No transmission kickdown (at higher speeds) from 2021 CX-9?

JerrySC

2021 CX9 Carbon Edition
I now have enough miles on my CX9 to try some full throttle events. I was on the freeway the other day doing 65mph. I was going to pass a car and floored the pedal. I was expecting the transmission to downshift and get going. Instead it stayed in the same gear and gradually picked up speed. I have tried this at lower speeds and it responds appropriately. Is there something that prevents a transmission step-down at a certain speed?
 
I have not done a specific test at 65 mph, but when you floored the pedal, did you floor it pass the kickdown switch? Flooring it pass the kickdown will bypass any transmission programming and is supposed to downshift to the point where the engine will make maximum power. You can feel thw kickdown switch when you press the pedal, there is an extra resistance at the end of the pedal travel when the kickdown switch is pressed.
 
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Nothing really happens when you floor the accelerator when travelling over 120 kmph. It slowly gets up to speed at that point. This 4 cylinder turbo was designed for high torque at low rpms. The juice wears out at highway speeds. Sometimes there is no transmission kick down since its a moot point.
 
Nothing really happens when you floor the accelerator when travelling over 120 kmph. It slowly gets up to speed at that point. This 4 cylinder turbo was designed for high torque at low rpms. The juice wears out at highway speeds. Sometimes there is no transmission kick down since its a moot point.
I agree at higher speed above 120km/h, but driving at 105km/h (about 65mph) yesterday, my car was downshifting even with light throttle input, so it seems odd to me that the OP’s car didn’t downshift at 65mph after flooring it.
 
Jerry, could the floormat interfere with pushing the accelerator pedal all the way down? I can push the pedal by hand and feel & hear the kickdown switch youri mentions.
 
Someone here mentioned that the kickdown switch isn't actually a kickdown, it's just a detent of some sort, something that provides physical feedback so that you know the pedal isn't going any further. I don't know if this is true or not, just relaying what I've heard. I always meant to test it for myself, but I keep forgetting.
 
Jerry, could the floormat interfere with pushing the accelerator pedal all the way down? I can push the pedal by hand and feel & hear the kickdown switch youri mentions.
I will look and see. Thanks.
 
I would do some experimenting. Put the shifter into manual mode by tilting it to the left. Confirm what gear you’re in. At a cruising, steady state at that speed you should be in sixth gear. Then tap the left pedal shifter to make the car downshift. This will at least confirm the car is capable of downshifting at that speed from top gear.

i’ve floored it at 80 mph and I’ve gotten a downshift. That’s about 120 km/h. I think it was sm1ke that mentioned something about the detent. Lightly press the pedal as far as it will go and then give it an extra push. It should “click“ and drop a little bit more to forEC the transmission to downshift.
 
Someone here mentioned that the kickdown switch isn't actually a kickdown, it's just a detent of some sort, something that provides physical feedback so that you know the pedal isn't going any further. I don't know if this is true or not, just relaying what I've heard. I always meant to test it for myself, but I keep forgetting.
Food for thought here as I've done this with my CX-5. If the car is in manual mode and you accelerate and actuate the kickdown switch/detent it will override your current gear and downshift to the gear it thi is you need.

So while the switch might actually be a detent, the position on the accelerator pedal at that detent spot may be intentionally driving a transmission kickdown.
 
Food for thought here as I've done this with my CX-5. If the car is in manual mode and you accelerate and actuate the kickdown switch/detent it will override your current gear and downshift to the gear it thi is you need.

So while the switch might actually be a detent, the position on the accelerator pedal at that detent spot may be intentionally driving a transmission kickdown.
Quoted from owners manual :
Kickdown

When the accelerator pedal is depressed fully while driving, the gear shifts down.

When driving at high speeds, the gear may not shift down.

However, the gears do not kickdown while the TCS is turned off.
 
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