when i first got my 300sd 1983 i noticed it was slow on
the start up... and someone told me i should be rough with it...
so i started kicking the fuel pedal to the floor on take offs...

This destroyed the kick down switch which over time destroyed my engine.
this has gone on over a year... so it took time to learn all this..

the kick down switch is under the gas pedal mounted in the floor..
if you have any kind of tranny problems replace this first.. its cheap..
and its the problem...catch it early...

after all the shifting problems... came slipping and not shifting into 4th gear.
the reason the tranny does not shift into 4th is the vac control on top of the fuel distributor... it is not going to zero vac to allow it to go to 4th gear.. i
can disconnect it and 4th gear comes every time....so i need to adjust this or replace it....

the mercedes transmission is like a violin and it is a combination of tuning the kick down switch, the vac control and the bowdine cable... (on top of the valve cover) faliure to keep these in line will result in clutch slippage and burnt trans fluid.. which i have....

I am still using my tranny because of Trans X and mobil 1 ATF both of these will swell clutches and give you more time on your old transmission... i have an old electric fuel pump and a plastic hose i stick into the dip stick and pump out the fluid about once a week and so far the swollen clutches are still working...