Overdrive Button - Yippppiiiieeeehhh... it's working again!

[impalator]

I've checked a few pages worth of "search results" on the overdrive / overdrive button topic but came to no useful conclusion...

Here is my worry:

I have (it's been a while now) changed the gear shifters in my van to look a bit more "contemporary" as opposed to the massive, plastic, gray, oversized "paddle" of original shifter...

This is the result...


One of the casualties was/is the overdrive button that's incorporated into the original shifter-stick. The original button features three wires coming out of it. A black, a red and a yellow-striped one... I am assuming that one set of wires controls the solenoid running the Overdrive mechanism, while the other lead turns on/off the O/D off light on the dash...

Initially, I solved this by just prying the original button out of the original shifter assembly and having it "dangle loosely" on the side of the shifter column housing... but I have decided to go a bit more sophisticated and bought the "military-style" firing on/off switch... (see below)


It also has contacts for 3 wires (on/off and a lead to make the light in the switch light up)...

The problem is, that no matter how I try to connect the cables (a total of 9 different configurations are possible) I cannot control the overdrive... It won't kick into overdrive... It's as if I drive with the Overdrive disengaged.

The moment I connect the old button, the overdrive will work just as it should...

Is there some car electrician out there who might provide some help with this?

Thanks and cheers,

Chris

[RichD]

That pic looks like the Millenium Falcon.

The properties of the original switch are what you need to start from. Its not necessarily an on-off switch like the one you bought. Have you put a multitester to the switch to see what it's modes are? What about the OD circuit? Any power on it?

Personally I would want the OD switch a bit more handy than the switch you chose as I use it all the time. That's why it is always located at-hand on shifters. But I like your customization.

[mararmeisto]

Usually it's the striped wire that's doing something in Mitsubishis (from what I've seen), so I would suggest the striped wire is the make/unmake for overdrive. The red and the black, now that's tricky: how were they connected in the original shifter? Picture please, because I no longer have my Delica work-book. I'll take a look through my Pajero drawings to get an idea, but it may not be exactly the same.

It's unlikely the light on the dash is coming from the button on the shifter. More likely a tell-back from the transmission itself illuminates that lamp.

Two final things: I love those shifters - where did you get them? and, how did you take the original 'boot' off the automatic shift lever? I don't see any screws to undo it, unless they are hidden under a sticker or something.

[jaggedfish]

I don't know for sure but my guess would be that one of the wires is a common wire to two scenarios... "on" and "off". Being as the original switch is not illuminated, the third wire does a different job. The trick in all this is figuring out which wire is common then joining the common with one of the others and test drive the bus to see if the overdrive is on or off. After that, disconnect the wires and connect the common to the other wire and repeat your test drive (or look for the "O/D off" light if it works). The theory would be that you are not opening and closing a single circuit but switching between 2 circuits - if that makes sense.

Now all this comes with a disclaimer that I am not responsible for blown fuses, etc. This is merely a suggestion to get some dialogue going and hopefully a more educated answer. A good look at the wiring diagrams should shed some light too, I would hope.

Best of luck on it... I would hate to see a "dangly" switch with those awesome shifters...

Cheers!
Ian

[jaggedfish]

Okay... so on further investigation via Wiring Diagram Hell, it would see that I was correct in my assumption...

Wiring diagram indicates the O/D switch has three wires as stated... Rw, By and Y - presumeably Red with white stripe, Black with yellow stripe and Yellow.
According to the diagram, the Rw is the common wire, By is "overdrive on" and Y is "overdrive off".

Sooo... by connecting Rw and By (Y not connected), you should be able to drive around and overdrive should work.
By connecting Rw and Y (By not connected), your "O/D off" light should be lit and, of course, your van should stay out of overdrive.

The way the wiring diagram reads, is with the RW/BY connection closed and the RW/Y connection open so I am assuming this represents "normal driving" with overdrive on. If my assumption is incorrect then the connections would be the same as above but "on" and "off" are the opposite way round.

I hope that makes sense.
Cheers!
Ian

[RichD]

That means you need a modal switch with two different ON positions and a common pole.

[lopar]

That means you need a modal switch with two different ON positions and a common pole.

SPDT, single pole double throw

Personally I would want the OD switch a bit more handy than the switch you chose as I use it all the time. That's why it is always located at-hand on shifters. But I like your customization.

x2

basically you need one of these........... take off your shifter, drill a hole into top and mount one of these bad boys.......... SPDT push/push switch....... ring around inner button illuminates in chosen position. Wish I had a floor shifter to do that too however, guess i could do the same to the big stick on my control column

just my two cents........ let me know if interesed in one of these switches, I bought a bunch to jazz up my center console when I get my Delica back next month hopefully. I have some that illuminate white, or green or blue......

Cheers

[impalator]

Hey everybody,

Thanks for your extensive feedback on this subject - especially going to the length of consulting the wiring diagrams etc. - Really appreciate it! You know you are on the right forum if people are so helpful!!!!

I will fiddle around with it some more and will likely have to get a different switch... too bad... I would have loved to "arm" the overdrive with a military style "arm/disarm" switch (as I see myself as more of an operator in the deli rather than a mere driver... )

I believe I got the shifter knobs at Canadian Tire - I've had them for a long time, well before the delica came along...

Unfortunately the "disassembling" of the original plastic paddle size shifter is a real pain in the butt. I followed the lead of one forum member who had posted his "customizing of the van" in the "member rides" section a while ago... To make a long story short: You will have to wreck the original plastic completely in order to take it off. First, you "carefully" cut the vinyl/rubber type upper part with an exacto knife or case cutter and then "peel" the vinyl/rubber coating off. What remains is the plastic housing - this does have a screw somewhere on the stem (don't remember exactly where) which should allow you to then pull it off. The actual stick is hollow and has a small "push-rod" inside, to allow to lock/engage/disengage the shifter.

I next shortened the stick and push-rod to desired length and then mounted the new shifter knob (which also has a release-button - but on top - not sure if the picture shows that well enough) back...

For the 4WD selector, I simply screwed the plastic knob off and mounted a simple aluminum knob instead - but not before I took it to an engraving place to have the shifting-pattern engraved as per the original plastic/rubberized knob...

I then also carefully pried the original on/off overdrive button out of the remaining plastic housing of the old shifter head assembly and cut the wires to pull them out of the housing. Then I reconnected the wires and had the original O/D button dangle out of the shifter column housing...

And this is how I did it... I will update with more and better pic's once I have the button all worked out...

Cheers!

Chris

[impalator]

OK, so I had the correct switch (double "ON" position to switch BETWEEN two "ON's" rather than turning on/off) but hadn't bothered to put it in for a while.

During that while I had the original shifter button that I pried out of the original shifter knob and Overdrive On/Off worked like a charm (while not all that stylish...)

Finally, yesterday, I put the new switch in... and shame, shame, shame... Overdrive doesn't work anymore. I did a few test runs on the Barnet Hwy trying out various wiring settings - but nothing seemed to work. I was able to turn the "O/D On-Off" light on the dash on, but could not engage the Overdrive... stays out of Overdrive constantly.

I then tried by reconnecting the original overdrive button from the original shifter knob again.. .but aside from turning the O/D light on and off, I couldn't get the darn thing to work.

Could it be that I fried the Solenoid by possibly hooking up the wrong wires (albeit, very briefly only)?

Butch from CVI seems to think that it takes much more than a momentary ON/OFF on a solenoid to fry it... and Jay (Tardis Deli) shares the same opinion... I also checked all fuses that I could get my hands onto - but nothing did yield any results...

I will swing by Jay's tomorrow and let him have a look at it since he is much more in tune with car electrics than I am ... hopefully we'll sort it out.

If anybody has any experience with their Overdrive on/off or had similar/comparable issues, please let me know...

Cheers,
Chris

[tonydca]

Prob'ly blown a fuse if wires not hooked up right. I'd check them out first.

FWIW, not having looked at L300 diagrams, on my L400 Blk wires are often ground and Red often +5V, so perhaps the switch either grounds or energizes the third depending on position?

But that's just speculation - I'd take the old switch and a meter, and check the continuity between all three poles when the switch is on vs off. You will probably find that "Off" connects pole 1 to 2 while 3 is not connected at all, and "On" connects 1 to 3 while 2 is not connected at all. Or something like that.

Then duplicate the switch's operation, check your fuses, and away you go!

Tony.

[JHelzer]

Digging up an old post....

Did you ever manage to get your OD button working on the new Automatic Shift Knob?

In addition to being ugly...my new Bus' knob is encrusted with 19 years of greasy crud. I've scrubbed it clean but my over active imagination won't forget about it.

Thanks for any new info you might have,

John

[TardisDeli]

Not fixed yet Chris and i have yet to get together to find out what went wrong he has a new single pole on-on switch but something has gone wrong with the wiring .Chris has had the shrift solenoids checked out and they work fine. We need to track down the wiring to see if something has gone wrong with it. According to the European Deli wiring diagram theres a relay between the overdrive switch and the shift solenoids but i'm finding way too many differences on our JDM Delis to believe this. Anyways good luck to use Cheers Jay Tardis Deli

[impalator]

Regrettably still not fixed... a big, huge "THANK YOU!" to Jay from Tardisdeli... tirelessly and patiently he tested, I tried, he tested some more and after a whole bunch of "trial and error" the error persisted... We figure that I must have fried my Solenoid during the brief timeframe during which I had the whole set-up wired wrongly... One thing that Jay established was that the power coming through to the solenoid on the tranny was constantly "on" no matter what position the switch was in.. but it was very weak power (i.e. the test lamp was just glowing "dimly") - so I gather that this constant but weak (possibly shorted along the way somewhere) current wrecked the the not so "solid" "solenoid"...

Will have to schedule with Butch at CVI to test a used solenoid on a parts van or so - and then hopefully I can get the unit cruising at normal RPM's again (right now I burn and revv through Diesel as if I was running a big 7 Liter Cummins - but without the Power and Torque)

Once again - many thanks to Jay for his hugely valuable expertise, patience and advise!...

I'll update what happens next...

Cheers,
Chris

[lopar]

Maybe try and convince someone with a working setup to take apart knob and take the measurements for what you should get when on/off?

[impalator]

BEAUTIFUL.... I have my Overdrive back... I almost forgot how it feels, when, at around 65 kph, another gear engages and the Van "thrusts" forward in a truly invigorated "sweet spot" manner... Love it!

Had the Van at CVI today (while I was in Edmonton on business) and he (Butch that is) swapped the Solenoid which he confirmed (for my old, non working one) to effectively be toasted...

I am so happy that this thing is working again... doing the Barnett at 3500rpm and 80kph just doesn't cut it in the long run... and heavy fuel consumption certainly didn't help to make me happy either...