Ok so there has been an issue in this transmission for a good while now, if you attempt to start off in drive like normal, it while immediately shoft all the way to 4th once you give it throttle, 1st is out of the question, will not shift to 1st for anything (2nd gear start trans, first achieved through kickdown only). Governor pressure does as it should when i measure with a test gauge. Now it will only shift at high rpms if it shifts at all. Anybody ever run into this or have any ideas? The TV cable and vacuum modulator are properly adjusted.

bump

I'm afraid my knowledge of transmissions is limited, but you might get an answer from one of the folks who knows these transmissions well if you added some clarifying information.

When you say it "immediately shift[s] all the way to 4th when you give it throttle," do you mean it goes from 2 directly to 4 or does it shift 2-3-4 in quick succession at low RPM. Can you make it start in 1st in either case by manually putting the car into 1st using the shifter (in "L" position)?

When you say "the governor pressure does as it should" can you clarify what your pressure readings were with the gauge, and how the car was shifting at the time you took the readings (i.e., was it doing the "immediately to 4th" thing or the "high rpms to shift" thing)?

When you say "will only shift at high rpms" what are the rpms when it does shift? What is the shift quality like when it does finally change gears?

You say the TV cable and vacuum modulator are "property adjusted." How did you arrive at this conclusion? I'm assuming by "TV cable" you mean the bowden cable. It is my understanding that a "too loose" bowden cable will cause early shifts and that a "too tight" bowden cable will cause late shifts (shifts at high rpms). You are sure you didn't overcompensate adjusting the cable to cure the early shift issue and cause a late shift issue in the process?

Additional question for clarification: number of miles on current fluid and filter? How does fluid look/smell?

Hope this helps get you some answers...

-Chris

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Christopher
'06 Mercedes E350 station wagon (silver/black)
'85 Mercedes 300D (black pearl/palomino)
'85 Mercedes 300SD (smoke silver/burgundy)
'79 Cadillac Sedan DeVille

'05 Toyota Camry (because always running is nice)

'85 Mercedes 300D sold back to orig. owner 8-1-06
'84 Volvo 264GL Diesel, owned 2000-2013

If it doesn't shift at all or only at very high RPM it is not receiving a vacuum signal in my experience.
To me it is normal for the trans to short shift its way into top gear by about 30-35mph. That is the way there were designed, to lug along at light throttle.
Does it flair at all during shifts?

Check and make sure the kickdown switch isn't sticking down. I ran across this problem on mine recently. It was sticking due to dirt and carpet fibers getting inside the switch. Some of the symptoms were shifting at high rpm's and wouldn't shift into 4th gear. Sometimes a good bump in the road would all of a sudden cause it to shift up.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )