Hard shifting is a symptom of no vacuum (or low vacuum) to the transmission. Usually a simple vacuum leak, it takes a tiny leak to cause this. Another thing that causes hard shifts is low off-boost enrichment, search ALDA if you don't seem to get any power at all until ~2000rpm.

BTW, the "124 owner's bible" is useless IMO, the Haynes might be a little better, but you need the Factory Service Manual ("FSM") for any really useful information, available I believe for around $40 from Mercedes on CD.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff