Kick down switch

[balimatharu]

Recently bought RHD 250sl
I am based in U.K.
I am a new member and my first query.
There seems to be some type of linkage missing between the kick down switch and the accelerator pedal.
I am attaching a photo.
I will greatly appreciate if anybody can help
Thank you
Bali

[cfm65@me.com]

Hi Bali,
Welcome to the forum.
Your picture is not very clear, probably because of the reflection in the foto. The gadget laying on the floor should be mounted on the outher side of the floor, in the engine bay, with the pin sticking through the floor, under the throttle. The kick down switch is not connected to the pedal. The pedal makes contact with the switch pin only when the pedal is floored. In other words, you will never activate the switch in normal operation unless you floor the pedal in order to select a lower gear by using your foot.
Regards
Chris

[balimatharu]

Hi Chris
Thank you for the reply and taking interest in my query.
Actually the switch is attached to bulk head inside the car. I have taken some more photos.
Have a look.
I appreciate your help
Bali

Hi Bali,
Welcome to the forum.
Your picture is not very clear, probably because of the reflection in the foto. The gadget laying on the floor should be mounted on the outher side of the floor, in the engine bay, with the pin sticking through the floor, under the throttle. The kick down switch is not connected to the pedal. The pedal makes contact with the switch pin only when the pedal is floored. In other words, you will never activate the switch in normal operation unless you floor the pedal in order to select a lower gear by using your foot.
Regards
Chris

[waltklatt]

Seems to be an earlier style of the kickdown switch.  As this is a 250SL.
The 4 screws are genuine MB items as you can see the details.  Same as the screws for the door handles on the 230 and 250SL's
Maybe check the contacts and clean them...
Don't really see anything missing, but can look in my parts book for that.
Is your gas pedal making contact with the lever on the switch?  Maybe something is missing from the back of gas pedal.

[balimatharu]

No, the gas pedal doesn't make a contact with the switch.
It is UK supplied. Registered in 1967.
I have looked at different switches online but none of them looked like this.

[cfm65@me.com]

Hi Bali,
Yep, I can see it now and agree with Walt. I have never seen a setup like yours. Mine is also a 67 250 SL, but the switch is under the floor with the only pin sticking through.
Could you confirm that yours is a genuine factory fitted auto? The box could have been fitted afterwards. What is the first few numbers of your VIN?  In my car it is 113 043 12 xxxxxx. The 12 in my case means standard(lhd) and auto. If yours is a rhd/auto then I would think those numbers should be 22.
I had a 65 230SL and a 70 280SL many years ago and they both had the same switch as my on 67 250SL
Someone on this forum would have seen such a switch and recognise yours if it is a genuine part.
Regards
Chris

[Benz Dr.]

Although I've never worked on a RHD 113, I know that there are a number of parts that are only used on these cars. I think the kick down switch is one of those parts and it's not the same set up as a LHD car.

[cfm65@me.com]

I think the good doc is correct. You will probably find that there is not enough space on the right to go through the floor, because of the rh mudgaurd setup.
I have an original factory parts catalogue for the 113 250/280SL. Unfortunately there is no mention or picture of a part for a RH switch but I am sure someone will come up with the answer.
I guess more than half the Pagodas in South Africa are lefties, however lefties are very rare in Aussie and that your answer will come from there.
Regards
Chris

[66andBlue]

The actual contact switch (38) is the same for LHD and RHD but the spring stop (36) is different and there is an additional housing/bracket (R40).
Take a look in the Spare Parts List Group 30 Table 18 and you can see the housing "R40" for a RHD. That piece must be pretty big and looks quite different from what bali is showing. The tip of the spring stop should still be under the pedal.

[WRe]

Hi,
your kick down switch for early models looks pretty normal.
Have you looked underneath the pedal? Maybe these show the missing link.
...WRe

[cfm65@me.com]

Hi Alfred,
Yes, I see the R40 and R41 rhd bracket and lever now. Apologies guys, I was not paying attention. It seems as if Bali's switch is missing the trigger and pin.
Regards
Chris

[balimatharu]

Thanks for the valuable feedback from all of you.
I am still not sure what type of link is missing. The switch looks almost same the diagram made up with R36, R38, R40 and R42.
The accelerator pedal is exactly same in size and shape (back side included). There is definitely some sort of link missing. I have another photo with the pedal fully depressed.
There is another bit just under the lever R42. It is round about an inch in diameter and a bolt in the middle. You can see it in my photos. The light coloured thing. It is not in contact with anything.
I wonder if this bit got anything to do with this.
Once again thank all of you.
I am sure somebody will solve this puzzle for me.
Bali

[WRe]

Hi,
you should check the position of your acceleration pedal.
...WRe

[cfm65@me.com]

WRe,
Is yours a LHD? It seems so from the picture

[WRe]

Yes, a LHD, but pedal should be - more or less - same on the right side. Just to compare it.
...WRe

[66andBlue]

What a fun puzzle! 
Can you test whether depressing the lever R41 actually opens or closes any contacts? Use an Ohm meter and check continuity at the plug in the back of R42. I am wondering what the other side of R41 makes contact with when it is depressed. My assumption is that it should push on 36 to actuate an electrical switch. Perhaps the spring R45 is broken and does not rotate the lever high enough to reach the pedal??
I would take the whole assembly out and bench test it.

[waltklatt]

I finally had a look at the parts books and there are two kinds of gas pedals, one that is usual LHD and the other is a special RHD.
Seems you have the LHD one in your RHD car.  Not the same.
So check on the base somewhere on the rubber portion for the part number, should be a 110 xxx xx xx number.
Walter

[WRe]

Hi,
please read these threads, showing also diferences for the pedal support bracket and some pictures for RHD:
- http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=9418.msg62244#msg62244
- http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=9445.msg62419#msg62419
- http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=19622.msg138215#msg138215
...WRe

[Tyler S]

I agree with Alfred, the spring (R 45) is broken or has come unseated. The center clasp area of the spring should be down underneath the protruding arm. Could be another issue.

[balimatharu]

I took the switch out. The switch works fine. You were right. The spring R45 was wrongly applied. I have corrected it. I could not get any information about the RHD pedal.
I have taped a piece of flat iron. This is what could work or may be the RHD pedal has a similar modification.
I have taken a few photos. This might make it look out of place.

[66andBlue]

Great, one step forward.
My next prediction is that you do have the wrong pedal, that is, one for a LHD. If you take a look at the photo provided by Val here: http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=9445
you'll see that a RHD appears to be much longer.
WeRe's photos show a length of 24 cm +/- 2 for a LHD pedal. Can anyone with a RHD automatic measure the length of the pedal? Garry or Stick?

[Garry]

The pedal is 240cm long 
photo attached

Garry

[66andBlue]

Garry,
I assume you mean 14.0 cm? If that is correct then it is shorter than the LHD in WRe's photo and my prediction is totally wrong.
So what gives? Kick-down position wrong? It can adjusted a little bit.
 

[Garry]

Alfred   yes should have read as 140mm not 1.4 meters.   Big pedal otherwise 

[Tyler S]

May be worth another look at the attachment point of the pedal at the floor. Sagging floor/bent mount or the likes causing the pedal to sit lower than normal.