Hello all:

Out of respect to everyone who doesn't want to read the same Qs and As twice (or three times), let me just give the disclaimer that I've read the hundreds of posts even remotely related to my problem, and find no sufficient answer. That being said, I humbly submit my question...

My 1987 300 SDL upshifts to fourth gear by 20 mph. I have been "manually" shifting it since November. I've tried adjusting the bowden cable, verified all the vacuum connections (and the existence of proper vacuum running through them), changed the transmission fluid and filter--during which I checked the valve body for debris, and even changed the transmission cooler lines just for the heck of it. I've run out of things to do or fix.

As the transmission was rebuilt 22,000 miles ago and otherwise performs as if it were new, what could possibly be wrong? I'd rather shift "manually" than fork over money for a new transmission, but have I missed something cheap and easy?

Thanks,

Damon

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1995 E300 146,000 miles "Celia"--sold
1993 300sd 131,000 miles "Konstanze"--with Mom in Tampa
1987 300sdl 225,000 miles "Frau Grau"
1980 300sd 164,000 miles "Old Yeller"--sold

I do not know what tranny is in your car, but on my 722.315 there is a screw on the front of the valve bodty that can be turned to adjust when the car shifts.

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Dave
1983 300D Daily Driver

what the bowden cable does on my SDL. I did check for the screw though, to no avail. Anyone else out there aware of this screw on an SDL, and/or have pictures of it to show me (or any other ideas, for that matter)?

Damon

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1995 E300 146,000 miles "Celia"--sold
1993 300sd 131,000 miles "Konstanze"--with Mom in Tampa
1987 300sdl 225,000 miles "Frau Grau"
1980 300sd 164,000 miles "Old Yeller"--sold

Accelerate harder? I find that I can manually control my shifts with as much precision as using the shifter, simply by how hard I press the accelerator and releasing it and then stomping it again at nicely felt intervals. Try running it like you stole it (but not down far enough to engage the kickdown switch) and see if you get better shifts. At the very least this will determine if driving style is part of the early shift problem. I can coerce mine into bogging down into 3rd or 4th by low speeds if I barely touch the pedal. When I rev to 4000 or so for each shift, they work perfectly.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

What you describe is the Bowden cable's function. If you disconnect the Bowden cable, the tranny will upshift to 4th by around 20mph. Either the Bowden cable is broken (or disconnected), or the rebuild was not done right to start with. Did the tranny work fine at first after the rebuild, then suddenly start doing this? Or was it acting up from mile zero after the rebuild? It's nothing to do with the fluid, filter, valve body adjustments, vacuum, or anything else...

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Dave
Boise, ID
Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!

gsxr--

The transmission was rebuilt in mid-2006, and worked perfectly until Nov. 2007. There is tension in the Bowden cable, which has thus far led me to believe that it is connected to the transmission. Should I get the car up on a lift so I can see if the cable is bound up, restricted, or improperly connected, and are those likely sources of the problem?

Thanks!

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1995 E300 146,000 miles "Celia"--sold
1993 300sd 131,000 miles "Konstanze"--with Mom in Tampa
1987 300sdl 225,000 miles "Frau Grau"
1980 300sd 164,000 miles "Old Yeller"--sold

I would at least attempt to check out the Bowden cable at each end... if you drop the trans pan, you can see the plunger than it moves in & out as the cable is pulled. If that all looks good, I would think it has to be something internal, related to that plunger. Any chance it's still under warranty? I think the factory rebuilds are 2 year / 24kmi but I'm sure that varies with indy rebuilders.

It's the Kick-down switch. Hey, it worked for me.

I had the same problem. High revs and no apparent power through the gears. Only limped along in 4th. Went through all the posts describing the problem to no avail. Skip the Bowden, B2 cylinder, valve body, rebuilt trans, and other BS.

Had the trans torn apart 3 times for the same symptoms as you are having. No good posts on this problem. Everybody's guessing at it.

My mech. finally figured it out after checking everything vacume, cables, filters, installing 3 different valve bodies and a bunch of other crap etc.

A $90 switch that was 22 years old was the culprit. Try this first or you will just just drive yourself nuts trying to figure it out. As you figured it out already, nobody will have the correct answer for you.

There must be a way to test the switch easily or just disconnect it or something. My Mech called around and ask the right questions because after all the crap, it was fixed in 10 mins. Drives better than new.

Somebody ought to post something about this switch and what exactly happens when it malfunctions, i.e., what the symptoms are.. You can't search it because of the dumb search feature on this board. You will get either "kick" or "down" . YOu can try Google, that may work for you.

I'm sure some one while chime in shortly.

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1986 SDL
My Other Car is a Porsche. When it stops leaking, I'm out of oil.

Alan, he has the opposite problem you did. Your car revved high before it would shift - that's a classic kickdown valve issue.

His car is shifting at very low revs, barely above idle. That's a Bowden cable (or internal) problem.

O.K......never mind.

And by the way "gsxr", where were you when I needed you !

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1986 SDL
My Other Car is a Porsche. When it stops leaking, I'm out of oil.

Just for the 2 cents pile on SDL shifting. Over the years two periods of bad shifting were 1. vacuum leak (at EGR valve body) and 2. a worn/broken motor mount on driver side causing a little to much pull on the bowded cable.

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BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
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