Kickdown button on gas pedal of GS?

[Perkis26]

Is there a kick down (downshift) button or switch on the gas pedal when you put it to the floor? It feels like there is. Just curious what is actually happening when pressed. I have an 18 GS

 

[DrivenDaily]

The accelerator is part of the fully electronic DBW system. When you "step on the gas", you're turning 2 electronic controls that report their positions, much like a pair of volume controls. They are set up so that one counts up, and the other counts down. So long as the two counts add up to an expected value, the BCM passes that to the ECM, which then commands the TB to open or close.

There is also no longer an IAC valve, since that is completely controlled by the ECM as well.

The "kick-down" function is part of the shift tables where the BCM, ECM, and/or TCM looks up the pedal position, engine speed, and road speed, then selects a gear accordingly.

 

[bollox74]

In a word; yes

there is noticeable engagement point as you depress the gas pedal

 

[Perkis26]

Ok, thank you, just what I wanted to know

 

[Chef jpd]

+1 on DD, its a fully electronic system.
Remember the controllers on the toy slot cars years ago?
Just like that.
Now, don't get everyone riled up when you Google "Roar Pedal"

 

[DrivenDaily]

In a word; yes

there is noticeable engagement point as you depress the gas pedal

I had forgotten about that "notch". Thanks for adding that.

Just a note about it: It's just a physical resistance to pedal movement. It is not actually a switch as far as I am aware.

 

[Perkis26]

Ok, I have noticed that I can put the pedal all the down, and then press more and it feels like a switch is being pressed, that's why I worded it like that, and I've knownof other cars that have an actual button

 

[DrivenDaily]

You worded it just fine. It was completely understandable, which is all anyone wants when they ask questions.

Unless GM did something weird, it's just some kind of detent that you can physically feel when moving the pedal, but there won't be a separate switch to do a kickdown shift. It's all handled by software and tables.

 

[Perkis26]

Good way of putting it

 

[Chef jpd]

I had replaced the pedal in my 2020 Mustang, same drive by wire.
For giggles, I took the old one apart. Inside were 2 springs, one soft, and one harder. The harder one was shorter, so did not engage until a certain position ( about half way)

Perhaps just a mechanism for some physical feedback?

 

[Perkis26]

Back in high school my buddies parents had a mark 4 Jetta with the VR6 motor that had an actual button on the pedal that we taped down so it was always in "performance mode" lol

 

[DrivenDaily]

Well, that's the Germans for ya. Adding stuff that isn't needed...

 

[ZB Commodore Owner]

Well, that's the Germans for ya. Adding stuff that isn't needed...

Not just the Germans. A kick down switch used to be very common