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

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.

__________________
'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
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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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http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

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!

Those transmissions don't start in 2nd? All of the 80s MBs I've driven did that, but my 1993 190E started in 1st. They made a valve body change between 91 and 93 (can't remember exactly) and switched from 2nd gear start to 1st due to consumer demand. Like I said, I didn't like it. Harsh shift and short gear.

Are those 722.3s unique models?

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'84 190D 2.2 5MT (Red/Palomino) Current car. Love it!
'85 190D 2.2 Auto *Cali* (Blue/Blue) *sold*
http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-us/302601.png
http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/a...0/sideview.png

Well it looks like I simply don't have fourth gear. Changed the fluid, looked just fine (ruby red in color, no debris in pan, fluid at a good level). Changed the filter again for the heck of it. Manually shifted through the gears as suggested. No 4th. Even fiddled with the bowden cable, no luck.

Only thing I changed was the green modulator on the left side on the used trans.

The guy parting out the car had all the paper work for service history, 150k, serviced every 30k or every two years.

What could have I missed? Valve body? Broken spring?

I'm stumpted on this one.

Time for some gauges - making measurements is best.

If you have no gauges then the gamble is - "do I waste more fluid" vs "do I buy some gauges and perhaps have to waste more fluid any way"...

You need to concentrate on the K2 system



I've put the positions of the valve body elements in this thread

722.303 in bits photo shoot

You might want to remove the valve body and check for a broken spring.

(722.315 and 722.303 share the "same" valve body)

But as always it is safest to measure pressures first. (I can help with data if needed)

__________________
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!

And my 1981 722.118 vacuum only starts in first!

I don't think the 722.3s are unique in starting in either first or second - I think it is all an effing mess!

I have not been able to find a definitive "this model year with this transmission is meant to start in second or first gear" list. It sure would be helpful.

All I can say from a fair amount of reading is that I get the feeling most W123 diesel Mercedes with automatic transmissions start in first. Wishy washy feeling is all I can offer at the moment.

One of these days I'll find a bit of paper saying what's meant to be what.

__________________
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!