auto trans downshifting problems...

If you are going to do your own maintenance, I recommend you get yourself a manual. The Toyota manual is best and worth it in my opinion, but at the very least a Haynes manual will help you get to know your car.

To adjust the "kick-down" (throttle valve) cable, have someone step on the gas pedal, all the way to the floor.
Make sure the throttle plate is all the way open.
The kick-down cable has a little slug crimped to it, and this slug should just stick out of the black rubber tube at the end of the cable sheath.
Adjust the cable sheath jamb nuts to get the slug right at the end of the rubber tube. That's it.

If it still won't kick-down, and your fluid level is correct, I suspect your tranny is on it's way south.
Try using Lucas transmission treatment. Drain and refill uising one quart of the lucas mixed with one quart of regular transmission fluid.

I have personally used it, and believe it extended the usefull life of failing transmissions. It reduced slippage and improved shifting. Mind you there is a limit to what it can do.

Good luck.

This is what you are looking for.

barthmonster said:

Thanks some more. That actually answers my own pondering 'Why do they always tell you to get a 2nd person to push on the gas pedal, when I can just operate the butterfly directly with my hand' ?? hahaha!! Even easier to see if the throttle-blades are open 100% while you're there !!

Oh well, better than no manual at all. I wonder how much the factory manual is... hmmm...

Click to expand...

Factory manual can be as much as $60, depending on the year
Go to books4cars.com.
I think the book for the '91 costs more than the book for the '92.
Maybe because in 91 there was a GT-S also and none in 92, but it is the same information so don't worry about that, get the cheapest one.

The reason I say get someone else to press the pedal, is to make sure the throttle is opening all the way to the stop, If yiou open it by hand, you won't know if the accellerator cable is pulling it all the way, or needs to be adjusted.

barthmonster said:

armed with my manual and the above picture I went out to adjust the cable correctly. It 'acts' like it's too long, so something in my trans is screwed-up. at first with WOT, the marker was down inside the rubber about 1". After adjusting as much as possible, it's still down in the rubber 1/2". Also when the throttle is released, there is about 1/2 " of kickdown cable hanging slack that can't seem to be pushed into the housing towards the tranny.

Also when driving, kickdown at any speed and any throttle-opening up to WOT isn't happening, it just grunts at low rpm... I'll query the trans-shop to see if the kickdown stuff (or spring) is easy to get to in the trans but otherwise my trans is kind of broke and this gives me even more incentive to budget in the 5-speed conversion I've been drooling over...

Oh well....

Click to expand...

Sounds like your kick dowh cable is broken, or slipped off valve inside the transmission.

If you pull on the cable with your fingers, you should feel a spring pulling it back, if not, it is broken or loose.

It is easy to get to when you take the tranny pan off.

To drive without that cable disconnected will cause premature wear in your tranny, so I suggest you take care of that as quickly as possible.