup-holder on both sides and firmly pull upward to unclip the back portion.
Grasp the center console on each side near the forward cup-holders. Firmly and quickly pull
straight-upward to un-clip the plastic cover from the underlying tunnel. There are no screws to
remove. DO NOT PRY on any portion of it, as it is not necessary. Similarly, grasp the center
console near the aft cup-holder on both sides and firmly pull upward. This back portion will unclip
as well.

Lift up on the center console cover to allow access to the shift-lever ‘S mode’ connector which is
on the drivers-side under the parking-brake lever. The connector is circled in blue in the following
image. Unplug the connector by squeezing the tab and pulling out. Tuck the connectors of the
ShiftSense™Pro up and under the driver-side of the tunnel-cover.
Please note: This connector is for the Sequential-shift circuit only and is independent of P,R,N,D
lever connector, which is located on the passenger side. Do not disconnect the P,R,N,D connector
on the passenger side, as it is not required for installation of ShiftSense™Pro.
Push the white connectors up through and toward the cup-holders. Route the wire back toward
the shift-lever connector.
Plug the male end of the OEM wire-plug into the Female socket on the ShiftSense™Pro connector.
Next, plug the male end of the ShiftSense™Pro connector into the shift-lever connector, and tuck
the wire down and out of the way. Do not re-install the console cover at this time.
STEP 2: Attaching OBDII connector
DO NOT USE SHIFTSENSE PRO IN PARALLEL WITH OTHER FAST-POLLING OBD DEVICES THROUGH
AN OBD SPLITTER AS IT MAY CAUSE DELAYED SHIFTING AND PERFORMANCE.
Plug ShiftSense™Pro connector into OBDII connection under drivers-side dash:
Tuck the OBDII wire up under the dash and secure with wire-ties provided. This wire must be tied
up securely to eliminate the possibility of interfering with driver foot controls.
Tuck the excess wire into the front-region of the center-console as indicated by the arrow:

STEP 3: Mounting the unit
Mount the module with adhesive tape to side of console. Be sure to test the seat-forward
location to ensure the module does not interfere with the seat. Similarly, do not place the module
too far forward where your right leg may rest against it. The module may be located at other
places near the dash or center-console at the owner’s discretion, but it is recommended that the
module remains exposed within the driver’s compartment so any audible warnings from the device
can be clearly heard.
For best adhesion, it is important to ensure the attaching surface is thoroughly cleaned prior to
installing. It is recommended to use a good cleaning agent such as alcohol to remove any
contaminants from the surface.
Once installed, the wires can be tucked up and under the side-plastic of the console.
STEP 4: Reinstalling the center console cover
While locating the cover back into position, make sure the shift-rod is guided up through the hole
in the boot. DO NOT PUSH DOWN until the rod is clearly guided up through the hole.

Pull the boot around the parking-brake up and out of the cover temporarily so it does not get
pinched when the cover is pushed down. An example of a pinch is circled blue in the following
image:
With the shift-knob through its hole, and the parking brake boot pulled-out, firmly push down on
the cover to snap it back into place. Continue all around the cover to ensure all clips are firmly
engaged. Some light tapping helps. If any clips do not engage easily, lift up on the cover and
make sure the clip is oriented and aligned correctly.
Once the cover is snapped into place, tuck the parking-brake boot back down into the slot around
the lever: The parking brake can be released at this time.
Tighten the shift knob until it is snug. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN. The knob should be moderately
hand-tight, but will not tighten down firmly. Orient the knob with the correct forward-orientation
and slide the clip-ring back up and snap it onto the knob.
This completes installation of the ShiftSense™Pro.
Before starting or driving vehicle, perform Functional Verification Test.

