Smallcar shift kit question

Budfreak · #1 09-19-2006, 04:09 PM

I just installed my shift kit and the first few times I started the car all was well, But now the power light is blinking on startup and I have no 3rd gear engine braking. The connections are good and everything and I remember seeing a thread about this problem, But couldn't seem to track it down quickly. What's the fix for this?

Earthworm · #2 09-19-2006, 04:41 PM

Too much resistance or an open circuit.

immortal_suby · #3 09-19-2006, 06:18 PM

if you have the adjustment cranked all the way down then back it off a turn and try again to fix the no braking in 3rd

Budfreak · #4 09-19-2006, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by immortal_suby

if you have the adjustment cranked all the way down then back it off a turn and try again to fix the no braking in 3rd

I haven't adjusted it yet, I just threw it in today. I have a 15 ohm resistor in right now, Should I use a 10 maybe?

msvx95 · #5 09-20-2006, 04:09 AM

Did you just receive the kit? I have a thread about my blinky light....I ordered a new tranny resistor....I also have the shift kit.

nordique14 · #6 09-20-2006, 09:43 AM

The two things may not be related. Do you have the new version or an older version?

If you have the old version with three prongs, then your 3rd gear issue is that you have the wires going to the wrong prongs.

The blinking power light is definately a resistor issue.

-Matt

Budfreak · #7 10-11-2006, 04:45 PM

OK, So heres what I did. I couldn't get the solder to work that well, So I melted away at the plastic around the broken terminal and then stripped a piece of wire and very tightly taped it down on top of the terminal. I then hooked up the shift kit by cutting the green/yellow striped wire from the dropping resistor to solenoid A. I attached one end to the wire I taped on to the shift kit, and the other to the side terminal of the shift kit(I believe it was marked"COM"). It seems to be functioning like it should now and I have 3rd gear engine braking, But I also still have a flashing power light. I guess I can live with that though for as long as the shift kit actually works. BTW, I like the way it works so far and I seem to have it set pretty close to where I want it. It shifts very firm when I get on it, But any other time it shifts as normal. So does anybody have any ideas about the blinking power light, or do I just have to live with it?

oab_au · #8 10-11-2006, 06:10 PM

Glad you got that sorted out.

As far as the flashing light goes. I think this is caused by the resistor that they have used to increase the dropping resistance. The resistance is too high when the switch opens.

The normal setup has about 12 Ohms for the dropping resistor, 3 Ohm for the A solenoid. This 15 Ohm flows about 933 Mil amps. At closed throttle it is 95% or 827 Mil amps. When the throttle is fully open it is 5% or 43 Mil amps.

When the kit is fitted, and it opens at about 50% throttle, the combined resistance with the 680 Ohm resistor, is about 700 Ohms flowing 20 Mil amps. When the switch opens at about half throttle the current flow drops to 50% of that, or 10 Mil amps, if the pedal is on the floor, it drops to 20 Micro amps.

The TCU is expecting to see about 43 Mil amps, but sees 20 micros instead, decides something is wrong so it posts the code. The fix would be to reduce the additional 680 Ohm resistor to a, 47 Ohms 1/2 watt.

This would see 25 Mil amps at half throttle, and 2.5 Mil amps at full throttle, which should keep the TCU happy.

Harvey.

Trevor · #9 10-11-2006, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oab_au

Glad you got that sorted out.

As far as the flashing light goes. I think this is caused by the resistor that they have used to increase the dropping resistance. The resistance is too high when the switch opens.

The normal setup has about 12 Ohms for the dropping resistor, 3 Ohm for the A solenoid. This 15 Ohm flows about 933 Mil amps. At closed throttle it is 95% or 827 Mil amps. When the throttle is fully open it is 5% or 43 Mil amps.

When the kit is fitted, and it opens at about 50% throttle, the combined resistance with the 680 Ohm resistor, is about 700 Ohms flowing 20 Mil amps. When the switch opens at about half throttle the current flow drops to 50% of that, or 10 Mil amps, if the pedal is on the floor, it drops to 20 Micro amps.

The TCU is expecting to see about 43 Mil amps, but sees 20 micros instead, decides something is wrong so it posts the code. The fix would be to reduce the additional 680 Ohm resistor to a, 47 Ohms 1/2 watt.

This would see 25 Mil amps at half throttle, and 2.5 Mil amps at full throttle, which should keep the TCU happy.

Harvey.

Harvey, on what basis are you claiming that the modulaed secondary circuit current. is in some strange way linear with throttle position, or in fact is in any way related to total solenoid operating current ?

Once again you are confusing this thread with that which is nor correct.

The value of 670 ohms was fixed by Small Car on a trial and error basis and was established at a lower than necessary value. Others it appears have reported no problems when all is connected properly.

oab_au · #10 10-11-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor

Harvey, on what basis are you claiming that the modulaed secondary circuit current. is in some strange way linear with throttle position, or in fact is in any way related to total solenoid operating current ?

Once again you are confusing this thread with that which is nor correct.

The value of 670 ohms was fixed by Small Car on a trial and error basis and was established at a lower than necessary value. Others it appears have reported no problems when all is connected properly.

