Taxi Driver Online

I've read elsewhere on the Internet that a Fairway of my vintage (1994) should be able to crack 75mph tops.

With a top speed like that I'd imagine I could cruise at 60-65 which would be better than the 45-55 I can manage at the moment.

So can anyone offer any tips or tricks for tuning the old beast to make sure it is putting out what it should?

I've noticed it kicks down on the motorway and changes to 2nd gear which means it is impossible to apply more than about 3/4 throttle. Really, in my experience of automatics the gearbox should stay in top gear once that becomes the ideal ratio as you are nearing top speed. In my BMW 635 with the 4-speed auto that happened at about 110mph!

I presume your putting it in overdrive ? If its kicking down to quickly you need to adjust it on the throttle.As for the window itll be the two springs,which are two coils screwed to a plate.One or both might need replacing.Usually leaves a oil/scratch mark on the glass !!

the taxi is on 400,000 miles so by this stage the window is already scratched to sh1p.

I am certianly aware of the overdrive function. It's very similar to the Volvo 240 automatic I used to drive. On the motorway the overdrive would be on (so the light is off) and the overdrive engages.

When you say adjust on the throttle? Are you suggesting there is a kick-down cable... I've read elsewhere that there isn't one on a 1994 with the 2.7 - I also have not been able to find it as of yet.

There are other adjustments on the throttle where it joins the fuel pump so you must mean one of those? Is that correct? If so, which bit should I adjust if I want it to kick-down later?

Sorry yes on the throttle cable itself ,does it change up through the gears o.k ?The milage is nothing on the nissan engine it will quite easily do double that. It can be a bit of trial and error with kick down it can be adjusted to not have it which i usually do.I mean are you really going to use it ?

Good point. I have never wanted the kick-down function. How do I disable it completely?

I have a feeling your throttle cable might be fecked is it frayed at end ? Im not a expert on the auto box but by fitting new throttle cable and having it taught, my kickdown will only come on if i push it down hard and fast.So if i gradually go up to top speed my foot can go to floor .Sorry if bit confusing,auto garages round my way usually charge about 60 quid for service change of fluid ect.Also on anything pre 97 i think the box is vaccum operated ,different to the late fairways which have same as Tx1.Good luck

No, when I was adjusting the throttle cable earlier I took it out because the thread on the end where you adjust was a tiny bit corroded and it was making it difficult to turn the adjusting screws without twisting the outside of the cable. So had the whole cable out and it is in perfect condition. I cleaned the adjusting thread to make it eaiser to adjust. I also squirted a bit of WD40 down the inside of the cable to make it operate smoother. The cable is perfect.

I'll see how it runs now that the cable is tighter. As you say, perhaps having a lose accelerator cable makes the gearbox do funny things. The only link between the pedal and the rest of the car is one single cable so it must be critical to the whole operation. Having it lose must make a difference. Fingers crossed I guess.

Oh... and you say vaccum operated? I noticed there is a vac hose stuck on the side of the airfilter housing which has perished and snapped. I don't know where it goes to because the end has broken off where it is clamped to the inlet manifold.

Could this be the key to fixing the kick-down problem?

I'd say your cruising speed on a fairway is a bit high,I've had mine up to 70 and it was all over the road .
I think you'll find the kickdown is an electric switch on the actual pedal,mine is.Up to the time I found a black wire hanging down near the pedal and a same coloured bullet connector next to it and connected them together I didn't even realise it had a kick down.
It transformed the performance,I even overtook an old boy on a bike once.
The vacuum pipe is (I'm pretty sure) the inlet for the modulator which controls gear change speeds,either way you can take the pipe off and throw it away,it makes no difference to performance as it just supplies the unit with filtered air.

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Selling Imperial tools for old cars.

Im suprised its a switch on floor,cause you can have the kickdown sensitive where it will operate even when you dont put your foot to floor.Quite a few have theres set like that ,makes you drive slower ! like i say dont know the earlier boxes aswell but mine adjusts with the throttle.As for cruising speed all depends how your cab wobbles and shakes !

There is no button behind the pedal on mine. I have a 1994 - don't know which year others on here have?

So if the vac hose is disconnected could that make the kick-down point much higher than it is supposed to be? That is the fault I have. Not able to fully accelerate because doing so invokes kick-down to 2nd at 50mph on the motorway. That is so close to top speed that kicking down is not helpful.

Drove it home from the workshop and it is more sprightly off the line but not really too sure whether top speed has improved as you have to have a lot of road to test that and not really very easy in an urban enviorment. Gear change points seem to have changed after tightening the accelerator cable but I'm not sure if for better or worse. I think the only way to test will be to take it on the motorway and check.

I'm not sure how these boxes work,mine has a switch at the top of the pedal and a ECU above the passengers side footwell.The vacuum pipes you can see under the air filter are,as far as I'm aware.just an arrangement to allow clean air into the modulator.
I think I know what you mean about kick down,I find it best to press the pedal down slowly to build up to a reasonable speed.Pushing it down hard even over 55 causes the box to change down at what seems like much to high revs for the engines well being.

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Selling Imperial tools for old cars.

On the older boxes pre 97 its the vcu that tend to go (vacuum control unit)its on the pump i think.The later boxes as fitted to late fairways and tx1 are controlled by the cable.

so if mine is a 1994 fairway what setup should I have?