I really don't like kickdown

[markjay]

You have put in some effort to push down the kickdown switch, have you tried to just not push that hard on the accelerator?

Apparently there's a driving style where you floor the accelerator pedal but don't want a shiftdown. I (very) rarely floor the accelerator pedal, so I wouldn't know.

PS - not directly related, but our Kia Soul was written-off last month by a driver who floored the pedal in our quiet residential street at midnight - apparently he was just trying to have some fun - but his powerful sports car went sideways (as they do under sharp acceleration) and took the Kia with it (and our neighbour's GLE as well). I don't think he was having much fun later on though...

 

[Gazwould]

How old was he ?

Seen plenty of low walls destroyed by the more mature and auto .

 

[markjay]

How old was he ?

Seen plenty of low walls destroyed by the more mature and auto .

Early thirties.... I won't give away more details about the chap, suffice to say he was covered by the Private Clients department of a well known financial organisation

I am not complaining... they settled with us and we have no complaints (other than that he could kill someone doing this sort of thing...).

 

[RedGull]

Renault21, not in the habit of repeating myself!done on this one!! But keep it up as find all this stuff interesting

 

[elan362]

Downshift blocker? Never heard of this one before... but apparently it's a thing among the BMW community:

Anyone run the BMS Kickdown blocker?

You live and learn....

I fitted one to my old BMW F31 335xd to stop it kickown shifting
I liked it

 

[Deletedmember130310]

I just push the throttle pedal a little more lightly and away I go with no drama, no lockdown and rarely a change down....

Lift off the throttle and it changes back up...

 

[markjay]

I guess it's a case of to each his own... I will just add this to the (long) list of things that some people will do but I won't.

 

[Gazwould]

What car have you MJ , engine code etc ?

 

[190]

Crazy thread. Someone tried to point out there is a difference between kick down (pedal to the floor to operate the kick down switch) and normal automatic changing down when the auto box senses the engine is under load. Not everyone seemed to get the distinction and continued to call normal gear changes kickdown.

In the old auto boxes there was a cable attached to the throttle linkage which had a set adjustment procedure but you could tweak it one way or the other to alter the readiness of the auto box to change down. Don't suppose there will be anything similar on modern boxes.

 

[Deletedmember130310]

The current fad for 9 speed boxes, aimed at reducing emissions, doesn’t help.

The gearboxes are constantly hunting for the “right” gear.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

The current fad for 9 speed boxes, aimed at reducing emissions, doesn’t help.

The gearboxes are constantly hunting for the “right” gear.

Mine doesn't, especially if I keep my foot down.

 

[rf065]

The current fad for 9 speed boxes, aimed at reducing emissions, doesn’t help.

The gearboxes are constantly hunting for the “right” gear.

Both of mine don't behave like that, 8th & 9th are more like overdrives, anything under m/way speeds or so, it behaves like a 7 speed. You need to be over 65mph before it will even think of going into 9th.

 

[Deletedmember130310]

Mine doesn't, especially if I keep my foot down.

Neither does my 7G+. I’ve just adjusted my driving style, as I do with most other cars I drive..

Still, this thread makes a change from the usual “I want more POWER” posts

 

[Deletedmember130310]

Both of mine don't behave like that, 8th & 9th are more like overdrives, anything under m/way speeds or so, it behaves like a 7 speed. You need to be over 65mph before it will even think of going into 9th.

It’s still got 7 others to choose between

 

[markjay]

What car have you MJ , engine code etc ?

204.031

M274 with 7G+

Said that... my posts apply to all my cars past and present, from the two Omegas through the Kia (now RIP) and the Vitara.

 

[Gazwould]

Kickdown in your 1.6 petrol turbo Merc is definitely for you MJ , completely different animal , delivery and power band that is why you find my issue difficult .

M274
154hp @ 5300 rpm ,
250 Nm torque 1250 - 4000 rpm.

My OM651 2.1 biturbo ,
201hp @ 4200 rpm
500 Nm torque 1600 - 1800 rpm .

 

[markjay]

Kickdown in your 1.6 petrol turbo Merc is definitely for you MJ , completely different animal , delivery and power band that is why you find my issue difficult .

M274
154hp @ 5300 rpm ,
250 Nm torque 1250 - 4000 rpm.

My OM651 2.1 biturbo ,
201hp @ 4200 rpm
500 Nm torque 1600 - 1800 rpm .

....or perhpas (and more likely) we just drive our cars very differently?

I drove quite a few cars, as you can imagine, friends', rental cars, work pool cars, family members' cars, etc etc, and never came across the issue you describe.

I suppose I just never saw the need to put my foot down hard.

 

[Gazwould]

This is it , I rarely do , I very much enjoy the smiles per gallon .






I have now removed any chance of accidental kickdown where the engine drops two gears and bouncing around high rpm to then after two up changes be in the gear it was in and then the car gains ground .

Absolutely no need for it .
Get rid .

My choice , my car , and as others with exactly the same car have found or those with enough low down torque to pull the skin of a rice pudding .

For those that are genuinely interested and don't just want to entertain themselves by disagreeing about a simple concept , 5mm isn't enough and 10mm works great .

 

[Will]

I think you’re confusing two different things here Gaz.

Hardly anyone is disagreeing with you regards the (lack of) need for your torquey diesel engine needing to drop two gears or not.

I think many (myself included) are confused as to why you can’t apply full throttle easily *without* clicking the kickdown button. It’s really not that hard to avoid pressing it.

I driven dozens of automatics and never found it easy to accidently press it - as I suspect most other do

 

[Gazwould]

It's not a physical click of a kickdown switch button like the older Mercs but built into the pedal .