The dots are not shift points, but maximum speed for the gear indicated (by the number of dots).

Relax, I was not trying to be a jerk. :)

phantoms is right, they are the max speed for that gear. This way, the 240D's with manny's wont shift too late and the slushboxes won't downshift (Via manual selection) and over-rev the engine. I'd not really be worried about over-revving the engine, more about more about balooning slushbox the torqueconverter! :eek:

One thing I believe here is that no one is absolutly sure what the dots were intended to represent since I, me, myself, have heard now, two completely different reasons for the DOTs!

I will make an attempt to reveal Mercedes Benz's purpose for the dots and will report back my findings because I want to know too the real reason. Give me a few days, and I'll report back.

In some of my cars I have "beaten" them.

My SDL can shift 10% higher than the dotted speed for the corresponding gear.
My 300SE can shift past 60 mph and zoom past it's redline to 6500 rpm. ;)

Issues w/ the 55 mph speed limit/gear ratio theory.
 

I've got the grey market 1980 300D w/ 4 speed manual and 3.46 rear end. It was brought to this country in 1988.

I have to believe that MB was selling their domestic vehicles w/ the best ratio for the engine. Not based on some stoopid foreign gov'ts twitterpations.

Either way, I cannot wait to drop a 3.07 rear end in there!!!



Cheers,
Robert

Read the owners manual. They are maximum speed for that gear. I made a refrence to them in another thread in which someone was commenting about not having a tach. I mentioned them, but did not clarify that they where "maximum" speed in their indicated (by number of dots) gear. sorry about that.

1984-380se
 

The differential came from a 1984-380SE that I bought up west of Chicago and it was motorless. i have the same rear end from a 1985-500SEL. About 130K. My email address is jim16671836@yahoo.com Boonville, Indiana ..Jim

tony,
could you tell me what to search for to find this thread? thanks...

I'm not sure where I misunderstood, or read the mail up side down, I've never considered the dots to represent anything other than highest shift point, but confused the issue while trying to convey a suspision about lower differential ratios and how they relate to the dots on the speedo. :confused: BB

If you change the differential to a different ratio, naturally, you will need a new set of "dots". They will change directly proportional to the differential change.

My point precisely!

Now, if US MB's have different rear ratios than Euros, and the dots are in the same place on both US and European what would that suggest????

There seem to be a few memebers here who believe in the "Golden Egg" that maybe US models got short changed and our MB's are not geared as well as they might be.

It is an interesting prospect if there's any merit to it! It has just seemed odd to me that the dots are eceedingly high, in fact I don't think I could get first gear up to the first dot before the governor limited engine RPM, haven't tried it, and don't want! But if the rear ratio was higher, I think my engine might get there in first without achieving governor limits, probably several hundred RPMs less. :confused: BB

The dots no longer apply on my speedo. I need to move them on my next gaugeset. The V8 winds up higher than the diesel, I would never ever take my engine near the dots as they sit now!

Well I did the swap yesterday to the 2.47 differential from the 3.07 that was in my 300SD. This is not a job for the faint of heart. It requires some special tools to get at the nuts to change the yokes. The bolts on top of my old differential were seized and there's not much room to work up there.. The back cover of the housings must be removed to get at the clips that hold the axles in. It's messy...
I also did the flex discs while I was at it.. The results? Well, it certainly feels strange and different, but I guess that is to be expected.. My engine now turns 3k rpm straight up at 80mph, about 2500 at 65mph. My engine never started to howl until 3k rpm so now below 80 I can't even hear the engine anymore, it's a little creepy... On a not so happy note, the is a slight whine at slower speeds, that is there only through a narrow range.. I'll replace the drive shaft center bearing and hope that's the problem and not that I got a shot differential. Mileage is definitely better, though until I calibrate the speedo, I won't have numbers. After the swap I took it on a 600 mile trip over two mountain ranges and now 3rd gear is only slightly lower than 4th used to be. I dropped down a couple of times to pass people and thought wow, it's really revving, oh wait, 3500 is nothing compared to how I used to drive it..
Oh yeah, was that a forum member I saw staring from a 116 as we passed crossing Glen Canyon dam?

Thank you for an excellent post! It really makes me feel like I want (no... need!) to change my ratio from 3.69 to something taller... nice one!

I'm now active in my hunt for a decent 2.88...

I know setting the odometer back is a no-no, but how hard is it to set one forward?

I'd like to do the 2.47:1 swap and use the 160MPH speedo, but I'm proud of the mileage on the car (323,000 when the odo quit last year) and I'd like the new speedo to reflect it.