Functional Verification Test:
The following test must be performed to ensure the ShiftSense™Pro is functioning properly after
installation. Perform this test PRIOR to starting the vehicle or attempting to drive the vehicle with
the ShiftSense Pro engaged.
1. Turn ignition key to ‘ON’ position. DO NOT START ENGINE.
2. Turn ShiftSense Pro power switch to on (I) position.
a. Listen for 2-beeps indicating proper communication with OBD-II network.
3. Depress BRAKE pedal.
4. Move Shift-lever to S position
a. Listen for 1 beep indicating ShiftSense engagement.
b. Watch dash display. Ensure gear selection increments to S3 then S2 within two
seconds after engaging.
5. Momentarily push shift-lever forward to command a manual shift-up.
a. Listen for 3-beep indicating ShiftSense control is cancelled.
b. Watch dash display to ensure S-gear selection is appropriately shifting UP as the
lever is pushed (should see shift-up to S3).
6. Move shift-lever to ‘D’ position.
7. Move lever back into ‘S’ position to re-engage ShiftSense Pro.
a. Listen for 1 beep indicating ShiftSense engagement.
b. Watch dash display. Ensure gear selection increments to S3 then S2 within two
seconds after engaging.
8. Momentarily pull shift-lever backward to command a manual shift-down.
a. Listen for 3-beep indicating ShiftSense control is cancelled.
b. Watch dash display to ensure S-gear selection is appropriately shifting DOWN as
the lever is pulled (down to S1).
9. Move lever back to Park position.
Functional test is now completed. Operator may proceed to use the ShiftSense Pro during driving.
If ShiftSense Pro does not perform as outlined in these steps, DO NOT USE the device or attempt
to engage it for driving. Contact customer service for assistance and troubleshooting.
Operating Instructions:
The ShiftSense™Pro is only active when the driver places the vehicle in sequential-shift “S” mode.
1) Turn on/Start the Vehicle
2) Power on the ShiftSense™Pro using its power switch.
•Once powered on, the BLUE LED will light. If connected correctly, the ShiftSense™pro
should provide 2-beeps after it completes its connection with the OBDII port and starts
obtaining vehicle data. This initialization occurs within 1-2 seconds after turning on or
starting the vehicle.
•The power switch on the ShiftSense™Pro may be left on at all times as it only draws
power while the key is in the ON position.

3) Place the vehicle in S-mode and drive it as an automatic. You will hear 1 beep, indicating
successful engagement. Additionally, RED LED will light.
•If the vehicle is initially stopped when ShiftSense Pro is engaged, you should notice the
gear selection immediately drops to S2, which is the lowest S selection provided by the
ShiftSense™Pro *(see notes below for more detail). If at higher speeds, the device will
engage into the appropriate S-gear for the speed which you are traveling.
•The driver is not required to manipulate the shift-lever at all after engagement as the
ShiftSense™Pro will perform all shifts automatically at the optimum combination of
speed, throttle position, accelerator position, and RPM as programmed into the device.
Operation Notes:
•The conditions for ShiftSense Pro engagement are:
oVehicle speed must be less than 65 miles per hour.
oInitial communication must be established after engine-start and the two-
beeps heard.
•If the driver prefers manual OEM functionality of the Sequential shift mode, the
automatic control can be cancelled at any time by the driver making a manual shift
(S+/S-) with the lever. If the control is cancelled, it will provide 3 beeps. At this point,
the vehicle will remain in sequential ‘S-mode’in the currently selected gear. The
operator can then continue driving with manual Sequential-shift mode, but the driver
is now responsible for making the shifts as needed and the ShiftSense™Pro will remain
on standby. Re-engagement can be accomplished by moving the lever to drive “D”,
then back to Sequential “S”.
•The ShiftSense™device operates in all normal driving conditions, including cruise
control and 4wd. It does not operate while in 4WD low-range and will cancel if
attempted, allowing the driver to use S-mode manually.
•*The lowest commanded gear selection provided by ShiftSense™Pro is S2. Even
though the dash display may indicate S2, the vehicle will still use 1st gear when starting
out from stop. Shifts between 1 and 2 are heavily influenced by torque-convertor
operation, which the OEM mapping handles well so it is left as-is.
•The device contains compensation for cold engine-temp operation. It will
automatically reduce the shift map based on the current engine temperature. This is
designed to coincide with the Toyota torque-convertor on this vehicle which will not
lock-up at engine-coolant temp less than 158 F. The driver may notice the shifts
provided by ShiftSense™Pro will occur at slightly lower speed/rpm for the first few
miles until the engine warms up.
•The ShiftSense™Pro selects the appropriate S-mode gear based on its programming.
In some instances, the vehicle may perform downshifts on its own which were not
specifically commanded by the ShiftSense™Pro. This is normal, and occurs due to
some small overlaps in the OEM shift-map and the ShiftSense™Pro shift-map at high
throttle positions. Additionally, to avoid harshness in downshifting at low speed, the
ShiftSense™Pro commands its downshift from S3 to S2 at a slowing speed of
approximately 5 mph. Therefore it is normal to feel the OEM map make downshifts to
2nd at slightly higher speeds (6-25mph) even if the ShiftSense™Pro commanded gear
remains indicated as S3. If slowing the vehicle to stop, the ShiftSense™Pro will always
perform the appropriate downshift to S2 once speed decreases below 5 mph.
•To provide optimum engine-braking, the ShiftSense™Pro’s programming prevents any
upshifting while the accelerator pedal is totally released.
•DO NOT USE SHIFTSENSE PRO IN PARALLEL WITH OTHER FAST-POLLING OBD DEVICES
THROUGH AN OBD SPLITTER. Other fast-polling devices such as ELM327 (torque app
and OBD-fusion) can compete for bandwidth over the OBD communication
network. This could affect performance of the ShiftSense Pro.

