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  #1  
Old 09-27-2002, 06:49 PM
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Sluggish Off the line

At times, starting from a stop, the car has all kinds of power. Then, at times, it's a real dog and has a neck snapping hard shift to 2nd. What gives? It's a 1989 300TE. Thanks, Eric

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  #2  
Old 09-27-2002, 10:31 PM
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If it shifts smoothly when it's warm and only hard shifts from first to second when it's cold, then it's fine. It's designed to run longer in first when it's cold to heat everything up faster, (engine, transmission and catalytic converter), and will shift hard into second as a result. But if it also has those symptoms when it's warmed up, then you've stumped me.
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  #3  
Old 09-28-2002, 11:51 AM
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hi ive had similar symptoms with my 90 300te 4matic.i just recently decided to try an oil additive with cd3 before i switch to mobil1 oil.all i can say is wow
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  #4  
Old 09-28-2002, 12:31 PM
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1991 and older 300E's start out in second gear, not first, which is why your car is sluggish off the line.

You have to replace the valve body in the transmission to always start out in first gear.
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  #5  
Old 09-28-2002, 04:25 PM
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I honestly think there is something more to this than just 2nd gear start. If you notice, the car is sluggish and hten has a neck snapping shift to 2nd, which would mean that it is being sluggish in first gear. My car does that as well. Its a 92, so it has 1st gear start. Its off the line performance is totally random. Sometimes it will just refuse to accelerate at WOT, and othertimes I have a hard time keeping the thing from spinning the rears. It has been liks since I have been driving it, and I really can't figure out what would be causing it.
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  #6  
Old 09-28-2002, 04:40 PM
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No, his car is second gear start, which I'm sure he wasn't aware of.

Thus, to start in first gear, he would've had to of known this. To engage first gear start, he would've had to move his gear selector to "2", and then back to drive to initiate a first gear start.

Since he's probably starting out with the gear selector in Drive, he's starting out in second gear, and he's feeling a hard shift from 2nd to 3rd.

My opinion is that the car's just are sluggish off the line, and he has a hard shifting problem, probably needing an adjustment to the vaccum module regulator, or whatever the heck it's called.
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2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".
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  #7  
Old 09-28-2002, 06:23 PM
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well, this is all good for vongluck, but it doesn't solve my problem
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  #8  
Old 09-30-2002, 11:23 AM
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I appreciate all the information. I didn't know that the cars start in 2nd. Kinda odd isn't it? The car seems to start off with all the power I need when cold. It's after the car warms up that it becomes sluggish off the line with the occasional non-sluggish start. From a sluggish start, the car feels as though it's down shifting then it has the hard up shift. Soooo I really don't what gears, only that it's sluggish when warm and not sluggish when cold. Is there a fix for this or is it just the nature of the beast? Thanks, Eric.
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  #9  
Old 09-30-2002, 05:15 PM
chicago124
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Hi,

I’ve been dealing with this devil since I got my ’90 300E. Car had wires, plugs and fuel injectors replaced before I got it with 114,000 miles

Here’s what I have done:

Replaced thermostat even though it was less than a year old. (Big difference!) My temp gauge was rarely above 80c before the replacement. Now it’s at 87 almost all the time. Old t-stat was not OEM.

Breather hoses might be another cause. I just ordered four replacements.

Tightened up the hose from the top of the motor to the air cleaner. Made a difference as well.

I think it’s not one thing wrong – it’s a number of things that add up to hesitation.

Good luck,

Hunter
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  #10  
Old 10-01-2002, 07:50 AM
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The cars also have a cold start mode which is supposed to hold the car in first gear for a while and adds extra fuel via a cold start valve. I asked earler whether the cold start valve could be used to make the car faster on occasion, and I got laughed at and most people said the car was faster because of the first gear start. Of course, this can't be true because my car starts in first gear anyway, and there is a world of a difference between cold and warm running. Some time when I have a respit from school and college apps, Im gonna do some serious reading about the KE jetronic...
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  #11  
Old 10-01-2002, 01:37 PM
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Vongluck,

Why don't you see if your problem isn't a problem.
With the engine warm, and at a stop, put the shifter into 2 and then back to D, this will engage a first gear start. And then accelerate, and see if it's not "sluggish" anymore because of first gear. Or you can simply floor it, engaging kick-down, which will get you into first gear.

Good luck.
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Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)
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  #12  
Old 10-01-2002, 07:38 PM
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hehe... of course ive already done that. I floor the car around all the time to avoid getting rear ended by huge suburbans.. driving in texas isn't friendly! The car is still sluggish though. For further reference, everything I say unless otherwise stated happens at WOT... The car flys faster at quarter throttle on a cold start than at WOT on one of my "bad" days where the car just seems to be traveling through thick ether... (thats how you spell the stuff that "makes up the universe" right... hehehe.. I love medieval science!)
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  #13  
Old 10-01-2002, 08:43 PM
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Sounds similar to a problem I had. When cold the car would engage 2nd gear (normal) on a reasonable quick throttle, then jump back to 1st gear, tear away and then give a neck jerking change to 2nd. When hot it always started in 2nd gear no problems. I suggest you look at the rev counter to check which gear the tranny starts in when cold. 1st gear should spin happily to about 40mph at 6000revs and provide very rapid acceleration. 2nd gear starts on the 300's I've tried are sluggish which is why I bought a 320E- WOW.

To recap I suspected a sticky component in the valve body although can'be sure. I changed the oil and filter in the tranny and I've had no problems since.
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  #14  
Old 10-01-2002, 10:54 PM
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when cold the car does start in first gear... but because my 92 300E has first gear start, the car will also go to first upon moderate pedal modulation from the line. There is a night and day difference between cold start and warm engine driving, and like I said earlier, it has nothing to do with first gear because my car goes into first gear a lot.
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  #15  
Old 11-07-2002, 05:40 PM
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Here's what I've found so far. When cold, the car starts from a stop great, starts out in 2nd not 1st. When the car warms up, continues to start out in 2nd albeit extremely sluggish, bearly gets out of its own way. Stomp on it when warm, starts sluggish, down shifts to 1st then shifts to 2nd sending the kids tumbling into the back of the wagon (exagerating of course). The only kicker is that at times, when warm, starts out as if cold. I dunno.

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