So where should I be focusing my attention?

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

This is a symptom of a lack of vacuum to make the tranny shift. Mine would do this when the vac line came loose to the tranny. So as you said earlier, I would first hook up to the vac line, post modulator, and see if vac is being applied.....

**by the way, I wish I possessed enough knowledge to think my way through how a transmission works. WOW!**

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Update:

I finally got around to disconnecting the bowden cable to see if there was a difference.

The car now shifts through all gears at 2000 rpm.

Definately related to the bowden/system somehow.

In the meanwhile I can manually shift.

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Ah, yes. Sounds very much like the bowden cable is much too tight. Go here to post #5: New Guy needs help....

__________________
Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

But not within the adjustment range. I was able to run it to both extremes without any effect. Besides, it had been fine for the last year. Something broke while I was driving it.

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Have you gone through the adjustment sequence mentioned? Since several things such as vacuum, throttle position and bowden cable interact to provide shift points, maybe one is affecting the other. I would rather go through the adjustments, and possibly find something else was the issue all along, than tear into the transmission.

__________________
Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

I think the bowden cable broke in the transmission.
The transmission was working very well, over a few moments/miles it got worse.
This makes me suspect a sudden mechanical break.