What Is the ECT Power (PWR) Button?

If you own a Toyota Tacoma, you’ll likely have seen and wondered about a strange little button labeled “ECT PWR.” It’s right between the blind spot monitor (BSM) button and the parking assist sensors (P) button, beneath the navigation system. But what does ECT stand for, and when should you use it?

ECT Power Button Meaning

ECT PWR stands for “Electronically Controlled Transmission Power.” Pressing the ECT power button toggles the ECT, triggering what Toyota calls “power mode.” In power mode, the electronically-controlled transmission raises its shift points, allowing the engine to rev to slightly higher revolutions per minute (RPMs) before the gears shift. It essentially sharpens the throttle response in short intervals. As a result, your Toyota Tacoma won’t struggle too much if it’s under stress and the gears shift.

When To Use ECT Power Mode

It’s best to use the ECT when your vehicle needs some extra power while under load. The load can be anything from hauling a trailer to more strenuous driving conditions like a hilly road. You can either use it for a quick burst of power, like when you merge with traffic, or keep it open for extended periods if you know the vehicle is under heavy load.

Benefits of ECT

There are a few reasons you might want to keep ECT on. A lot of it boils down to the main benefits of power mode:

Acceleration and Throttle Response

When you have ECT on, you’ll notice faster acceleration and snappier throttle response. This gives you a lot more control than you’d otherwise have. It’s especially helpful for going uphill, towing, merging into or overtaking on busy lanes, carrying heavy loads, and traversing rocky surfaces. You also benefit from increased traction as a result of having a more responsive throttle.

Driving Experience

Without a doubt, the driving experience is one major ECT benefit. This is linked to both the acceleration and throttle benefits. It’s just more fun going fast with more control. You’ll be able to experience higher performance from your vehicle.

Drawbacks of ECT

Unfortunately, as great as ECT is, it does have a couple drawbacks. Using ECT can eat up your fuel faster than usual and put more strain on your engine. This is all to support the increased RPM levels needed to maintain power mode. It also puts more strain on the transmission, causing fluid to break down sooner. Your vehicle will end up needing to be serviced more often if you use ECT a lot because the transmission works harder and its fluid gets hotter in this mode. In the interest of fuel economy and your transmission and engine’s longevity, you probably shouldn’t keep it on all the time unless it’s necessary.

How Does ECT Power Mode Work?

As we’ve mentioned, when in ECT power mode, the transmission is able to hold shift points longer, allowing the engine to reach higher RPM levels before the transmission automatically shifts. Because the RPM levels have more time to rise before shifting, the extra power can be harnessed for increased power and greater control. ECT power mode helps keep the vehicle from lagging by manipulating the power band to keep the engine revs higher. It’s essentially another sports or tow-haul mode.

Which Toyota Models Have ECT Power Mode?

Keep in mind that only the Toyota Tacoma models from 1994 to 2004 and the ones from 2016 to 2023 have the ECT power button. The 2005 to 2015 models lack the feature. Many other Toyota vehicles like the Highlander and the Hilux have power modes, but they aren’t under the same “ECT” label.