After running the "like an XM, but simpler " up the road for inspection, I am convinced it's not kicking down properly. Seemed to downshift way too soon.
Can anyone offer pointers for setting this detail - is it a hard (inflexible) measurement?
Adam,
If adjustment is similar to the HP14, then its nice and easy...
I set mine up by way of holding throttle open by hand and making sure the kickdown cable was at max level when throttle fully open... ie; full kickdown area
You will find a furrell on the kickdown cable, this is used to set up, with the throttle closed the furrell should be 2mm away from the end of the threaded cable outer, it has probably been adjusted to make it change down sooner and will not harm the box being where it is.
The box uses throttle position, boost pressure (if turbocharged) and road speed to govern change points, only the load sensor (kickdown) is adjustable.
If you are still unhappy after setting the kickdown let me know, im a bit of a gearbox sado
The car was last owned by (ahem) someone who rolled their own and listened to reggae - yes, really - perhaps you can see where the implied lack of focused oversight or correct maintenance is coming from.
So, I am slowly mopping up the sundry misadventures of barely-trained monkeys with second rate tool kits. I know the motor's been in and out a few times (probably twice) and there is some stuff incorrectly routed.
Probably the latter. Yesterday I walked up my driveway when it was (briefly) a car-free zone. It felt unusual and good at the same time.
The motor feels so flat and laggardly compared to my sewing-machine of a Xantia engine. The slow response of converter and sluggish shifts compounded things.
Oh, and did I mention the exhaust drone? NEVER split a PRV after the cat, into dual 3" pipes with hotdogs.
Haha! Shall I post you the 4HP-18 from my flood-ruined 605? That one's burgered.
I should have the good car back from inspection late tomorrow, so can play with the KD cable then. Oh, and will inspect all around it carefully for squirrels.