It seems as if my automatic 240D first-gear is like a granny-low, but the engine runs out of steam in third, while trying to accelerate uphill at around 40 - 45 mph. In theory, with the proper rear-end ratio, I could take local hills in second, while third gear could provide the same freeway uphill performance that 4th does now, and 4th would serve as overdrive for flat and downhill use. But I don't know if running the automatic like that would be harmfull. In any case I may decide against the diff change as the 240D serves ideally for most of my local driving, while my Nissan is the primary long-distance car, and returns 30 - 35 highway mpg.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW