HDJ80 auto kickdown cable not retracting

[pugwash]

Noticed the other day that the adjustable cable that controls the autobox (clutch pack pressure and kickdown?) isn't retracting at all- its stuck wide open. it won't feed back in even when pushed.

Anyone else had this issue? the cable has been stretched for a while.

What could the problem be and how much of a pig is it to change the cable an get inside the box? am i right in thinking that its not a good idea to leave this as a "niggling" problem?

 

[Chris]

I think that this is the throttle position sensor rather then the kickdown. Mine is still a bit stiff after a right good fettling. It must be something inside the sleeve.

IIRC they are about £45 for the cable. You have to take the oil pan off but you do NOT have to drop the valve block on the auto transmission. I have done this job myself.

Undo the top of the cable in the engine bay, drop the sump brush guard and then the sump pan (I'm making all this sound like 5 mins work I know) then you can operate the TPS cam with your finger and unhook the cable (like an old bike brake cable) out of the cam. IIRC there is a smal tab bent overt on the cam to keep the cable in the groove. There is a plastic tube which clips into the top of the tranny housing (sounds like a Hong Kong social project) which you are supposed to use a long socket to push up from the inside to disengage the locking teeth. You can if you can feed the cable end through the socket! I don't know if the new cable comes with this plastic bit. So check first. You can always glue it back in if you bust it. But I think it's probably captive on the cable. I just can't remember.

Fitting is pretty much the reverse. Good to time it with a transmission fluid swap and pick up filter clean. Not a massive job. I ran mine with the sensor cable jammed open. I hoped the fixing this would resolve the fact that I had no drive (when I bought the Silver Phoenix) but it's not that major a component. The rest is history.

Chris

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I had a similar problem on my old 80 when the cable had snapped after first binding for a while so it stuck out like yours but the TPS in the box had gone back to normal. Drove it like that for a while and it killed the box due to not enough pressure on the clutch plates during gear changes. If the TPS is stuck wide open that won't happen but how do you know if the cable has snapped or not without dropping the oil pan.

 

[Jared]

Kickstarting an old thread here I know, but does the throttle cable attach/clip to the top of the tranny anywhere else apart from the plastic tube through which it enters? I'm just wondering why the service manual says to remove the propshaft and valve body, then lower the tranny using a jack for support in order to replace the cable - I'd rather not if it's all the same..
I've removed the pan and filter, and I can see where the cable attaches. I'm just wondering - once the cable is detached from the tranny end, would it be a good idea to somehow tie the pump end of the new cable to the tranny end of the old cable and pull the old cable out from the engine bay, thus pulling the new cable through with it? Obviously this wouldn't work if the cable were attached to the tranny somewhere else. It just looks a bit of a pig to thread through that's all. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Chris]

I've done one of these, it's easy. To take the cable out, drop the sump pan as you have said then you can pull the cam down with a screwdriver or something and un clip the cable from it. it's like a bicycle brake cable. The cable is clipped on somewhere, maybe on the dipstick tube? I don't remember and of course at the top. What I found the problem to be was that the liner of the sleeve and the cable itself just became rough, worn and scratchy. No amount of oil etc would free it up. It used to stick out and not go back on its own. There wasn't any need to thread it, or pull it through etc. It's not that complicated. I just poked it up toward the daylight from underneath. Not a big job, but the cable was mental money. I was told you had to drop the valve body too but I can assure you, you absolutely do not need to.

 

[Jared]

Thanks Chris that's a big help. Did I see on another thread that you fitted an Extreme valve body from Wholesale Automatics?
...and yes - cable was £80 from Ron Brooks Toyota, Mansfield. Should get it all done this weekend hopefully along with a backlog of other jobs. I'll post back how I get on.
Thanks again.

 

[Jared]

...Did I see on another thread that you fitted an Extreme valve body from Wholesale Automatics?
...

Sorry, my mistake - that was Jon Wildsmith (a very interesting read too, thanks Jon)

 

[Jared]

Well, I managed to fit the new cable. Not too difficult - the hard part was trying to remove the old one. I gave up in the end and just cut as much off from each end as I could reach. Unfortunately it hasn't cured the problem of my 80 holding on to first gear until around 2600rpm. I wonder if this could be a problem with the throttle position sensor? I've run 20 litres of new ATF through (the old fluid was like chocolate sauce) and all gear changes are now much smoother. I just hope it isn't a sticking solenoid as I really don't relish the prospect of draining the fluid again. No doubt this will be my next thread...
Thanks for the help

 

[Chris]

Testing the solenoids can be done without dropping the pan you know. OK now you're going to ask me how. Errrr. Well it it's something to do with using a multimeter and some connections in the footwell. I did it with the pan off but the other ends of the wires pop up in the cabin. There is a resistance reading from memory. Good that you have washed it thorugh. OK it didn't cure it (yet) but it was well worth doing.

You aren't in low range are you ha ha. Wonder if someone has messed around and tried the pin 7 mod at some point.

 

[Jared]

Haha no not in low range. What's the pin 7 mod?
I downloaded the service manual for the A442F and now that you mention it I remember seeing something about using a multimeter on the connections in the footwell - I'll have another look.
Didn't just change the ATF - did the diffs (took an angle grinder and chisel to remove the fill plugs) and transfer case, and engine oil. Also had 4 new tyres fitted. It was an expensive weekend..

 

[Chris]

Oh just thinking out loud. When you go into low in an auto the gear change intervals alter. You get a really long first gear. Good for rock climbing. However, most of us find it hideous and to avoid that we fit the CDL switch to the dash and disconnect a plug from the auto box. You then get high range gear intervals in low range. BUT the Yanks like to keep that hideous gear change and take control of the CDL in a different way by firking about with pin 7 in the 4x4 compooter. What you have sounds like the low range gear interval but in high range.

Yes an expensive weekend by the sounds of it. I see you are in North Notts. Never heard of it described as that before. Did you go to the Garden Centre near Toton to get your tyres from Chas?

 

[Jared]

I'm in Edwinstowe Chris. Got the tyres from Mick's Tyres in Mansfield - Cooper Discoverer STT 285 75 16 £126 each fully fitted. Can't grumble at that.

After reading what you put about the low range I've just had a drive round the site at work (work nights for Severn Trent) first in low range, then in high L, then high 2, and then high D again. In high 2 it changed from 1st to 2nd normally at about 1700rpm (without too much right foot). Then when I changed back into D it also changed normal, and continued to do so as I drove around. I wonder if by doing this I've unstuck something? We'll see when I drive home in the morning! Fingers crossed...
Cheers.
By the way, are you a member of an offroad club?

 

[Chris]

Yes I am. A couple actually. But mainly TPORE. Fancying a meet up for some mud?

On the change front, I don't know how intelligent the box is on the 80 but it maybe that it has been changing where it does due to the fluid etc and it's taken a bit of a shakedown to get it to reset and recognise that everything is back to OK.

 

[Jared]

Sounds like a plan Chris I'd be up for that. My truck's pretty standard though apart from tyres so nothing too extreme for starters
Gearbox behaved pretty well on way home this morning so fingers crossed...

 

[Chris]

Not too extreme and off road don't generally go hand in hand you know. We have a decent pay and play up the road from here where we meet regularly but the numbers are limited in advance with several on a reserve list. Maybe a bit of laning might be a better start. Off road does tend to inflict damage to your beloved vehicle

 

[Jared]

Haha laning sounds like the best idea then - for now at least