Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 11:51:29

Title: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 11:51:29
Hi guys,

RobG kindly walked me through the process of adjusting my throttle cable but i still dont understand what's happened lol

Previously, i jam my foot to the floor from cruising and you feel the car gird its loins, drop a gear and you then fly to the redline.

yesterday, i kicked down and i felt it drop a cog but then made a climb to the redline without the girding its loins bit.   ???

adjusted my cable as per robs help and it still doing it. i feel it drop a cog and it redlines but why all of a sudden has that bit gone where it feels like its summing up the energy to fly you away?

am i even making sense? lol

i tried it from all different speeds... from 10mph it didnt even drop a cog but thats im assuming because i was in 1st gear and there were no more cogs to drop lol
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 12:51:18
Ps, is it always just one gear it drops or does it drop two in certain circs? :)
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: steve6367 on 08 April 2014, 12:59:12
Are the Multi rams working?
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 14:02:39
Yes mate i manually tested them a few weeks ago. i suppose due to the recent-ness of the weirdness i could re-check them.

As said its definitely dropping a gear then flying.... and that seems actually better than it taking a split second to gird its loins. i thought id post it just cos its a bit bizarre.

however, just took it out on lunch for a new 0-60 test... she did it in 9.3 secs!!!! not bad for a 14 year old and the book time being 9.5. i know its not an exact science but its good enough and confirms shes still nippy :)
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: 05omegav6 on 08 April 2014, 14:23:36
Yes mate i manually tested them a few weeks ago. i suppose due to the recent-ness of the weirdness i could re-check them.

As said its definitely dropping a gear then flying.... and that seems actually better than it taking a split second to gird its loins. i thought id post it just cos its a bit bizarre.

however, just took it out on lunch for a new 0-60 test... she did it in 9.3 secs!!!! not bad for a 14 year old and the book time being 9.5. i know its not an exact science but its good enough and confirms shes still three seconds slower than a proper V6 with a proper gearbox :)
Edited for accuracy :P
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 14:30:04
Hahaha 3 secs???? The stats say the manual is only 0.5s in front on the 2.5v6
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: 05omegav6 on 08 April 2014, 14:48:42
True, but the 2.5 isn't full fat...

As our American cousins are ever keen to point out, there ain't no replacement for displacement...

And the 2.5 is nearly a whole Daewoo Matiz light ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 14:53:07
So manual AND bigger engine required ::) ;D

TBH I find the baby V6 more than adequate for my purposes.... not sure i could cope with the sluggishness of a 4-pot tho  :-X
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 14:59:32
Although after today i'm happy everything seems to be working normally.... if i felt compelled to test the kick down switch off the car is there a way to do it?
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 17:40:10
 8) 8) 8)
(http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee402/webbybear1/0-60_zps55c6d397.jpg) (http://s1226.photobucket.com/user/webbybear1/media/0-60_zps55c6d397.jpg.html)
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Stemo on 08 April 2014, 18:10:04
My 1.8 mummy bus will do it in just over 11 seconds   ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 18:22:09
 ;D Does it do it in that time without falling apart tho  ::) ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 18:35:17
Found this...

http://workshop-manuals.com/vauxhall/omega-b/k__clutch_and_transmission/automatic_transmission_rear_wheel_drive/automatic_transmission_ar_25/35/repair_instructions/kickdown_switch_remove_and_install_(vehicles_with_4-cylinder_petrol/v6_engine)/

I'm not going through the hassle of pulling out the throttle cable lol

Does anyone know of a way to test it in situ?
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: martin42 on 08 April 2014, 18:36:43
Open road,sit at 60mph then floor it,should kick down to 2nd gear and watch the fuel gauge drop lol...
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: minifreek on 08 April 2014, 18:50:46
I find that mine drops a couple of gears when in sports mode, not so much on normal...

I will admit, going from a 2.0 to a V6 2.5 the Omega is like a flying machine compared to my mildly tuned Vectra...
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 08 April 2014, 19:03:48
minifreek..... say your in sports mode all the time.... does it ALWAYS drop two when you kick down? or is it just sometimes?  :)
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Stemo on 08 April 2014, 19:12:25
;D Does it do it in that time without falling apart tho  ::) ;D
Unfortunately, no  :( No car is as indestructible as an omega, they are bullet proof.





 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: omega3000 on 08 April 2014, 19:44:22
;D Does it do it in that time without falling apart tho  ::) ;D
Unfortunately, no  :( No car is as indestructible as an omega, they are bullet proof.





 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Thats right  ::) :y
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Rods2 on 08 April 2014, 22:01:50
;D Does it do it in that time without falling apart tho  ::) ;D
Unfortunately, no  :( No car is as indestructible as an omega, they are bullet proof.





