OK, well the costs will eat you alive since you cannot work on it yourself. Front end repair alone will cost about $2500, and you will need front end work. Other work will also be expensive at $90/hr. I still work on my 300SE fixing minor problems.

The car has an inline 6 not a V6.

So the RPMs are normal? I have been told that once, but, as I said, I've also been told that the car is "dying and desperately needs a new tranny" and that I'm burning out the engine. I'm concerned more about the laboring of the car than the RPMs. It shifts roughly and is slow to pick up. Once it gets going, the car handles beautifully (of course, it IS a Benz).

You are not burning out the engine. Those people are not knowledgable about 300SE models. The car is large and heavy and the trans starts in 2nd gear making acceleration from a start rather lethargic. Try this, at a stop light, move the shift lever to position '2' and then back to 'D'. The trans will start in 1st gear and the acceleration will be much better.

The rough shifting may be caused by several minor internal trans problems, vacuum modulator or K2 actuator, all common problems.

__________________
Regards

Warren

Currently 1965 220Sb, 2002 FORD Crown Vic Police Interceptor

Had 1965 220SEb, 1967 230S, 280SE 4.5, 300SE (W126), 420SEL

ENTER > = (HP RPN)

Not part of the in-crowd since 1952.