I don't think I am confused, in what I have said. Though I don't understand what you are getting at. Can you explain what you mean by

" on what basis are you claiming that the modulaed secondary circuit current. is in some strange way linear with throttle position, or in fact is in any way related to total solenoid operating current ? "

Harvey.

Trevor · #11 10-12-2006, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oab_au

I don't think I am confused, in what I have said. Though I don't understand what you are getting at. Can you explain what you mean by

" on what basis are you claiming that the modulaed secondary circuit current. is in some strange way linear with throttle position, or in fact is in any way related to total solenoid operating current ? "

Harvey.

You have quoted figures covering current based on simple throttle positions. You have quoted figures on the basis of simple ohms law when there is a parallel circuit, as well as two modulated signals involving a time constant. Your lack of understanding in respect of my question says it all.

Trevor · #12 10-11-2006, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oab_au

Glad you got that sorted out.

As far as the flashing light goes. I think this is caused by the resistor that they have used to increase the dropping resistance. The resistance is too high when the switch opens.

The normal setup has about 12 Ohms for the dropping resistor, 3 Ohm for the A solenoid. This 15 Ohm flows about 933 Mil amps. At closed throttle it is 95% or 827 Mil amps. When the throttle is fully open it is 5% or 43 Mil amps.

When the kit is fitted, and it opens at about 50% throttle, the combined resistance with the 680 Ohm resistor, is about 700 Ohms flowing 20 Mil amps. When the switch opens at about half throttle the current flow drops to 50% of that, or 10 Mil amps, if the pedal is on the floor, it drops to 20 Micro amps.

The TCU is expecting to see about 43 Mil amps, but sees 20 micros instead, decides something is wrong so it posts the code. The fix would be to reduce the additional 680 Ohm resistor to a, 47 Ohms 1/2 watt.

This would see 25 Mil amps at half throttle, and 2.5 Mil amps at full throttle, which should keep the TCU happy.

Harvey.

It would appear that you have made a connection to the terminal normally cut off by Small Car to prevent confusion, i.e. what you have referred to as a broken terminal. **This should be the normally open contact and is not used.

That marked COM is the moving contact of the change over set and the other one is the normally closed which IS used. You should have the normally closed and the COM in series with the circuit and the 670 ohms wired across these contacts. The kit should have been supplied set up accordingly.

** Has Small Car by any chance cut off the wrong terminal and or wrongly attached the 670 ohms ?

By logically using the details I have posted you should be able to sort this out.

Budfreak · #13 10-11-2006, 10:11 PM

Read over my test results again carefully Trevor in post #33 and see what happens when I hook it up the way it is supposedly supposed to go. I'm thinking I may have an old model that was retrofitted with the resistor.

Trevor · #14 10-12-2006, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Budfreak

Read over my test results again carefully Trevor in post #33 and see what happens when I hook it up the way it is supposedly supposed to go. I'm thinking I may have an old model that was retrofitted with the resistor.

I have explained everything in great detail and as simply as possible, after expending a great deal of time. It is over to you to go over everything logically and find the answer. Start from scratch and check that the actual bare unit is connected and operating properly.

I have no more time this evening as I have to prepare for a trip in the morning to collect a new toy, a nice Mazda Mx5. Not having an open sports car has not made ma a happy chappy

.

oab_au · #15 10-17-2006, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oab_au

Glad you got that sorted out.

As far as the flashing light goes. I think this is caused by the resistor that they have used to increase the dropping resistance. The resistance is too high when the switch opens.

The normal setup has about 12 Ohms for the dropping resistor, 3 Ohm for the A solenoid. This 15 Ohm flows about 933 Mil amps(Applied voltage about 12V).As the signal is a Duty Cycle, the current flow is applied as a percentage of time. Hence a percentage of the DC current flow. At closed throttle it is 95% or 827 Mil amps. When the throttle is fully open it is 5% or 43 Mil amps.

It is this current flow that reduces the ATF line pressure, when the engine load is low, bringing it back up when the the throttle is open and the load is increased. So the line pressure is reduced when not needed, to save power

When the kit is fitted, and it (is adjusted to ) opens at about 50% throttle, the combined DC resistance with the 680 Ohm resistor, is about 700 Ohms flowing 20 Mil amps. When the switch opens at about half throttle the current flow drops to 50% of that,DC resistance or 10 Mil amps, if the pedal is on the floor, it drops to 20 Micro amps.

The TCU is expecting to see about 43 Mil amps, but sees 20 micros instead, decides something is wrong so it posts the code. The fix would be to reduce the additional 680 Ohm resistor to a, 47 Ohms 1/2 watt.

This would see 25 Mil amps at half throttle, and 2.5 Mil amps at full throttle, which should keep the TCU happy.

As the TCU will post a code, for abnormal current flow or abnormal inductance. As the reduced current flow caused by the high resistance, can cause both of these faults, I think a reduction in the added resistance would allow the kit to work without the flashing light problem.

Harvey.

I didn't mean to write more on this thread. I was going to write more on the line pressure itself, but this is an expanded version of this post. Is this what you want?

Harvey.