Hello all. I spent the weekend installing a new Blaupunkt HU and CD changer, part of which involved removing the tray and wood shift consol cover. I also had to run a large wire through the consol to the rear, which I pulled through taped to a piece of fish wire (welding rod).
When I put everything back together, and went for a test drive, the transmission won't upshift. It seems to stay in the initial gear from stop and revs around 3000 at 20 - 25 mph. Reverse is fine, it runs the same in the gear marked '3', and it downshifts to the 2 low ranges OK. It just won't upshift when in 'D'. It always worked prior to my instal, as I recal, it went to 3rd or high gear well below 30 mph.
Is there anything I could concievably have disconnected or broken while doing the wiring work in the consol? A vital connection wire, or vacuum line? Please help, as I'm now looking at over $5000.00 for a rebuilt tranny!
PS The fluid level is full up, and I never had a problem before. Coincidence maybe?

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

The only thing I can imagine is that somehow through coincidense or electrical chicanery, you are running in the kick-down mode all the time. The simple diagnostic is to pull the single wire from the solenoid at the right rear of the trans (the kick down solenoid). With that accomplished you will have no electrical kick down and if the cause you will also have a trans that works fine everywhere but kickdown.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Thanks Steve, that does make some sense. I will try that and post back. I'll check the kickdown switch too and see if it somehow got stuck 'in', maybe from the last time I drove it, which was on a straight downhill run into my yard, last week, and I do recall 'stepping on it' too (spring is here, car's out of winter storage, and I was enjoying blowing away a kid in a small car on the way home). Coasting downhill, I probably wouldn't have noticed the change either, until I drove it again yesterday..

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

A stuck on kick down solenoid will have WOT late up shifts. Also check for a stuck Bowden cable, TV cable.

Very likely a stuck kickdown switch -- I was talking to Hans last week and a customer called in with the exact same complaint. It WILL upshift if this is the problem, but only near redline!

Easy to check, just reach up under the gas pedal and push the switch down. If should click when depressed, and click again when releases, If it doesn't, pull the carpet and check for crud holding it down.

If it still won't click, replace switch.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Yup, I went home from work yesterday and dove under the pedal, unplugged the switch, and went for a test drive....ALL IS WELL!. The switch was indeed stuck. I'll wait till the weather is better and remove it, as it looks like I'll need to undo something from outside, underneath, to pull it out. A bench check and cleaning should fix it up.
I also noticed that the left turn signal flashed really fast, like a burnt bulb, when this was stuck, and now operates normally...another odd way to alert the owner of an electrical problem perhaps (like an OVP relay fuse telling me the alternators bad)?
Anyway, thanks to all for the, as usual, correct diagnosis. Like I said, this is a really great place to be!

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1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus