Accelerator Pedal Switch?

[BoomerZoomr]

Now that my new CX-5 (turbo) has some miles on it, yesterday while merging on the interstate highway I floored the gas pedal. I felt some resistance against the pedal, which then broke free. I thought maybe the pedal had snagged/hung up on something. When I got home, I checked it out pushing the pedal to the floor with my hand (engine off). Under this condition, it feels/sounds like there is a very heavy duty button/switch under the gas pedal. Internet searches turned up a switch of this type in other cars to downshift the transmission or kick off the AC compressor. Nothing on this Mazda though. The throttle position sensor would seem to make a switch like this unnecessary. And the physical resistance of this switch is significant. Do others have something like this?

 

[N7turbo]

You are right that downshifting is controlled by throttle position and load. What you found is simply a detent for driver feedback and does not mechanically couple to anything.

 

[dunhillmc]

 

[BoomerZoomr]

I still can’t say I understand the purpose of this mechanism under the pedal.

 

[N7turbo]

The kickdown switch is nothing more than a physical signal to the driver that you are going WOT. There is no electrical component to the actual switch, just there before WOT in the calibrated sweep in the APP.

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[BoomerZoomr]

So Mazda's mindset was… you can have 90% throttle, but if you want the last 10% you gotta show me you are committed

 

[BoomerZoomr]

Apparently this "dead switch" under the Mazda gas pedal isn’t something new, but I had never heard of anything like this. My Dad used to joke that if he caught me hot-rodding the Dodge Charger he gave me, he would mount a piece of wood under the gas pedal so I couldn’t floor it
So I guess don’t click that switch if you want to conserve fuel and prevent "vehicle shock". Sounds kinda screwy to me, but now I think I understand. I did find this old video from Mazda…