50desotocoupe Posted November 5, 2014 Report Posted November 5, 2014 Another couple of questions for the experts. Does anyone know the bulb number for the lighted Desoto hood ornament? My wiring is intact but the bulb is missing. Also, I have a question on a mystery wire that comes from the shifter. It goes down the column but I can't trace it from there. I thought I read somewhere that it might be an overdrive, but since I have the Fluid-Drive I am not sure. It looks like there may be a button on the end of the shifter but I can't get it to move in or out. Any ideas? I searched my shop manual but found nothing. BTW, took the car on its first real maiden voyage since I bought it. Not many miles I know...but for as much work as I have done it was pretty cool....took it 25 miles each way to a cruise. She did great! I replaced the throttle return spring as there was a high idle and I am dealing with a weird brake pedal issue. Other than that, ran like a top!!!!! Now I need to get the back bumper back on (need to tweak the bumper bracket, get a few chrome pieces and a few other niggly things. Thanks! Quote
Jim Yergin Posted November 5, 2014 Report Posted November 5, 2014 Sounds like you have one of these. Jim Yergin Quote
50desotocoupe Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) Yes, exactly Jim. My knob is cracked and comes off the shifter. What exactly is it supposed to do if it were working correctly? Edited November 5, 2014 by 50desotocoupe Quote
Jim Yergin Posted November 5, 2014 Report Posted November 5, 2014 It is a "kick down" switch that allows you to drop into the lower gear on your semi-automatic transmission without having to floor the accelerator pedal. Jim Yergin 1 Quote
50desotocoupe Posted November 5, 2014 Author Report Posted November 5, 2014 Oh, gotcha. I will be on the lookout to find one of these kits to replace the one i have! Quote
Ulu Posted November 5, 2014 Report Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) I don't think it's a kickdown switch. you kick down by stepping on the gas. I think it's a kickdown inhibitor. You can mash the gas and it won't kick down while you hold the switch on. I had one similar (just a button switch from Radio Shack) wired to my overdrive, as it would sometimes kick down when unnecessary, just like flaky modern automatics sometimes do. OOps..no sorry. I just enlarged the photo enough to read the instructions & it is the opposite. When you press this, it interrrupts the solenoid and ignition power for split-second, which allows the trans to slip down without mashing the pedal. Edited November 5, 2014 by Ulu Quote
Ulu Posted November 5, 2014 Report Posted November 5, 2014 BTW, why would you want one or the other? Well, my car was light with extra power, as I'd hopped up the engine, and had low gears. (3.90) It just didn't need to shift down in all the circumstances it tried to, but I didn't just want to raise the governor speed either, as it was already set for good fuel economy. The Inhibitor increased economy, because using it the car didn't downshift if I hit the gas a bit going down hill, or just hit it moderately whenever adequate torque meant no shift was necessary. But: If you have a heavier car with less power & higher rear gears, it will sometimes race the engine or buck a bit when you kick it down with the pedal, in situations where more power is needed instantly because the engine is under heavy load or close to lugging. This button then makes the car shift down smoothly & instantly, where mashing the pedal would not. Quote
Ulu Posted November 5, 2014 Report Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) Oh, regarding the bulb. If you slam the hood with the bulb on, it'll break the hot filament. The bulb in my ornament was making the plastic yellow hear the bulb, so I tinted the whole inside of the plastic with amber tint and found a somewhat smaller bulb. When I re-wire my car, I'll put a "cold" LED bulb in it. BTW, that's a swell car. I've seen few Desoto models which I liked better. Edited November 5, 2014 by Ulu Quote
50desotocoupe Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Posted November 6, 2014 Thank you! The looks are really starting to grow on me especially after I have spent so much time with it. I found out that the button that fits inside the knob was binding up. So I am taking that apart to clean it and scrub off all the years of dirt and put it back together. It would be great if it worked like I hope. I have to floor it to upshift and not very smooth. Does anyone know the light bulb number for the Desoto hood ornament? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.