dumb auto tranny question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gezpacho · #1 10-16-2005, 08:22 PM

okay so i usually use three functions of my automatic transmission. park, drive, and reverse. i am used to drive 1 and 2 on non mb cars. but my 240d has s and then L. what exactly are these. i'll hazard a guess that L is a low gear for towing but what is s? i felt adventurous today and put it in s for a change. i was suprised that it shifted into a higher gear. my engine seemed to rev lower too. is this auto overdrive? sport mode? superdee duper mystery gear? if it is an overdrive i think i'll used it more often for city driving!

#2 10-16-2005, 08:45 PM

Your 240D has a 4 speed tranny. D will it allow it to shift through all the gears. S will limit it to 3'd gear, and L will limit it to 2'nd gear. S is useful to manually downshift in traffic, etc. L is only useful for low speeds, very steep hills, etc. Pay attention to the shift dots on the speedo, they will tell you the maximum speed in each gear.

#3 10-16-2005, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gezpacho

okay so i usually use three functions of my automatic transmission. park, drive, and reverse. i am used to drive 1 and 2 on non mb cars. but my 240d has s and then L. what exactly are these. i'll hazard a guess that L is a low gear for towing but what is s? i felt adventurous today and put it in s for a change. i was suprised that it shifted into a higher gear. my engine seemed to rev lower too. is this auto overdrive? sport mode? superdee duper mystery gear? if it is an overdrive i think i'll used it more often for city driving!

The S actually made it shift into a lower gear...3rd..as was stated.

Its for "slope"...you downshift to stay in the power band.

L will put your car in 1st gear when sitting standstill so you can takeoff in 1st (rather than starting in 2nd and having the option of downshift to 1st). But when in L it still holds only 1st or 2nd gear...nothing above.

Be careful not to downshift from D to S or S to L unless you are at or below the dots for the next lower gear. You can easily over-rev the engine. Its supposed to be interlocked so it won't shift down into the gear but its not something most forum members want to test

pawoSD · #4 10-16-2005, 09:03 PM

The dropping to first at a standstill thing only applies to gassers. The diesels all start in first from a standstill (at least they're supposed to/were designed that way from the factory). I just use L on occassion to do some stick-shift-like slowdowns, because its fun.

(Rarely do it though, don't want to put excess wear on tranny....)

Glinko · #5 10-16-2005, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brandon314159

The S actually made it shift into a lower gear...3rd..as was stated.

Its for "slope"...you downshift to stay in the power band.

L will put your car in 1st gear when sitting standstill so you can takeoff in 1st (rather than starting in 2nd and having the option of downshift to 1st). But when in L it still holds only 1st or 2nd gear...nothing above.

Be careful not to downshift from D to S or S to L unless you are at or below the dots for the next lower gear. You can easily over-rev the engine. Its supposed to be interlocked so it won't shift down into the gear but its not something most forum members want to test

The interlock thing works really good

I discovered that by accident one day on the Parkway. I was going close to fifty and I went to downshift from D to S and threw it into L by accident.

#6 10-16-2005, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

The dropping to first at a standstill thing only applies to gassers. The diesels all start in first from a standstill (at least they're supposed to/were designed that way from the factory). I just use L on occassion to do some stick-shift-like slowdowns, because its fun.

(Rarely do it though, don't want to put excess wear on tranny....)

Hm...

Well here is a situation to test that idea...

If I am sitting on a decent incline with my car idling (waiting for a light) I can leave it in drive and it will stay still (let off the brakes).

If I put it down into L it starts tractoring up the hill and DEFINTELY starts out in 1st gear.

I think its mixed whether or not diesels start out in 2nd gear. Some models do, some models don't. Mine does becuase I can feel the slight delay as it takes an extra 1/2 second to get down into 1st gear on takeoff...

If almost never actually starts off in 2nd and stays in it...but it is there at idle. Otherwise the car shakes/vibrates at idle when waiting at the light (1st gear ratio is low).

Just another driver convience by MB...

Glinko · #7 10-16-2005, 09:12 PM

The tranny in my 240 is weird....it always takes off in second gear, unless I jab the brake pedal 2 or 3 times before take off.

#8 10-16-2005, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glinko

The tranny in my 240 is weird....it always takes off in second gear, unless I jab the brake pedal 2 or 3 times before take off.

Adjust your bowden cable (and/or kickdown linkage if yours is old enough).

My 240D is a stickshift so I am not sure which yours has/has not.

boneheaddoctor · #9 10-16-2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glinko

The tranny in my 240 is weird....it always takes off in second gear, unless I jab the brake pedal 2 or 3 times before take off.

how does it get enough power to pull off that feat? You can't spin tires on wet grass in first....

#10 10-16-2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

how does it get enough power to pull off that feat? You can't spin tires on wet grass in first....

Hehehe yah can

Glinko · #11 10-16-2005, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

how does it get enough power to pull off that feat? You can't spin tires on wet grass in first....

Trust me, it does it. Even with enough blow-by to make the oil cap dance, it does it just fine.

boneheaddoctor · #12 10-16-2005, 09:21 PM

I drove Bill Murrows 240d 4 speed stick.....floored the accelerator, dumped the clutch sitting in Pea gravel and never kicked up a stone... This was before his busines burned down.

#13 10-16-2005, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

I drove Bill Murrows 240d 4 speed stick.....floored the accelerator, dumped the clutch sitting in Pea gravel and never kicked up a stone... This was before his busines burned down.

Mine will spin the tires easily in gravel. But I think this engine is a pretty good runner.

The only reason I know it spins in grass is becuase my front yard got a little love when I was trying to get it back into the driveway (car shuffle).

Coming off the side of the road one time (had stopped to check some tire tracks from a friend who had an accident) it spun the tires trying to get out of the grassy stuff there along side the road. I was suprised.

I hope someone buys it

Glinko · #14 10-16-2005, 09:27 PM

what the heck is a bowden cable and where the heck do I find it?

The kickdown in my car is non-functional. I have to use the shifter if I want to downshift or stay in a certain gear for a prolonged period of time.

redbaronph123 · #15 10-16-2005, 10:02 PM

i've always received differing answers regarding which gear a diesel engine should start. My 300TD NA always starts at 2nd gear. My 1st gear doesnt get used at all.. unless of course i play around with the gear and put it in L from a standstill. If i do.. i get a jolt when it shifts to 2nd....:p