We're in the '83 300TD and have been having some strange transmission problems while on this trip 500 miles from home.

Prior to the trip the only trans issues has been noticeable flaring between 2 and 3, but it only happens one time, first thing in the morning.

On the trip, after 250 miles of highway travel we got into Anchorage and the car had difficulty shifting out of first gear. The car would leave a stoplight slowly with no power and the engine would either rev up without the transmission engaging, or would oscillate in rpm without me changing the accelerator position. I pulled over, let it sit for 10 minutes and it seemed fine. The next day after 250 miles it did the exact same thing.

The car has 238,000 miles, the trans fluid level is a little high, and the fluid is reddish and does not smell burned. The only other symptom is that when the car is started early in the morning and shut down within 5 minutes it takes a while for the engine to stop which sounds like a vacuum issue. The first time the trans acted up after 250 miles it also took a while for the engine to cut even though there should have been plenty of vacuum. The door locks work one time after the car is shut down.

Advice? Please!

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1983 300td 240k (down with bad tranny)
1984 300d 222k (daily driver) "Olive"
1997 GMC K2500 105k (sled dog limo)

"The scenery in ANWR is as spectacular as the Grand Canyon and the wildlife is more impressive."

I would try to obtain a transmission filter and then change the fluid and filter asap. This is a necessary procedure toward a HEALTHY transmission. When was the last filter and fluid change?
Some others on the board have espoused the virtues of a product called "TRANS X"....I believe that the bottleis yellow and black.
If the situation was occuring with me, that is what I would do.
Good luck and please keep us posted.
best wishes always,
spo out

Do some searches here on trannie problems. I do not have an automatic and so have not done so myself. I am under the impression that the vacuum could be a problem with your shifting. If I were in your place I would block off all unnecessary vacuum systems, central lock, etc. Leave only your trans vacuum connected. If that fixes your shifting, add back the other vacuum systems, brakes, shutdown, one at a time until you find the problem.

Good luck and I hope someone more knowledgeable on the subject posts some help for you.

I wanted to be in AK now. We will be on our way when we can get away from here.

I plugged the door lock vacuum lines...we'll see how that works...more advice?

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1983 300td 240k (down with bad tranny)
1984 300d 222k (daily driver) "Olive"
1997 GMC K2500 105k (sled dog limo)

"The scenery in ANWR is as spectacular as the Grand Canyon and the wildlife is more impressive."

TransX is in a blue and silver can.

I havent tried it in my benz tranny, but i did try it in some other cars. It works ok. My dad really likes it though

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Current Stable:
1994 S500 v140, 210k miles, white with grey.

Former Mercedes in the Stable:
1983 300CD Turbo diesel 515k mi sold (rumor has it, that it has 750k miles on it now)
1984 300CD Turbo Diesel 150 k mi sold
1982 300D Turbo Diesel 225 sold
1987 300D Turbo Diesel 255k mi sold
1988 300 CE AMG Hammer 15k mi sold
1986 "300E" Amg Hammer 88k mi sold (it was really a 200, not even an E (124.020)
1992 500E 156k mi sold
etc.

I second the Trans-X advise... be sure to put enough in to meet the instructions on the side of the can......
My wagon required two Qt cans to meet that spec.
I have had some great , cheap , fast results from Trans-X....
Don't allow the transmission fluid level to be too high or too low... either will mess up the fluid pretty fast from foaming,etc.... so if you are marginal to start with then those conditions can really accumulate into a bad situation.

Hate to say it, but that sounds just like my '83 300SD right before the B2 piston totally gave out. Started not engaging first or second after it warmed up, and got progressivly worse until it just wouldn't go forward, but still reversed. I think on a 123 you have to fully drop the tranny to get to it, as compared to a 126, where you can lower the tranny just enough to get at it without fully disconnecting it. Try the fliud and filter first of course, but in my case I did that and it still didn't help, so I ended up wasting a few quarts when I had to pull it back open again...

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'84 300SD veg-oil bliss
'83 300SD veg-oil beater

Don't know how to set it as a link, but here's the title of my post on dealing with mine if you search for it....

It's alive! B2 piston fixes tranny

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'84 300SD veg-oil bliss
'83 300SD veg-oil beater

Hey I went ahead and bumped that thread...

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'84 300SD veg-oil bliss
'83 300SD veg-oil beater

I plugged the door vacuum lines last night, and drove it 35 miles today without any symptoms showing up. I'm going to go out and suck some oil out of the trans dip tube since it is overfilled. I'll look for some trans X tomorrow and change out the filter and oil when I get home. And I'll keep my fingers crossed!

Soydriver, thanks for the B2 heads up. I'm hoping for overfilled fluid and vacuum problems, but its nice to know there is something between the real easy stuff and a new tranny to try.

Thanks for the advice, I'll update as things progress!

__________________
1983 300td 240k (down with bad tranny)
1984 300d 222k (daily driver) "Olive"
1997 GMC K2500 105k (sled dog limo)

"The scenery in ANWR is as spectacular as the Grand Canyon and the wildlife is more impressive."

Well, we made it home...but not without further difficulties!

The trans symptoms showed up again, but I found that just limping to the edge of the road, and shutting the car down for 5 minutes "fixes" the problem. We started hearing a high pitched whistle too. I don't get it!

We also blew the high pressure line for the hydraulic suspension. I just kept stopping and filling the reservoir and driving on spraying fluid everywhere. Made it home and I think the pump is still intact.

Hey, wouldn't be a roadtrip without mechanical diffilcuties!

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep the thread alive if I come to any conclusions!

Chuck

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1983 300td 240k (down with bad tranny)
1984 300d 222k (daily driver) "Olive"
1997 GMC K2500 105k (sled dog limo)

"The scenery in ANWR is as spectacular as the Grand Canyon and the wildlife is more impressive."

sounds like a plugged filter

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79 240D my current toy
42 years a Diesel addict

240D sold
250SE sold
220D sold
280C sold
280S sold
300D (2) sold
300CD sold
300DT sold
300SD sold
380SL sold