E46 M3 manual accelerator pedal "kick down" switch?

[The Hunter]

Hey folks! I recently purchased a replacement gas pedal which I was told was from a manual car but it has the kick down switch at the end of it's travel, which I thought only came on SMG cars. Can anyone with a manual car push their gas pedal to the floor and let me know if you get a click at the end of the travel? I just want to make sure before I follow up with the seller.

[Slideways]

Hey folks! I recently purchased a replacement gas pedal which I was told was from a manual car but it has the kick down switch at the end of it's travel, which I thought only came on SMG cars. Can anyone with a manual car push their gas pedal to the floor and let me know if you get a click at the end of the travel? I just want to make sure before I follow up with the seller.

Remove the kickdown switch and the SMG pedal becomes a manual pedal - https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...more-kick-down

[The Hunter]

Remove the kickdown switch and the SMG pedal becomes a manual pedal - https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...more-kick-down

Functionally that's true, however apparently they can produce different throttle readings to the the ECU (see: https://e30sport.net/e46m3perf/tech/throttle/pg-4.htm)

Because I'm chasing down a pedal travel sensor code, I don't want to replace with a pedal that will just create the same issue (i.e. I want to be sure if the problem isn't resolved that I have fully ruled out that the cause is the pedal)

[Slideways]

Functionally that's true, however apparently they can produce different throttle readings to the the ECU (see: https://e30sport.net/e46m3perf/tech/throttle/pg-4.htm)

Because I'm chasing down a pedal travel sensor code, I don't want to replace with a pedal that will just create the same issue (i.e. I want to be sure if the problem isn't resolved that I have fully ruled out that the cause is the pedal)

If using the SMG pedal without the kickdown was an issue, there probably would have been a thread about it by now.

[The Hunter]

If using the SMG pedal without the kickdown was an issue, there probably would have been a thread about it by now.

One would hope, but another reason I want to confirm is because I paid more for this pedal because it was advertised as a manual pedal and yet it has the kick down button so I want to figure out if the seller misrepresented the pedal. Do you have a factory manual car?

[Bebop]

One would hope, but another reason I want to confirm is because I paid more for this pedal because it was advertised as a manual pedal and yet it has the kick down button so I want to figure out if the seller misrepresented the pedal. Do you have a factory manual car?

I do, there is no switch

[jayjaya29]

Another factory manual car here, no kickdown switch at WOT.

[The Hunter]

Ah, okay thank you Bebop and jayjaya29! It looks like I need to follow up with the seller. Appreciate your help.

[karter16]

Functionally that's true, however apparently they can produce different throttle readings to the the ECU (see: https://e30sport.net/e46m3perf/tech/throttle/pg-4.htm)

Because I'm chasing down a pedal travel sensor code, I don't want to replace with a pedal that will just create the same issue (i.e. I want to be sure if the problem isn't resolved that I have fully ruled out that the cause is the pedal)

FWIW most of what this page talks about is irrelevant/wrong.

Zero position voltage is adapted by the DME, so any difference there (presuming there isn't an actual fault) is adapted out.

The potentiometers are electrically linear and % of throttle is calculated based on a normalisation factor. As that page notes the DME ends up calculating raw % greater than 100% at full throttle. The DME treats anything above 100% as 100%, so whether it travels to 108% or 112% or whatever is again irrelevant.

The Kickdown button adds a step-up voltage. By default the DME is configured to identify a throttle position greater than 119.0% as the kick down switch being on. The actual throttle value is not affected by the kick down button.


Essentially what that page identifies as the "Third Possibility" is in fact how the system works. Functionally an SMG pedal with the kick down switch removed is the same as a manual pedal. (Not to discount that in your case you bought a Manual pedal as advertised and got a different part number, that's a separate issue. But functionally it doesn't make any difference)