 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Oh aye, some of the mad mechanics on here reckon the interiors will take a good pounding, when you swing a cat in them. ::) :P :-[ ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: minifreek on 08 April 2014, 23:37:29
minifreek..... say your in sports mode all the time.... does it ALWAYS drop two when you kick down? or is it just sometimes?  :)

Depends on the speed...

Lets say for example, Im on the motorway.... I switch into S - get to around 70 and it changes up.... I go to overtake - kickdown and it sometimes changes 1 gear, if i really boot it - it changes 2 but then quickly cycles back up the box...

It only ever changes down 2 gears, but only if I proper give it some whelley to get into a gap...


Normal mode it will drop 1 gear but then quickly go back up a gear again unless I hold it on gear and keep the engine 'on cam' as they say....
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 09 April 2014, 09:03:20
Thanks mini....

not too sure how to work out if its dropped one or two if im honest  :-\

theres only one physical down change but has it dropped 2?
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: minifreek on 09 April 2014, 09:27:23
You'll know if its changed 2 gears or not by the way the engine screams...

Mine... if it drops 2 gears - its like the engine is trying to crawl out from the bonnet but I get a sudden whoosh just after it 'gurds its loins' and it just oppss off....
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Rods2 on 09 April 2014, 14:44:23
You'll know if its changed 2 gears or not by the way the engine screams...

Mine... if it drops 2 gears - its like the engine is trying to crawl out from the bonnet but I get a sudden whoosh just after it 'gurds its loins' and it just oppss off....

I would be careful with your descriptions as you know what one of two are like on here, mentioning no names.  ::) :o :P ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Stemo on 09 April 2014, 15:49:17
You'll know if its changed 2 gears or not by the way the engine screams...

Mine... if it drops 2 gears - its like the engine is trying to crawl out from the bonnet but I get a sudden whoosh just after it 'gurds its loins' and it just oppss off....

I would be careful with your descriptions as you know what one of two are like on here, mentioning no names.  ::) :o :P ;D ;D ;D
If it just one of two or one or two? ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: minifreek on 09 April 2014, 16:47:41
Yeah we should be careful what we say, I suppose we dont all have the mind of a child or a double entendre way of thinking...
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: TheBoy on 09 April 2014, 18:32:07
My 1.8 mummy bus will do it in just over 11 seconds   ;D
My DTi will do that in...

...no, that's a lie, it won't do it ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: TheBoy on 09 April 2014, 18:33:14
If you're passing webby, I will happily test. Warm the brakes up for me first :P
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Rioja2.5V6 on 09 April 2014, 19:40:42
2.5V6 auto saloons were advertised as 0-60 in 10.5 seconds in the 1994 specification brochure,2.5 manual in 8.5 seconds, 3.0 auto in 9.3, 3.0 manual in 8.3. You will know if the kickdown is working properly or not - once they are going the auto picks up far better than the manual, and just keeps going. If the kickdown is not working then I cannot help you as mine is yet to fail.
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: TheBoy on 09 April 2014, 19:45:18
The published figures are quite conservative on these Vauxhalls (and a lot of others from around that time).

There are some speed ranges where an auto is faster, but overall, a manual will beat it. Even if the Omega manual box is from a Victorian signalbox
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Rioja2.5V6 on 09 April 2014, 20:52:03
Omega manual gear change reminds me of a 2000E Ford box. Except for BL in line motors, I have only driven tranverse engines since. First gear in the 2.5 is too low & second does not go far enough. However, still flexible fom 20mph in fourth.
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: TheBoy on 09 April 2014, 21:19:48
Omega manual gear change reminds me of a 2000E Ford box. Except for BL in line motors, I have only driven tranverse engines since. First gear in the 2.5 is too low & second does not go far enough. However, still flexible fom 20mph in fourth.
I had a Honda Rover 216 with a fantastic 3rd gear. 20 to just shy of 120, rarely bothered with 4th or 5th ;D
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Stemo on 09 April 2014, 21:22:46
Honda/rover 623 we had was amazing. Put it in third at 20mph and nothing could stay with it.
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Stemo on 09 April 2014, 21:23:38
In fact, I think that was my favourite car.
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: 05omegav6 on 09 April 2014, 21:26:48
Third is the only gear you need for fast B road blasting 8)
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 09 April 2014, 22:01:22
Thanks TB for the offer of testing. I may just do that (i'll pm you when I'm in the area). Cheers mate  :y
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: Webby the Bear on 09 April 2014, 22:03:43
Ps, if we find out the kick down isn't working what are the potential offenders besides the KD Switch.....
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: TheBoy on 10 April 2014, 19:11:41
Ps, if we find out the kick down isn't working what are the potential offenders besides the KD Switch.....
Nothing, assuming no car mats.
Title: Re: Kickdown Q
Post by: SMD on 12 April 2014, 15:16:35
Kickdown on mine doesn't always downshift, it drops a gear when at 30mph but not 40-50mph. But mine is 3.2 auto with DBW and different diff to yours