Shift-Map Selection:
The ShiftSense™Pro V2 contains three shift map options for driver selection:
•Level 1: Lower RPM shift points, less aggressive.
•Level 2: (default selection), optimized for all around performance and has been the
baseline programming on prior units.
•Level 3: More aggressive shift map, designed to achieve slightly higher RPM for
performance driving and trailer towing.
The shift-map selection is made as follows:
1. Turn the truck to the ON position without starting. The SSP will only enter programming
mode if the engine is not running.
2. After the SSP initializes, shift to S mode. You should hear one beep indicating engagement,
and see the transmission gear index to S3 then S2.
3. Wait 10 seconds without moving the shifter. After 10 seconds passes, the ShiftSense Pro will
enter 'programming mode'. It will provide one LONG-duration beep, meaning programming-
mode has been activated.
4. Immediately after the Long beep, it will issue either a 1, 2, or 3 beep, indicating which shift-
map is currently selected. By default it is in Level 2.
5. The level can be changed by indexing the shift-lever either up or down. As the selection is
changed, it will issue beeps corresponding to the current shift-map selection. The driver can
shift up to level 3, or down to level 1 as desired. (Listen to the beeps for shift-map selection
indication. The Gear-selection index on the dash is not-related to the shift-map selection
process and should be ignored).
6. After indexing to the desired map, shift back to Neutral or Park. This completes the process
and stores the selection. The selection is stored in memory, but can be changed at any time
as the driver prefers by following this same procedure with the engine turned off.
For any questions related to installation, testing, or operation, please contact customer service:
•Email: [e-mail]
Limited Warranty
DZ Custom Innovations, LLC warrants this product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under its intended normal
use*, when properly installed and purchased directly from DZ Custom Innovations, LLC, for a period of one year from the date of
the original purchase. This warranty is void for any products purchased through auction websites. If found to be defective as
mentioned above; the unit will be repaired or replaced at the option of DZ Custom Innovations, LLC. Any item that is covered under
this warranty will be returned free of charge using Ground shipping methods.
This shall constitute the sole remedy of the purchaser and the sole liability of DZ Custom Innovations, LLC. To the extent permitted
by law, the foregoing is exclusive and in lieu of all other warranties or representation whether expressed or implied, including any
implied warranty of merchantability or fitness. In no event shall DZ Custom Innovations, LLC or its suppliers be liable for special or
consequential damages, or for any damages caused by faulty or improper installation.
*Intended normal use means that this item is being used as was originally intended and for the original application as sold by DZ
Custom Innovations, LLC. Any modifications to this item, or if it is used on an application other than what DZ Custom Innovations,
LLC markets the product, the warranty will be void. It is the sole responsibility of the customer to determine that this item will
work for the application they are intending. DZ Custom Innovations, LLC will accept no liability for custom applications.