The reverse finally went out in my '81 300TD estate. I could not for the life of me find another 1981 electric speedo trans in the Chicago area. So I got one out of a '84 300 four door sedan. Got a new cable, flex discs, and all that. It went smooth as glass doing the R&R.

However the overdrive dose not engage. I would assume that there was a trigger wire off the electric speedometer that switched it on and off.

Anyone have any ideas or experience with this?

It's great to have reverse again but o/d would be wonderful on the expressway.

Thanks guys!

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Jonathan Valadez

Also own:
1976 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Overdrive? Doesn't exist.

It's a 4 speed auto trans. 4th gear is 1:1. The car starts out in second. If you put the shifter down to 2 and then back to drive, you'll count 3 shifts.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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Well dang! LoL. Here I thought it had O/D. Guess I only have three speeds not four that are not working.

you should count 4 shifts if the bowden cable is connected and adjusted somewhat correctly. when you're sitting at a stop in drive, you're in 2nd gear. the moment you press the accelerator down a bit (unless you take of super easy) the trans will kickdown to 1st then make it's way through the rest of the gears as usual. if these cars used 2nd gear to accelerate, they couldn't get out of their own way!

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83 300CD- sanden, dual p/f condensers, 160a alternator, ect
91 300TD- 722.6, #22 head, 3.5L IP, w140 manifolds, ect

I have only counted three gear changes. I originally left the bowden cable about the same length as mine from the original trans. Even adjusting it didn't seem to do anything. This is where I thought I had O/D.

If you have a working tachometer. Posting the revs at 60 miles an hour. The guys can tell you if you are in fourth gear.

Also if the kick down floor switch or wiring is closed or shorted the transmission will not engage fourth I believe.

Sadly I do not have a tach, just a tach.

I will take a look at the kick down switch.

Just a clock where the tach would be*****

The transmission starts in 2nd gear from a stop when accelerating normally. So you'll get 2-3 and then 3-4. If you push the accelerator down far, the transmission will downshift into 1st (which is a very short gear and only gets you to ~10mph) and you'll then have 1-2, 2-3, 3-4.

If you move the shifter from D down to the lowest position and then back up to D, it will make the transmission start in 1st gear for that single occasion only. If you do that, it will start in 1st regardless of the accelerator pedal position.

So, at a red light move the shifter from D down the lowest gear and then back up to D, and accelerate up to 40mph. You should count 3 shifts. Those are all of your gears, 1-2 2-3 3-4. 4th gear is the final gear at 1:1 direct.

Mercedes didn't provide a 5 speed overdrive auto until the W202 and W210.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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If you count 4 shifts you'd have a 5 speed. He will only count 3 shifts if he starts in 1st, and only 2 shifts if he takes off normally.

My 190D 2.2 auto started in 2nd, and I thought it was the best way of going about it. 1st is very short and the upshift is harsh on all of the 80s 90s MB autos. 2nd also allowed the car to gain speed smoothly and keep up with traffic. With my bowden cable properly adjusted, I needed to push the accelerator about 3/4 WOT to initiate a kickdown, not barely as you describe. I RARELY kicked down into 1st gear to take off anyway. If I knew I needed to cross a street quickly, I'd move the shift lever down to 2 and back up to D instead if flooring the pedal. That allowed me to modulate the pedal better and soften the harsh 1-2 shift.

With my 5 speed MT, this is just a bunch of static.

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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Er sorry Manny I don't think that start in second is correct.

Both the 722.303 (electronic speedometer) and 722.315 (mechanical speedometer) have the same gear ratios so from the descriptions from the OP is sounds more likely that the replacement transmission doesn't shift into 4th

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

My 722.1, starts off in second, unless I do like manny said, kick it down or move the shifter down.....The second gear start, is something that gets debated a lot!

I want to say stretch is right, what I have heard from others, the later turbo model trans will start off in first but I can't be positive....

First gear starts, are a lot better, so I can see why mb would have changed that...Starting off in first, allows one to get ahead of traffic faster or get going sooner....

Second gear starts are fine, but when your in traffic, at a stop light, needing to get the line moving...First gear starts are better.....

The kick-down switch, is essential on these cars.....As a lot of the time, these cars are too slow to kick-down automatically. Stomping the peddle gets the trans to drop a gear and helps to not slow down while going up an incline...

Alot of folks, don't know these are high reviving engines and thus have a hard time figuring out the shifting pattern...

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Great info guys! I will take a look at all the adjustments and such, look everything over again and see what I can figure out.

I bet it's something dumb I over looked.

Did you try for a 300sd trans from the years 1981-1985? They are the same as the '81 TD trans.

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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

If they did change to starting out in 1st.... it would have been to get the engine into the higher spooling ( more efficient ) range of the turbo.

The max speed no load for the turbo engine is 5100 rpm plus or minus 100 rpm.
The max hp is at approx 4300 rpm.
The max torque is at 2400 rpm.

The max engine rpm for the 220d in a 115.110 is 4350 rpm
The max engine rpm for the 240d in a 115.117 is 5400 rpm
The max engine rpm for the 240d in a 123.123 is 5200 rpm
The max engine rpm for the 300d in a 115.114 and 1233.130 is 5100 rpm

The max torque for all the NA engines is also at 2400 rpm
The max hp for all the NA engines is at 4200 rpm except the 300 which is at 4000 rpm

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html