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I sort of doubt your kickdown cable problem and transmission fluid level are related to that dragging feeling when you're backing up cold if that's the only time you notice it. My first suspect would be the parking brakes. If road salt is used in your area and as it's happening to you at this time of year then I'm pretty confident. I had the exact symptoms you describe just a few weeks ago. It could have been a sticky brake cable, but a quick check said both cables moved adequately. I might have decided to disconnect the cables for a more thorough check and lubrication, but I knew from experience that I should check the parking brake mechanism in the drums first as it's an easier job. It's also a good chance to check for worn out shoe pads in case your brakes have been dragging or you use them a lot to slow for radar traps to avoid putting on your brake lights. Indeed, there was a bit of scaly rust/dirt in the shoe mechanism. After a little scraping and fully working the shoe movements, I've had no problems since. The most critical area was between the shoes and the hub surface. I suppose I could have removed the shoes for a proper cleaning, but I've seen worse and was able to reef the shoe mechanism around to get at the areas I needed to clean. I didn't have any spray brake cleaner handy or I would have given it a few shots. If you were careful to use only high temp brake grease, you could put a thin smear on the metal to metal contact areas (obviously not the pad contact area), but grease is also a dirt magnet so I didn't bother. You can also carefully lube the hinge points, but again I didn't bother -probably enough lubricant in oily road spray.
This is probably a good time to check the park brake adjustment. You should find that described in the FAQ. As I recall, the spec calls for 2 notches of free travel with a maximum of 7-8 notches when fully applied. I like 4 notches in normal use, with no more than 6 notches maximum travel. The main adjustment collar is accessible behind the console rear ash tray. Normally you won't have to play with the individual cable adjustments under the car -only if there is a noticeable difference at the drag point from side to side.
On one of your other topics. The kickdown cable normally only causes high revving when it gets out of its track in the throttle spool. If the cable is sticky, it may cross tracks when it goes slack. If the cable isn't sticky, make sure it's in the right track. I've accidentally knocked it out of its track when monkeying around with the throttle. My wife drove her car over a week like that without complaining about the high idle.
If the cable is sticky, stays slack and doesn't fully return, then the kickdown pawl in the trans will be held open. With either a cold or warm engine, shifting would be noticeably different, shifting up later than normal at a higher rev point. If you hold the pedal down more than normal, you will actually tend to find the car a bit peppier as the engine will be shifting in a higher part of the torque curve when it's under acceleration. Lubing the cable is not always successful as the cable may start to fray when the lining gets worn through. It's a DIY job to replace, although a bit messy and tedious at the transmisson end. Should all be in the FAQ. A search of the archives should give additional comments on difficulty and maybe a few extra tips on replacement and adjustment.
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Dave -own 940's, prev 740/240/140/120's & quasi-expert only on a good day
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