W140 trans woes
 

My W140 400 SEL never hits first gear. From a dead stop, it starts off in second, exhibiting dog like behavior. Is this normal, or does the trans need some attention.

Shifting manually into first produces much better results.

It's interesting that you have this problem. I just posted about an '86 560 SEL that does the same thing. It's supposed to jump down to 1st if you punch it right?

Let me know what you find out. BTW, does it downshift properly if you put the pedal to the metal at, say 40 mph?

Good Luck

If it fails to dowshift on full throttle accel from a dead stop, check the switch under the gas pedal and check your bowden cable adjustment. This car is a "second gear start", which means unless forced into first will start in second all the time.

Joe