Help please! This car was working fine until I drove it through an automatic car wash last night (actually, it was pulled through while in neutral, with the engine off). It wouldn't shift out of 1st gear upon driving away! I've read a lot about the centrifugal governor, but I'm really hoping that there is a more simple fix. A vacuum line or something? How could the governor drive gear break just rolling through a car wash?!

Thanks, Brian

In reconstructing the event, it's possible that when I turned the car off it was in drive, and then put it in neutral for the pull through the wash machine. Could that have damaged the governor?

It should not damage the transmission if pulled slowly through the car wash in any selection other than park.

The only possible link could be that the Bowden cable is somehow pulled out and jammed (or the linkage), and the car will not shift out of first until you reach the full-throttle shift point. Have you driven it to the point where it would shift if it were floored? Have you tried unplugging the downshift button (under the gas pedal)?

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Possibly a stuck kickdown switch (under the gas pedal). Try unplugging it and check switch contacts for closed connection. Water blasting up underneath might have affected the kickdown device itself (at rear of transmission on many). Try driving upwards of thirty MPH as see if you then shift into second.

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80 280SL
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92 300D 2.5 Turbo
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And after checking linkeges and external switches, remove valve body and check for stuck pistons, my friends 420 sel had that problem, found a sliver of metal jamming a piston in a valve , removed piece and shifted again normal