It is normal NOT to start in 1st gear. I also have a 91 SL300. To start in 1st, standing still and with your foot on the brake, move the shift level all the way down to "2" for a moment, the put it back in "4" or "D". When you take your foot off the brake and hit the accellorator, it will start in 1st gear, then shift up through the remaining gears all the way to fifth. Go figure...it's a Mercedes thing. As far as I've been able to determine, this vehicle does not have a kick-down switch under the gas pedal. If you stomp it from a stand still, it will drop into 1st, but I think it gets the info from the throttle position sensor and the tach signal. 1st gear start is really "low". Bergwerks made a "kit" you could add to always get the 1st gear start, but they recommended it only for the 8 cyclinder cars which also start in 2nd but have only a 4 speed auto. So, I think those of us with the 5 speed auto's ( 300 / 320's) actually have the most versitle transmission set-up.

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