I have an 81 SL with 163K miles. It has three shifter positions (L,S,D) but shifts four (4) times from dead start. Purchased the car with 65K miles and it has always shifted very quickley from 1st to 2nd and rarely kicks down to 2nd after deceleration unless almost to a crawl. For instance, when turning onto a secondary street it normally only downshifts to 3rd. Additionally sometimes shifts hard from 2nd to 3rd on quick acceleration. I have recently experienced shuttering and slipping in reverse that is typically more noticeable when hot.

I would appreciate any advice or suggestions for resolution of the shifting and reverse problems.

Thanks,
Bob Hudson