no 4th gear tranny problem solved

[westkill]

hi all,
just wanted to relay to everyone a success story today. friend stopped over with a newly acquired 84 300d that was shifting hard and would not go into 4th gear at all. I dropped the pan to do a fluid filter change and while in there i replaced the bowden cable. took it for a ride and the same as before. checked the vacumn and found a clogged line. Made the repair and that softened the shifts but still no fourth. Finally found what it was. Any one care to guess?



The kickdown button under the throttle pedal was stuck in the down position.(downshift) Unplugged the electric jack to it and now the tranny shifts perfectly
New button on order as the old one could not be freed up. So if you ever start getting some weird all of a sudden behavior from your tranny check that button! It makes the tranny have a mind of its own. Mike

[t walgamuth]

Originally Posted by westkill

hi all,
just wanted to relay to everyone a success story today. friend stopped over with a newly acquired 84 300d that was shifting hard and would not go into 4th gear at all. I dropped the pan to do a fluid filter change and while in there i replaced the bowden cable. took it for a ride and the same as before. checked the vacumn and found a clogged line. Made the repair and that softened the shifts but still no fourth. Finally found what it was. Any one care to guess?



The kickdown button under the throttle pedal was stuck in the down position.(downshift) Unplugged the electric jack to it and now the tranny shifts perfectly
New button on order as the old one could not be freed up. So if you ever start getting some weird all of a sudden behavior from your tranny check that button! It makes the tranny have a mind of its own. Mike

your problem was it would stay in third and never shift to fourth?

tom w

[barry123400]

[QUOTE=westkill;1429400]hi all,
just wanted to relay to everyone a success story today. friend stopped over with a newly acquired 84 300d that was shifting hard and would not go into 4th gear at all.
Good thinking and you helped out a friend as well. Did the transmission also shift early with the switch on all the time? I once brought a 114 car for parts. The tranmsmission shifted up at very low revs. The linkage from the engine to transmission had rusted off. Thr rust was so bad in that car that it had rusted through the small snap on fittings ball base neck area.
I guess my case was the same as no bowden cable on a 123 although it was a solid rod. Where you also the gentleman that posted earlier with a fourth gear problem? If not he should be notified of what you found. That is not certain to be his problem. I do not think he mentioned other behaviour other than no fourth gear.

[westkill]

to clarify, what the stuck button did was make the shifts very late and it would not go into 4th at all. During this, the bowden cable had no effect on changing when it shifted. It shifted very late,hard (vacumn issue) and would wind out in 3rd. once i disconnected that 2 wire jack to the button, it was like a different car. I then fine tuned the new bowden cable and adjusted vacumn and it now shifts perfectly. I wonder how many MB got junked because the expert tranny shop said they needed a tranny and the people didn't want to go for the money when all it needed was a $15 part. Mike

[JackG]

Originally Posted by westkill

I wonder how many MB got junked because the expert tranny shop said they needed a tranny and the people didn't want to go for the money when all it needed was a $15 part. Mike

Dunno, but I saved one with a "bad tranny" that was nothin more than an axle

[BillA]

lost 4th today and my heart sank
found this thread and sure enough the switch is bad

Thanks westkill

[Fishnchip]

Recently had same problem with a 124.133. Only difference was, it wouldn't shift out of 1st.