Did you get the schematic that I PM'd you? That tells you what those lines go to.

The picture that you posted shows a y coming off the non-return valve-brake booster (the thing you circled in red). My car and the schematic doesn't show a y in that location. Anyone else with an OM603 have a y there?

__________________
1987 300TD 309, xxx 2.8.2014 10,000 mile OCI


Be careful of the toes you step on today, as they may be connected to the ass you have to kiss tomorrow. anonymous

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter won’t mind.” Dr. Seuss

Okay so I just got back from work and I still can't really tell if there is a major difference now that those two lines are plugged. It appears that the only real benefit I feel so far is 1st-2nd gear is seamless.

I definitely have the Y split from that Booster Brake line.

Still scratching my head...

EDIT: Bio300TDdriver A) What is your name? Haha I am Frank nice to meet ya =) B) Yes I got your PM that was really helpful =)

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Find the output line to the transmission from the amplifier. Pull it off the amplifier and connect the Mityvac to the line. Pump up the Mityvac to 15" and count how many seconds it takes for the vacuum to bleed to zero.

@Brian - I will try and sneak that test in after work 2morrow. I'll let you know the results. Thanks for your help so far!

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

@Brian - I found the Output line to the transmission from the amplifier, pulled off the connection @ the amplifier and before the filter; I then put the MityVac on and pumped to 15" where it stayed. I gave up after 30 seconds, it wasn't moving at all. I then tried it after the filter again pumped it to 15" and again counted to 30 and stopped.

I figured this test was to see if it held or slowly lost vacuum. It did not.

UPDATE: I had some more time tonight to put those vacuum lines that come off the pump back on and it was noticabily worse. I then disconnected those two lines that go right off the five-way-split coming out of the vacuum pump and could tell the shifts were less violent. I want to thank you Brian for this much I can say I am happier.

The car still shifts fast and jerky. What else can I test from here?

- Frank

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

I need more data.

T into the transmission line and route the Mityvac to the cabin so you can read it while driving.

Take it for a test drive and observe the Mityvac. What's it read at idle? What does it read at about 1/2 pedal? What does it read at 3/4 pedal at high rpm? What does it read at full pedal at 3500 rpm or above?

... and more data you shall have! I will be doing these tests later on tonight after I get out of work, poker was canceled at a friends house so I now have more time for testing (muahaha)!

I am going to tap into the line that goes from the Vacuum Amplifier (123 on the Diagram) to the transmission (I think the hardline vacuum line is black with a stripe but I am not sure what color the stripe is) with a T. This was easy to find as it is a vacuum line that goes towards the engine and straight down below it. On the Diagram (page 3) it is the line coming out of the Vacuum Amp, goes through a Damper (72) and towards "d"; that line has TRA (Transmission) written on it.

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Okay I just tapped into the Transmission line coming from the Vacuum Amp after the Damper (refer to page 6 on Diagram PDF) and got no vacuum at the MityVac; then tried again before the Damper and still got no vacuum.

What does that mean?

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Okay I ran the test again today and took pictures to show that I am not going crazy here

I am human so it is possible that I am missing something here so maybe the pictures will clear this up.



In this first picture attachment one can see where I tapped into the TRA line, that line went back under the hood near the corner so that it would not get pinched coming out of the hood in through the driver side window. (Red arrow shows which line was tapped into from the Vacuum Amplifier)



In this picture I actually completely disconnected the line going to the transmission and the car drove and shifted exactly the same way. (Red arrow shows which line was disconnected from the Vacuum Amplifier)



Just to re-cap what did help me out I took this picture of the two lines that were plugged coming from the vacuum pump; two lines going to the right (passenger side) of the car. (The two arrows point to the capped lines)

Is the Vacuum Amplifier not working properly?
- I only say this because the transmission seems to shift better at higher RPM's so I guess (correct me if I am wrong) that because the more you press on the gas pedal the less vacuum should be going through the system, the transmission thinks the pedal is being pushed down harder at all time. Does this sound right or way off? I am just going by what I have read so far and hopefully throwing the right ideas together.

Get back to me whenever you get a chance,

- Frank

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Nope, you're not crazy. You got some good data from that test. Clearly the transmission doesn't get any vacuum from the amplifier. Now we need to find out why.

Find the line from the VCV to the amplifier. It's the line on the bottom of the amplifier...........offset from center. T into this line with the same setup...........run the Mityvac into the vehicle. Take the vehicle for a drive and report back with vacuum results at various throttle positions.

@Brian - I did as you said and again at no point in time was I getting any reading on my MityVac. Idle, switching gears, throughout the RPM range the needle sat flat @ ZERO.

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Very good. This rules out the amplifier as the problem.

Now, find the VCV, item 65 in the diagram. One of the vacuum hoses to the VCV that goes in the top of the VCV is the supply vacuum and the other hose is the output line to the vacuum amplifier.

I want you to T into the supply line. Start the engine and report back with the vacuum level.

Be absolutely sure that you have the supply line to the VCV. Follow it back to one of the two lines that go from the five way connector (two of which are currently blocked off). Note that the supply line has a T in the line ahead of the VCV..........one of these lines goes to the amplifier.

I presume that you'll have full vacuum for this test.............because you already confirmed that you had full vacuum at the amplifier port.........and the VCV is the same supply line.

2night I will T into this supply line, test item 65 in the diagram and get back to you promptly. - Thanks Brian =)

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Okay now before I go any further keep in mind I just did the Euro Headlight conversion today just before sun down so it was fairly late before I even started this test HOWEVER!

I tapped into the VCV supply, I traced it to one of the lines going back to the Vacuum Pump 5-way split; when I went to remove the soft vacuum line the hardline snapped in half. So I completely removed it and connected the tap w/ new softline straight to a peice of hardline coming out of the 5-way split, started the car, the needle BARELY moved so it did not even make it above ZERO.

Confused I took the hardline out of the 5-Way Split and put the MityVac right that that splitter, started the car, ZERO.

Again it was late so I put everything back and drove the car around the block everything was as it has been.

__________________
'87 300TD Estate (Panzer Wagon, Sold)
'95 E320 Estate (Sabertooth, Sold)
'94 E500 (Stark 1, For Sale)
'04 VW GTI (Rhino, Sold)
'12 VW GTI Autobahn (Shadow)

Yep, no vacuum to the VCV means no vacuum to the transmission.

So, pull the line off the vacuum pump (the supply line to the five way connector) and measure the vacuum directly off the pump. I'm sure you'll get 20" vacuum.

This leaves your five way splitter as the culprit. You did not plug the two open ports to the right side of the vehicle and you've lost all vacuum past that point.