Just wanted to know if my tranny starts in 1st or 2nd gear? This is hooked up to my C250D (605 engine) non turbo.

Does the starting in whichever gear have any relation to the engine it's attached to? Or can I say that all 722.4's start in 1st or 2nd?

Thanks!

Francis

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94' C220D Euro (new 605 engine)
87' 250D Euro
02' E240 W211

I know that previous to 1981, all diesels used the 722.4 transmission, and had 2nd gear start. Beginning in 1981, diesels were equipped with the 722.3 transmissions, which had 1st gear start so they wouldn't be so "luggy" on takeoff w/o flooring it. Try this. Accelerate gently getting on the freeway from a stop and count how many shifts there are. Then, try getting on the freeway again, this time, flooring it from a stop. Count the shifts then.

Does the C-class have shift points on the speedometer like the older diesels do?

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I thought that second gear garbage was a US DOT thing only?

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]

You do? The 722.4 made it's inital appearance in the early 90's.

AFAIK all 722.4's have first gear start.

That should've read 722.1. But since we're on the subject of the 722.4's, it should be noted that the 722.4 transmission was first installed the mid-80's in the California versions of the 1985 300D.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

However I have been assured by my transmission repair crew that it is 2nd gear start.
I can count 4 complete RPM shifts when accelerating without flooring it, so if it is a 2nd gear start either there is a lockup converter, or I have a 5 speed auto tranny
same repair crew claims I have a lockup converter. am I beeing bamboozled?
John

Your transmission repair crew is wrong if you can clearly count and feel 4 shifts.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

The only time I get a second gear start is if I don't stop all the way!!!

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1984 TDT Blue on Blue "Harriet"
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1991 SDL Black on Palomino "Winchester the III"
188,655 8/11/07
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Work vehicles:
MCI-
D4500 125k
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Four shifts would make it a 5 speed....
You're having a tough thread H-Town....

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

Gone:
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'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

722.3's and 722.4's can start in 1st or 2nd, depending on the valve bodies. Diesels were matched with valve bodies assembled for 1st gear starts. If a tranny was swapped over from a gasser and the valve body went with it, it'll start in 2nd.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

Very interesting point there. Could a valve body failure also mean that the 1st gear start is broken and it only starts on 2nd? Is there a way to fix this?

Reason I ask is I think my car has a problem when accelerating from a 'dead stop' and has a very hard time uphill. Aside from all the other possibilities I have read on the forum, I am also suspecting this 2nd gear start issue. It feels like it is starting on 2nd and does not want to downshift to 1st.

How many speed is the 722.4? 4speed or 5 speed? I will count how many shifts from a dead stop.


Francis

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94' C220D Euro (new 605 engine)
87' 250D Euro
02' E240 W211

Hi
Could i install a different valve body in my 722.1 transmission to have it start in 1st gear?.

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1979 300D.

Absolutely right. The transmichigan in the '85 300DT (CA) is a 722.416 and mine starts in first gear. This is confirmed on page 27 of the factory's "Model Year 1985 -- Introduction to service" manual: "Transmission 722.416 starts in 1st gear in all forward driving positions, and downshifts to 1st gear when coasting to a stop."

All 1985 W123s (Fed and CA) also have a different torque converter with a higher stall speed (~2600 RPM), "which allows the engine to run at slightly higher speeds during initial acceleration, improving driving quality."

Jeremy

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"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

The transmission is not a lockup torque converter model.

If your transmission has low control pressure, ... clogged filter, overfilled, bad pump, et al, ... it might not downshift out of 2nd when stopping.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

An '82 SD starts in first. It has four speeds and no lockup.

Get a new repair "crew".