I made my move !!!!!

#1 08-13-2005, 10:00 PM

Well, I was moving to Montana, but found to little town out of the way of the madding crowd here in Florida. Damn if this place does not have hills and left AND right hand turns. Never thought a town existed like this in Florida, hills and turns !!!! I am a native Floridian, one of six, blew me away. Got the sticker stuff back up just fine and am doing well. Now that I am closer to Gainesville, I entered the Subaru Challenge on 22 October. Never done anything like that before, so thought what the hay. The shift kit I installed, I don't know. I am not so sure it was the best investment to make. The power light flashes and I have had no response fro the Small Car guys. Odd, the shifts are a bit firmer, especially the downshifts, mid-range, however there is something strange about the shift into 4th (5th). Yes, I said 5th. I can be driving around normally and feel the shifts, watching the tach to confirm. Even after the shift into 4th at say 60, knowing I am already into 4th, the tach reading about 2200, there is another 'shift up' and the tach reads the normal 2050 for 60. It's quite pronounced in the effect on the tach and you can feel a subtle shift. Not like a slip...just another shift. If I did not know better, I have a 5 speed automatic.

NikFu S. · #2 08-13-2005, 10:09 PM

You remind me of myself.

The power light blinks because the TCU is confused, but it's OK.
The "5th gear" you are feeling is the torque converter locking.

#3 08-13-2005, 10:13 PM

I was in aviation for 20 years or so, so I notice EVERYTHING. The TCU being confused is not surprising...it would have been nice if they had responded to the numerous emails I sent. As for the convertor locking up, duh..I shoulda known that...that makes perfect sense, so it is a 5 speed automatic after all, technically.. Explains the 27.5 mpg on the highway....I swear, its true.

NikFu S. · #4 08-13-2005, 11:59 PM

It might as well be 5 speeds. It's not like MTs have lockable TCs.

UberRoo · #5 08-14-2005, 12:16 AM

The shift kit is definitely not wired correctly. The shift kit senses engine load by measuring manifold vacuum. The torque converter doesn't lock up during heavy engine load, which is the only time the shift kit should be functioning. Downshifts should be under zero engine load, and thus the shift kit should be doing nothing. You should not feel a pronounced downshift during deceleration, ever. Because you are getting the flashing power light, this indicates the problem is being detected by the TCU and is related to the electrical wiring. It sounds like solenoid A has been disconnected, probably by unplugging the dropping resistor during the wiring process, and you have full shift pressure all the time. The shift kit should have included a resistor soldered to the relay. This resistor prevents the TCU from detecting the shift kit and sounding the alarm, so to speak. Even if the shift kit was mis-plumbed, or malfunctioning, the TCU shouldn't complain. The wires just aren't hooked up right. ...unless there's some other unrelated problem with the transmission that's upsetting the TCU.

NikFu S. · #6 08-14-2005, 12:22 AM

You are right about the downshifting, but I brought up the power code a couple months ago and everyone agreed there was no real problem coming from the smallcar kit alone.

Hey fl_svx, do us a favor and count how many times it blinks. Is it 16?

How far do you have the kit adjusted?