you press the gas pedal down further... - BMW Forum

tim96 · 02-15-2010, 03:28 PM

you press the gas pedal down further .. and acceleration increases. You keep pushing it down and just before your foot is flat on the pedal something clicks in which causes intense acceleration and the revs climb, it is like it drops down a gear. It is a 320i auto, what is this "click in" thing? and what does it do to cause more acceleration?

BigT's93 · 02-15-2010, 03:48 PM

Look under your gas pedal, you should see a button. It's a "kickdown" button, or as I discovered on my 740IL a warp drive button. My Bentley Manual and owners manual state "do not engage kick down button until car is at normal operating temperature". It basic purpouse is for hauling arse.

tim96 · 02-15-2010, 03:57 PM

yes i have seen that button but just couldnt see how it was wired up to anything . So it just drops it to a lower gear?
It sure is powerfull if you press it at the right gear ratio / rpm / speed combo.
is it on all automatic e30 cars?

yammahamma · 02-15-2010, 04:25 PM

^^^ My e46 has the kickdown button as well. I know a Z3 I once test drove had it too. I'd be willing to guess that most if not all BMW's (And some other cars?) have the same thing.

Whenever I can find an excuse to use that button I am not disappointed.

Torque · 02-15-2010, 04:51 PM

I once mashed the throttle a bit too vigorously in my e34 525 and managed to bend the switch bracket.

BigT's93 · 02-15-2010, 05:16 PM

Or disentigrate your Drive Shaft Flex Joint...That is a not too funny sight seeing chunks of black rubber shooting out from under your ride. Oh well, it was time to replace it anyway.

witeshark · 02-15-2010, 05:19 PM

Most autos have the kick down button; my mom's Jetta has one.

denyo77 · 02-16-2010, 01:42 AM

oh... maybe the kickdown button was the reason why my slushbox was thrashed...

edit: oh yeah. the button tells the transmission to downshift by one gear. You probably have the 4 speed ZF automatic?

marti5 · 02-16-2010, 03:03 AM

I cant ever remember driving an auto trans car without a kickdown to be honest......

yammahamma · 02-16-2010, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigT's93

Or disentigrate your Drive Shaft Flex Joint...That is a not too funny sight seeing chunks of black rubber shooting out from under your ride. Oh well, it was time to replace it anyway.

Maybe that's why I had to replace my driveshaft coupler among a few other things a while back...