1995 E300D unable to get above 4000RPM

[carl177]

Hello all,

I just got a 1995 E300 with 92,000 original miles on her. My brother and I just did all of the basic services; Changed the prefilter and filter up front but the Fuel strainer (hopefully doing this one this weekend coming up) trans was fully serviced with mobil 1 synthetic, Differntial fluid, The airfilter was replaced as well) The chain tensioner was replaced (oil leaking a bit) But I cannot get her to rev over 4000 in first gear and 4200 on the remaining gears.

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

[vstech]

I made you your own thread.

welcome to the forum. you could have a catalytic converter (oxidation catalyst) partially plugged...

describe what the car does if you hold the accelerator to the floor.

[shertex]

Any black smoke when rpm's max out?

[Zulfiqar]

sounds like you need a bowden cable adjustment.

drop the shifter to 2 from a standstill and then accelerate the car, it should now shift 1-2 at 5400 rpm, which means the engine is able to breathe and fuel. The limit is somewhere in the bowden setting.

Its pretty easy

remove the ball socket from the linkage, pull till you feel some resistance building up (no slack) align the socket over the ball with help of adjuster, clip on socket to ball.

also check that you dont have slack in the linkage to the pump, there is one adjustment in the relay lever to take up that slack, Its a ball with a hex on it. Final adjustment is done via the big round adjuster of the cable.

[Chris W.]

Ordinarily not reaching ~5K RPM is a dead giveaway for a partially clogged main fuel filter, but you already changed it, so never mind... No clever advice from me.

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 396K, still makes 5,000 RPM once a week or so

[dibsen]

Diesel's don't really make any more power after 4000rpm's anyway

[Chris W.]

Au contraire with the 606. It's a rev-happy diesel and pulls hard all the way to 5K.

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D, 396K

[carl177]

Thanks for your replies guys,

This weekend we finally got to do the fuel strainer. Which leave us where we wanted to be in other words sure that there is nothing overdue dirty and or clogged.

The strainer looked kind of dirty, anyways the car runs better altogether. Starts up incredible but still getting 4000 in first and 4200 rpm's on the rest of the gears.

Kick down is working good. No smoke coming out under full acceleration.

Would the Bowden cable be the next thing? Never had a rev happy Diesel so I am not sure where the revs stopped from factory or in other words where it should up shift.

To be honest I was thinking of dropping some sea foam to the fuel to make sure that the injectors are in good order.

Any help would be appreciated and thank again for your help.

[Walkenvol]

Will it rev past 4200 in neutral?

[connerm]

"Will it rev past 4200 in neutral?"

My 95 E300d won't. What do suspect? I'm in the same situation as the original poster. Rebuilt/balanced injectors with bosio nozzles, clean tank screen, new fuel filters, resonance flaps operating normally, tank vent clean, clean air filter, new breather pipes, rebuilt lift pump, new exhaust including new Magnaflow diesel cat. I'm stumped. Sluggish, slow takeoff.

[Walkenvol]

Originally Posted by connerm

"Will it rev past 4200 in neutral?"

My 95 E300d won't. What do suspect? .

You need an expert as you've covered all the common issues.

[connerm]

Originally Posted by Walkenvol

You need an expert as you've covered all the common issues.

My guess: Injection pump or engine timing.

[Zulfiqar]

Originally Posted by connerm

"Will it rev past 4200 in neutral?"

My 95 E300d won't. What do suspect? I'm in the same situation as the original poster. Rebuilt/balanced injectors with bosio nozzles, clean tank screen, new fuel filters, resonance flaps operating normally, tank vent clean, clean air filter, new breather pipes, rebuilt lift pump, new exhaust including new Magnaflow diesel cat. I'm stumped. Sluggish, slow takeoff.

Try a diesel purge. the rpm limit is set by the governor which pushes the rack backwards. In your case it sounds like the rack is not able to move fully. before any of this work is done, get a mirror and flashlight, check the linkage on the pump, it should swing all the way to its stop.

If it does not reach it, then adjust the ball from the linkage bolted to the intake manifold.

[Zulfiqar]

Originally Posted by carl177

Thanks for your replies guys,

This weekend we finally got to do the fuel strainer. Which leave us where we wanted to be in other words sure that there is nothing overdue dirty and or clogged.

The strainer looked kind of dirty, anyways the car runs better altogether. Starts up incredible but still getting 4000 in first and 4200 rpm's on the rest of the gears.

Kick down is working good. No smoke coming out under full acceleration.

Would the Bowden cable be the next thing? Never had a rev happy Diesel so I am not sure where the revs stopped from factory or in other words where it should up shift.

To be honest I was thinking of dropping some sea foam to the fuel to make sure that the injectors are in good order.

Any help would be appreciated and thank again for your help.

the rev limit of the OM606.910 is 5400 rpm, it will shift at those rpm when its working good. My car will hold its revs at 5400 if I hold the accelerator at a stop. (governor stopping it)

however it does not rev beyond 4500 rpm while driving in D, it will rev all the way to 5400 rpm in 2 at the 1-2 shift. My bowden cable is set correctly by the book.

The next stop for me would be to inspect some items in the valve body of the transmission. Shift occurs when the speed governor pressure overcomes the bowden cable pressure.

[connerm]

Checking the linkage is a good idea. I replaced a couple of the rods recently, but they're not adjustable. Others are. I'll check it out.

Also, if I hold the throttle pedal down, the car will accelerate, but won't shift to the next gear unless I ease up on the throttle a tiny bit - like you would lift your right foot shifting a standard transmission.