My car is equipped with the upshift light system (yellow arrow that lights up on the gauge cluster) which in fact doesn't really work. The system uses two switches on the injection pump paired with some sort of controller that's screwed into that tranny (doubles up as the reverse light switch, not the 2 prong kind though, the BIG black plug with a crapload of wires on it).
Anyway, one switch is fully depressed when the throttle is at idle and the other is fully depressed when at WOT. At first though one would rightfully think that when the switch is fully depressed, it completes the circuit and sends a signal to whatever part of the car. Well in fact, there is no contact being made when the switch is fully depressed (same type of switch used on the doors for the courtesy light). So they do the opposite of what I though they did... Making the whole upshift system all the more complex
I found out that both switches on my car are busted, I hooked up a test light and got nothing. One problem is that the rubber boot dries out and crap gets into the switch. Forget about opening it up to clean and fix it.
This is what they look like on the inside
I had to cut it open to split the two halves. There's no way it's gonna last with simple glue. There's a sliding contact that touches the two pegs and when it reaches the bottom, it breaks the signal. Simple and effective.
It turns out that MK3 golf and jettas use a very similar switch as a warning if the hood isn't properly closed. It's located next to the coolant bottle on a small bracket. It's most likely still functionnal with a perfect rubber boot.
Old style on the left, MK3 on the right
One nice thing is that it can retract almost completely where the old one wouldn't. It also uses a nice weatherproof connector.
I'm going to hook these up this weekend and hopefully the upshift light will work again (not that it's useful to me but I like it when everything works as it should in my car). I'll let you know how it goes.
Topic: For those with the upshift ligh thingymabob (Read 1995 times)
