1979 300sd.
I need some help diagnosing and deciding if I should even fix this or let it go.
The car that had never let me down has let me down. The transmission went out 5 hours from home.
Trans had no signs of trouble or shifting. I pulled in coffee stop 3hrs into the trip to let the car cool off a bit as it had been running very hot the whole way. the trans started slipping pulling into the parking lot. After checking fluid looking around I saw no obvious sign of the trouble. I started again and resumed 70mph on the highway for another 2hrs trouble free before taking an exit for fuel. At the top of the ramp it slipped again just like a manual transmission with a bad clutch might. From the stop at the ramp I pressed the accelerator and it just revved, let the rpms drop and it caught and started off. I filled up at the station and rolled away from the pump and all seemed fine till I was on the down hill ramp accelerating. The slipping started again and i was dead right there at the bottom of the ramp.
I arranged a tow dolly and a friend towed me back home 300 miles. We loaded the front wheels on the dolly and left the engine running in neutral. I wish I could have asked on the forum for towing advice but had no power cable for my laptop.
So now it sits in my driveway. I have today and tomorrow left on the dolly rental. If I put it in gear and rev it out hard it will move foreword a couple inches. There are some real fine metal particles in the oil that you have to look real carefully to see. The local repair guy that I trust says he has a tranny that will fit(about $900). For him to pull it out to diagnose is $350 plus the about the same to go back in. He is fine with me pulling it (not sure that I am capable of this though). So I know that the best case scenario for repair with him is likely $700-$1100
I paid $1500 for this car 3 years ago but have also fixed a lot of things and put a lot of time and money into it including recent $$ and now have to make a decision if this should be repaired or let go and move up a few years in car (assuming that with a little hunting I can find a good quality 83-85sd for $2000 range) Searching old threads I could not find anything that seemed on target. Anyone have advice on something I could try like checking vacuum somewhere or messing with the trans x type snake oils before I either take this car to the repair or junk yard.
The driver door all of a sudden will not open from the outside (inside only) All doors still lock and unlock fine. Could this be an indication of something vacuum related or just perhaps someone tried to break and damaged the latch while it sat for three days?
Heeelp.
Eric Zitzow
Chattanooga TN

If you planned to drive the vehicle a bit longer, I'd get it rebuilt locally or scour out a nice pull out from a local bone yard.

I would fix it - buying another $2K SD you are going back into the fixing business. You seem pleased with you SD (other than the trans problem) by fixing that at least you know where you are with that car

__________________
BENZ THERE DONE THAThttp://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...c/progress.gif
15 VW Passat TDI
00 E420
98 E300 DT
97 E420 Donor Car - NEED PARTS? PM ME!
97 S500
97 E300D
86 Holden Jackaroo Turbo D
86 300SDL
(o\|/o)

Before you junk it..

Change the fluid.

The night I bought my 300CD (which I was told flared, and I assumed it was the 2nd -> 3rd thing) it drove like a champ for 75 miles until I stopped for gas. After my fillup it got up to speed (70 mph) then slipped back into 2nd gear.

I was able to coax it back into 3rd a couple of times but eventually it wouldn't even engage 1st.

Did a fluid/filter change. (including the TC)
Added a quart of transx
now it shifts fine although it flares a little between 2nd and 3rd.

Your transmission is probably wearing out.

__________________
'84 300CD Turbo 132k (Anthracite Grey) - WVO - My daily driver - Recently named coo-coo-coupe by my daughter.
'84 300D Turbo 240k (Anthracite Grey) - Garage Queen
'83 300D Turbo 220k (Orient Red) - WVO - Wifes daily driver

I'm not a certified mechanic, but I did stay at a HolidayInn Express last night.

My first tranny completely went out so I went to the bone yard and got another for $400.
The junk yard tranny on my 84 300DT started doing the same. It would rev up to 5000rpms at around 40-50 mph. It would then not shift out of 2nd gear. I dropped a quart (the fluid was pretty brownish) and added a quart of trans-x.
The rev problem went away but it still hesitates to go into higher gears the first few times it shifts. I have only driven with the trans-x for 10 miles so I don't know how long the cure is for.

Here's a dumb question: when someone says their transmission 'flares' between this gear and that gear, what exactly does that mean? A slip I understand, but a flare?

I think that it means this or atleast I have been using this way....

When the car goes from a lower gear to a higher the rpms are supposed to decrease. Instead the rpms decrease then increase a few times before the car shifts.

The infamous "flare" is similar/same as a slip. The RPMs increase between upward gears. 2nd > 3rd seem to be the more common combination. Vac leaks seem to be the most often mentioned culprit. My '87 300TD had that symptom until I ran Trans-X and found/fixed a number of vacuum leaks. Not certain which was the cure.

Several others should be able to provide more technical explanations. To me it felt like the trans was slipping allowing the engine to rev before settling into the next gear.

__________________
Steve
'87 300TD - 132K - Soon 4-Sale
'84 300D Turbo - 122K - Driving
'77 VW Type II - 77K - Restored
'08 250EX Ninja
English Bulldog (Brier) - My best friend. Passed away 12/02/04 while in my arms.

Thanks guys, that helps a lot. I've puzzled over that term a while and even did a forums search a week or two back, and saw no description

thank you for the fast respones. hey almadroog_7 how much was the labor to swap the two trans out?
Anyone have any ideas for places to look for anything simple like vacuum conncetions etc?
From what I as reading about the transX in old posts it was designed as a flush that is meant to be taken out after 100 miles. What possible scenario could I have internally that something as simple as changing the fluid and filter or adding an addative (other than sawdust )will fix this problem?

on the 116 transmission, there is external band adjustments that could solve your issues... not sure of the models, or specifics, but it might be worth a try?

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I wonder if the car ever made it off the rented carrier. It's been about 5.5 years since then...

__________________
RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

99 W210 E300 Turbo Diesel, chipped, DPF/Converter Delete. Still needs EGR Delete, 232K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Gone and still missed...1982 w123 300D, 1991 w124 300D

DOH!

__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I hate when this happens. And no follow-up from the OP? U still around Angst?

__________________
RT


1984 300D---Sold
1995 E420 - 106K - Brilliant Silver Metallic/Orion Gray --- Sold
1984 300SD - 151K Manganese Brown Metallic/Mostly Black --- Sold
1982 240D - 79K - Manila Beige/Palomino---Sold

Exactly! My brother's '78 flares on every gear, so I'm looking for any reason to not suspect the clutch packs... This leads me to doing as I've often done before... reading ALL the threads that MIGHT have something to do with the issue at hand, and trying to help others along the way. seems like 2004 and 2006 were hot years for unfinished threads...

__________________
1981 300SD - Sunburn Gold, 200ish k.
1984 300D Turbo "The Green Lantern" - Mango Green (DD) - 183k with no more fingers to count on
1979 300SD "The Whale" - Black (Back-up mega-sled, soon to be for sale!) - 160k and no longer keeping track...
Confucius say: Man who run behind car get exhausted, man who run in front of car get tired.