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  #1  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:00 PM
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Exclamation solved! No 4th gear!

This is for everyone out there that has had a 300dt that wouldn't shift into 4th or was very hard shifting and high rpm's to even shift. I found out today that my kickdown switch that is located behind the accellerator pedal was stuck in the down position. I happend accross this by trial and error, but I solved my problem. One day, my tranny was shifting fine, except that is was always a hard shift, but the next day, my wife drove it to work and home and let it sit for about 2 hours, then got back in it to go to the store and she couldn't get it to shift out of 1st gear. I got into it the next day and drove it and I got it to shift out of first gear... at about 4000 rpm! I looked at post on this site for over 6 hours and did everything that was suggested, but nothing fixed my problem. Finally, I went out to the old beast and looked at the kickdown switch. I tried to physically push down on the butten, but it wouldn't move, so I pulled on the butten...really hard and it came up. The button was stuck in the down position! I took it out for a test run and my problem was solved! In fact, the car shifts better than it ever did. I would say that it is even smooter than my 420 SEL and my 450SL. So anyone with this same problem should look at the kickdown first, then look at the tranny. This should save you alot of time and money. And by the way, the two vacuum valves on top of the valve cover under the black box do nothing at all. My arms on these are completly worn out and do not even touch the plunger on these valves and my 84 300dt runs like it was brand new and this one has 285,000 miles on it.

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  #2  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bradsscooters View Post
I looked at post on this site for over 6 hours and did everything that was suggested, but nothing fixed my problem.
How did you miss the gazillion posts on here to check the kickdown switch when the car only shifts at high rpm's?
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #3  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:14 PM
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I didn't...but none of them pointed to this to solve the problem of not shifting into fourth gear. Everyone said that it was the bowden cable or the vacuum modulator!
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  #4  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:17 PM
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So somehow we need to sort out the differences between 'won't shift into 4th gear' and 'not driven fast enough to get into 4th gear at high rpm's'.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #5  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:23 PM
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I took this up to 5,000 rpm and it wouldn't shift into 4th. Everytime something similar was posted, they indicated that it was a vacuum problem. In fact, one post did say to disconnect the kickdown switch, but every reply said that that wouldn't solve that persons problem. That person never replied if he ever tried it or even if he ever solved his problem.
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  #6  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:45 PM
pawoSD's Avatar
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I have to agree that there are a large number of posts covering the kick down switch issue...... searching "no 4th" or "won't shift to 4th" will result in many of them coming up
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'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
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  #7  
Old 09-21-2009, 08:50 PM
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Lol, can't believe how quickly the wind has been taken out of the sails on this one....

Agreed on the posts above, kickdown switch info is pretty easy to find. Regardless, it is a good thing you were able to fix your transmission and glad to hear it!
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  #8  
Old 09-21-2009, 09:30 PM
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Well, thanks for the support. I'm new to diesels as I purchased this one that was sitting for 3 years in a senior citizen community in Florida and the owner just let it sit under a carport. I got it for $400.00 and have only had to replace the center support for the driveshaft and the battery. The interior is in excellent condition except for the drivers seat, which shows some wear. The gas guage is sporatic, but I contribute that to sitting so long. Everything else works I.E. windows, A/C, Power mirror on passenger side, and all lights. It doesn't blow any smoke at all, even when I get on it. It came with the maintinance schedule and everything was performed according to schedule. Very little rust, but it sounds like a front passenger wheel bearing might be going bad. The sound is like when one of those pick-ups with big tires comes by you on the highway.
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  #9  
Old 09-21-2009, 10:12 PM
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Hah, funny thread - nothing like feeling victorious and then getting a kick in the pants. Welcome to the forum Brad! Hey, glad you figured out the problem. In time you will find that there aren't too many things in this forum that haven't been thoroughly covered, it is a really great asset to anyone with a MB diesel. I know you sought out your answer using the search function, that is always the best place to start. Sometimes it is a little frustrating for people to hear - "Well, did you bother to do a search?" However, someday, if you accumulate about 10,000 posts you might be feeling the same way too. One thing I will tip you off to is to forego the simple search and go straight to the "Advanced Search" function. Here you can get more specific - and search for key words or phrases in Titles, which is very useful. Regardless, I have found the forum to be very helpful in my short time here - lots of knowledgeable folks who are very willing to help when you get stuck.
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Last edited by tankowner; 09-22-2009 at 01:19 AM.
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  #10  
Old 09-21-2009, 10:23 PM
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I guess I'm a pants kicker tonight. I'll contribute something positive by saying that the gas gauges on these diesels are notoriously inaccurate. (Notice I did not ask how a gas gauge ended up in a diesel car)
Good price on the car.
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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13
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  #11  
Old 09-21-2009, 11:01 PM
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I'm sure many forum members that have been here for a lot longer than bradsscooters could have missed it too. I researched the same issue a few weeks ago, and found many different ways of describing the same problem.

If you had over 9k posts, I'd expect you to be able to figure it out on your own, but seems kind of unfair to me, to be criticizing a brand new member.

Edit: That's better

Quote:
Originally Posted by kerry View Post
I guess I'm a pants kicker tonight. I'll contribute something positive by saying that the gas gauges on these diesels are notoriously inaccurate. (Notice I did not ask how a gas gauge ended up in a diesel car)
Good price on the car.
Fuel gauge
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Last edited by Brandon_SLC; 09-21-2009 at 11:09 PM.
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  #12  
Old 09-22-2009, 12:21 AM
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Bradscooters-on the "Gas Guage" (ie: Fuel Guage) I bet it is bouncing around on you.

Do a search on "Fuel sender"and you will see how simple a proceedure it is to remove your fuel sender from the tank, clean up the fuel sender and stop the erratic behavior of the fuel guage
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  #13  
Old 09-23-2009, 12:58 AM
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Well, thanks for the support, I will get the lingo down as I go. About the fuel guage. I did pull it out and carefully cleaned it up. Everything is intact meaning the two wires that are hair thin and the center one that the float moves up and down on. I still have a problem with it. If I hit a bump, it will move up and stay for a while, and then it will go back to the left. I am thinking that a wire might be loose or a ground problem. Any thoughts on this? Everything you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
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  #14  
Old 10-02-2009, 12:05 PM
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I did pull the sending unit and cleaned it throughly and it looks in pretty good shape. No build up in the sending unit like I have seen on some other post. Here is one thing though...when I slam the drivers door sometimes the guage will go up and then when I slam it again, it will go back to empty. Is it possible that the wire is loose on the back of the cluster and if so how do you get this cluster out? The cluster on my 107 and 126 come out real easy and this one does not appear to come out the same.

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