no 1st gear!!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

300E24V · #1 07-02-2003, 12:59 AM

My 91 300E24V selects 1st gear via the kickdown button under the accelarator pedal but not by the stick(putting it in 2).Why?
PS it works fine when the engine is cold.

ejsharp · #2 07-02-2003, 02:46 AM

On my 300e there is a bushing on the linkage rod that wears out made of polyextracloraflorscoralyne or something like that. If so the shifter cannot engage the transmission. Available from fast lane.

400E · #3 07-02-2003, 08:42 AM

Isn't this normal? I believe MB switched to first-gear start around '92 or so. There are aftermarket kits to convert a second-gear start tranny to first-gear start.

300E24V · #4 07-02-2003, 07:44 PM

Thanx for the response guys.
ejsharp,if this bushing you mentioned is worn out,will it stop all gears from engaging or just 1st gear?
part number?

ejsharp · #5 07-02-2003, 07:55 PM

In my car it stopped Drive from engaging... I don't know about the lower gears because I seldom use them. Get under the car and look at the linkage to see if the plastic bushings look worn. Look up the part number here in FAST LANE. Probably under transmission linkage.

400E · #6 07-02-2003, 08:16 PM

I think we're talking apples and oranges ...

Shifter bushings will eventually wear out and cause sloppiness in the shifter, esp. fore and aft. It CAN keep you from properly engaging drive but shouldn't generally keep you from getting into first gear.

Again, I would ask: isn't this normal behavior for your car? What does the owner's manual say?

ejsharp · #7 07-02-2003, 08:25 PM

Yep... apples and oranges. Follow through on what 400E has to say.

300E24V · #8 07-03-2003, 03:53 AM

Maybe this will clear things up a bit.The stick will shift into the 2 position but the transmission won't select 1st gear like it should.
The stick is firm and not sloppy in any of the gears,so physically the stick selects 2.
400E normally if 2 is selected by using the stick P R N D 3 2 ,the transmission will select 1st.

400E · #9 07-03-2003, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 300E24V
Maybe this will clear things up a bit.The stick will shift into the 2 position but the transmission won't select 1st gear like it should.
The stick is firm and not sloppy in any of the gears,so physically the stick selects 2.
400E normally if 2 is selected by using the stick P R N D 3 2 ,the transmission will select 1st.

Here's what my owner's manual says:

"2: Upshift to 2nd gear only. For driving in mountainous regions. Since transmission will not shift up further, this gear selection will make use of the engine's braking power."

Remember that this is from a 1993 manual. In 1991, MB tranmissions routinely start out (from a stop) in 2nd gear, but can be persuaded to pull out in 1st if you floor the accelerator.

On the other hand, if you are currently in 3rd gear, say, and downshift to the "2" position, the tranny will downshift to 2nd gear.

Unless I'm missing something, I don't think the shifter lever allows you to select 1st gear only on a 300E (it DOES on the 400E/500E).

AMG · #10 07-03-2003, 11:06 AM

When the selected is shifted down into 2, the car will start in 1st gear and go no higher than 2nd gear. IF the shifter is in either 3 or 4, the car will start in 2nd gear unless the kick down switch is hit from flooring the gas pedal.

What he's asking is when he selects 2 with the shifter, his car doesn not start in 1st gear as it should.

There is no selecting of 1st gear with the shifter, but you can get the car to start in 1st gear by putting it in 2.

haasman · #11 07-03-2003, 02:53 PM

I see the key to the problem as:

"it works fine when the engine is cold"

What is it that when warm prevents it from starting in first with the selector in 2nd?

Haasman

Greg in Oz · #12 07-04-2003, 04:11 AM

I can see some missunderstanding happening here. 300E24V is correct in his understanding of the way his car should behave. Like all earlier W124s, it should start in 2nd UNLESS either a lot of throttle is used OR the selector is shifted to "2". In these cases it should start in 1st, cold or hot. The later W124s always started in 1st but had an additional feature where the low gears are held longer when cold to provide faster warming of the catalysts. The early W124s did not do this.

300E24V has a legitimate problem. His car will allow a 1st gear start using the selector when cold but not when hot. He is wondering if anyone knows the cause of this problem.

300E24V · #13 07-06-2003, 08:38 PM

AMG.haasman and Greg have hit the nail on the head!!!
Does anyone know why this is happening?