Cool! Thanks for all the replies. I will continue to downshift as needed and cruise around town in S when under 35mph. This is one area where I think the Big Three got it figured out. US automatics, particularly the rear-drive stuff, are usually much smoother and more responsive than the imports I have driven. RT

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When all else fails, vote from the rooftops!
84' Mercedes Benz 300D Anthracite/black, 171K
03' Volkswagen Jetta TDI blue/black, 93K
93' Chevrolet C2500HD ExCab 6.5TD, Two-tone blue, 252K

I plan to take a careful look at my transmission when I get to 250,000 miles, until then I feel a little more confident in the advice of MB HQ which has warned me that "they really mean sealed for life". But on the other hand, what does the manufacture know compared to all us experts? PS, To date my car is flawless.

Another caveat when shifting manually, one, watch the hash marks on the meters, two, "L" in a pre-1986 car combines both 1st and 2nd gears. Shooting around city traffic can be fun, but keep in mind, if you got up tp second, then hit the brakes, you're transmission will go into 1st, causing a kick back and big lunge in body roll. Just be prepared for the drama. Also, shifting manually can diagnose a leaky vacuum system, by bypassing the automatic switch lines, hoses etc, which can leak over time. A good way to see if you transmission is robbing power from you motor, which all slush boxes do to some extent.