kick down micro swich

[northeast dmc]

I have a question regarding the microswitchfor the automatic transmission kickdown switch. Do the contacts in the switch move or is the switch activated by the plate that contacts them? The contacts dont move unless I manually move them. I am sure they were stuck. I looked up the new one and it is single piston if you will versus 2 on the old one on the car. Not sure if I am describing it correctly. But one question is if I unplug it, besides not having "passing gear" would there be any other concerns related to the transmission?

[David T]

The "kickdown" switch is only to force a downshift upon WOT at the appropriate vehicle speed. Disconnecting will have no ill affect but you should try to get it to work. If it is stuck it can prevent upshifts at the right time so a stuck switch is bad and should be disconnected till it can be fixed. There are 2 switches there on the automatic. One is the kickdown switch and the other is to force the Lambda system into full cycle for additional fuel. The "plate" is not an electrical contact. It is only there to move the plunger on the micro switch. Inside the micro switch are the actual electrical contacts.

[CFI]

But one question is if I unplug it, besides not having "passing gear" would there be any other concerns related to the transmission?

I had mine disconnected for a while while diagnosing another problem. I didn’t notice anything different. As David mentioned it’s only used for full throttle situations.

[northeast dmc]

The "kickdown" switch is only to force a downshift upon WOT at the appropriate vehicle speed. Disconnecting will have no ill affect but you should try to get it to work. If it is stuck it can prevent upshifts at the right time so a stuck switch is bad and should be disconnected till it can be fixed. There are 2 switches there on the automatic. One is the kickdown switch and the other is to force the Lambda system into full cycle for additional fuel. The "plate" is not an electrical contact. It is only there to move the plunger on the micro switch. Inside the micro switch are the actual electrical contacts.

Thanks again for the help!! I will get a new one coming, but as long as not on the critical list I will wait until the next time I order stuff.

[Ron]

If they worked by pressing them manually, it could be they have moved because the mounting/adjusting screws were loose (or mounted incorrectly).
Those are on the pricey side so you may want to try cleaning and adjusting them first. The rubber boot around the pin is often missing which allows dust etc. enter and make the pin drag. PB Blaster (or contact cleaner) will usually free them up. If the boot is bad/missing, put a liberal amount of silicone grease around the pin afterwards. I've had several last for years.
Easy to test with a multimeter or preferably a probe light...

If only one is bad, make sure you note with/without a flap when ordering.