Flaring Tranny (when Cold)

[OTTOBUN]

Any thoughts on why a 300e transmission would have flaring / hesitating 2nd to 3rd shifts, but only when the car is cold (sub-zero cold, I mean) ? at normal op/temp, it settles down and is perfect, but the first few accels. are not happy...any thoughts? I changed the fluid / filter last summer, put in Mobil 1 synth, if that matters...

Thanks

H.N.Y!

[benzboy87]

This is the same thing that has been happening to me. I bought a K1 kit and installed it as well as changing fluid and filter. I finally placed it as a thread here and several people said to adjust the bowden cable. Hope this helps.

[Ron Young]

Just the opposite with my 85 300TD. Sharp fast upshifts until warm then nice and smooth wiyhout any flaring. No idea why.
Ron

[OTTOBUN]

Thanks....whats a K1 kit?

[someguyfromMD]

If the problem you're describing is that the car holds 2nd gear longer than normally when the car is very cold, it's designed to do this. Search the archives and you should find more discussion. The W124 300E/TEs have a cold start feature that keeps the engine in the lower gear longer on cold starts to warm up the catalytic converter. This is due to a 60 second after cold start emissions test that they had in Germany, forcing them to figure a way to warm the cats quickly.

There have also been alot of posts about why does my car start in second gear, which is another design feature. On the W124 300E/TE, you only get first gear by flooring the accelerator from a dead stop or placing the shifter into the lowest gear position on a dead stop.

If the tranny is really flaring, this is usually a condition where the engine revs higher in between shifts and is a different problem.

HTH,

The modulator valve adjusts flaring, counter clock wise turn of modulator valve adjust key for sofening (flaring) and clockwise to harder shifts. The boden cable adjusts shifting points either longer apart or shorter, between automatic gear changes. Find the happy medium between bowden and modulator! Got a car ramp? And pull the washer reservoir too!

BB

[benzboy87]

A K1 kit is an assembly you can get from your MB dealer. It consists of a two plastic pieces that fit together and a spring that installs in the valve body. If you are having flaring from 2-3 then more than likely this will solve your problems. Do a search on K1 kit - it will give you all kinds of info. One thread even gives step-by-step info on how to remove/install the K1 kit.

[benzboy87]

I have been thinking and I think my problem (see my first post above) is related to either the upshift delay or a vacuum leak. I am going to check it out the first thing.

[Randy]

My car stopped this when I changed the fluid & filter.

[dirtysocks]

I don't understand. If these cars are designed to rev high from 2nd to 3rd when cold, why isn't there a unanimous opinion on this. How come some people's cars don't. How come some stop after a fluid/filter change, like randy's car.

Personally, mine started doing this out of the blue about 15,000 miles ago (174K), and I've dealt with it ever since.

What's the deal?

[benzboy87]

I don't know but I have run across many, and I do mean many, MBs that are doing the exact same thing. Have taken mine to two dealerships and three independents now and they can't find a thing wrong.
I know that transmissions have always been a weak point in MBs (most MBs).

[socaleuro]

So is it safe to say that this problem/thread has no answer?

[johnjzjz]

Originally Posted by socaleuro

So is it safe to say that this problem/thread has no answer?

i have rebuilt these transmissions over the years and what we have found is this

the unit is very well engineared and the weak spot in the unit is the type of paper that was used to create the clutch discs - when dextron 11 was discontinued < its almost a type F ford fluid -- the paper when dextron 111 is used starts to come apart < does not happen in GM units only euro MB volvo e jags and alike BW type gearboxes > around 140,000 city cars 180,000 highway cars the paper starts to fall apart and by doing so the distance between the discs and the steels is increased and the crumbling paper from the discs makes it slipery so with extra travel the clutch hub piston has to travel and the sliperyness caused by the paper ends up with a pop like action when the clutch engages ALSO the heat cycles of average 150,000 miles has the sealing O rings hard as stone not doing the job of sealing the pumps oil pressure Bleading < for the lack of a better word > all of this ends up with a unit thats in need of a kit -- i could spend another hour but i would loose most and i thhink this is ok as an explain hopefully --

now a trans that is sliding around when shifting can be helped by turning the boden cable out makes the gear hold in speed longer more road speed and greater pressure will make it work for a while - jz

[johng99]

I have the same problem, but occurs between 3rd and 4th on my w126. It does not happen when I shift manually. Any ideas? Is this the same issue with same fix?
Thanks

[johnjzjz]

Originally Posted by johng99

I have the same problem, but occurs between 3rd and 4th on my w126. It does not happen when I shift manually. Any ideas? Is this the same issue with same fix?
Thanks

when this type trans is shifted manually it has an increase in fluid pressure NOTE : the 3 / 4 shift has a by pass valve connected to the valve body and as such the normal shift is a Little soft anyway so even if you can adjust the modulator pressure on your own with out the gage in place you might not get rid of the softness in it - and then again i have driven cars that were not soft THAT i had concluded is someone has taken the valve body and modded it for better fluid flows and shifting ( trans go ) is the only Valve body plate kit we use its a bit of a thing to do as it has a big bag of corrective valves and springs as well as a new alloy plate that goes between the VB and the trans case WOW does that kit fix a lot of issues but it will not fix a trans that has flaking disc's - jz