Hey folks,

Yesterday I went to look at a 300TD Turbodiesel for sale that me and my dad found. Overall the car is in great shape for the price, however the only thing that worries us and will probably end up being a deal breaker is the gearbox's current shifting malady. Granted my dad would love to swap out the automatic with a European market five speed manual, but that's easily a few years down the road if we even get the car.

To be quite exact, the transmission will periodically shift harshly from first gear into second gear. Sometimes it will shift fine, more often though it will make its change of gear more noticeable. While test driving it I noticed that upshifting and downshifting throughout the rest of the range, for instance from third down to second, it would behave as I would expect a properly operating automatic gearbox to (for reference, in case this somehow should help, the automatic I'm used to is the one in the 2002 Ford Focu(r)s(e) wagon I drive a lot).
Unfortunately I entirely forgot to take a whiff of the ATF to see whether or not something internally might be wrong. Leave it to me to forget that of all things. Also worth noting is that the central locks don't work well at all, although I honestly do not know if that component of the vacuum system would affect the transmission that much. And, before I forget, the car had a bit less get-up-and-go starting out in first gear than my Focu(r)s(e) has. For the moment I'm being optimistic and hoping that that's related to my rather slow driving style or the turbocharger having not yet gotten up to speed and not the transmission.

I'd be very glad if anyone would help me on this, among other things because otherwise it's quite a nice car and if we buy it would replace the Focu(r)s(e) that I normally drive. It'd be nice to drive something that at the very least sounds like it has a soul.


Greetings from a very wet Manhattan, Kansas,
WileeCoyote

That transmission is incredibly sensitive to vacuum issues. There is also a spring kit available that will address the harsh 1-2 shift issue. In any case, it is highly unlikely that the problem should be a deal-breaker. But it might be a negotiating point when it comes to price.

That problem often has a couple of very simple solutions.

Interesting. Would you please tell me where I can get this spring kit? If that's what'll fix the problem then I'll certainly do it.

WileeCoyote

click on the above link "buy parts" or look on the forum front page for Phil's number and email......very helpful...has just about everything you need for your car...and some stuff also not listed

Available from a number of sources, sometimes including eBay:
http://www.superior-transmission.com/Product_Page.cfm?ID=19

Installing the spring for the 1-2 shift correction does involve removing and opening the valve body. That isn't rocket science, but it's not a walk in the park, either. Impatience and inattention to detail can have unpleasant consequences.

so is there a writeup for this spring kit installation with pics?

__________________

Before tearing up your transmission you mite want to make sure all the other adjustments are made first
fresh tranny fluid and filter.. do not over fill the transmission fluid
Do a search for "transmission vacuum" there are numerous articles about how to adjust the shifting

this blurb is from the moderator from another post.. follow the continential link it has great info


#5
05-11-2009, 12:48 AM
Brian Carlton
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Blue Point, NY
Posts: 22,610

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With almost certainty, you've got a vacuum leak somewhere with the original lines. Don't know that specific vehicle, but you'll need to get a Mityvac and start disconnecting various vacuum devices and see which one won't hold vacuum.

Additionally, the gauge will allow you to monitor the vacuum level to the transmission while driving the vehicle.............which will actually provide some data into your issue...........rather than just allowing twenty different members to simply take random guesses at the problem.

for starters here are a few articles this one has really good info read it a few times I think I have read it about 5 times myself..

http://www.continentalimports.com/ser_ic20242.html