Hi,

I was just wondering how often do you use the tranny kickdown in your car. On our car I use it now and then sometimes when merging onto hwy.

Is it bad to use it ofen, does the tranny suffer or engine is over stressed?

I don't use it on any regular basis. Maybe once or twice a year to check that it works. We're talking 273K miles and no record/indication of the tranny having been rebuilt.... basically because there are no records. I set the modulator for firmer shifts to make the tranny last

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

I live in the Hayward Hills (south of Oakland,CA) and there are two hills with >8% grade, and I have a non-turbo 300D so I use the kickdown at least twice a day
By the way, my tranny is beginning to slip in 1st gear on the really steep part of the hill if I am just starting out from a stop. I try to get a run at it and lug up the hill in 2nd.
I have already cranked the modulator up to get rid of a 2-3 flare which made the 1-2 and 3-4 shifts really firm, and the 2-3 firm. I'm kinda hoping I can stick a longer pin in the B2 band servo to eliminate the 1st gear slip, but if all else fails I will be rebuilding a tranny sometime this summer

David
'81 300D odometer says 148,800, but it wasn't working when I bought the car although the last registration in 2003 said 141,000 so maybe it's close to accurate

I use it all the time Often I come to turns where I slow to about 20-25mph (from 55) when going into the turn, and I DOUBLE kickdown it, so it drops 4 to 3 then 3 to 2 in a kind of double motion, the 3-2 downshift feels pretty awesome, the whole car kind of moves back and then lunges forward in a big smooth motion On rare occassion it will drop back as far as 1st if I am going slow enough (under 15ish mph) and that is quite a weird feeling when it "catches up". Is that normal....I didn't know the switch could trigger that much downshifting. It always shifts firm and never slips, just a slight vibration sometimes going into 4th but then its smooth. The dealer said its still in very good shape inside 1.5 years ago when we had all the seals replaced....

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I've never tried the kick-down switch, don't even know if it works!

My 87 300D has 251K. With the shift lever, I generally drop down one notch, from 4th into third, at around 30 mph sometimes when encountering a steep incline.

Last year, I voluntarily added TRANS-X to the tranny because others here spoke highly for it. I did so because it is supposed to remove the sticky film that supposedly builds up on internal valves and other moving parts that can stick stuck. Also it conditions seals, but I've always been a little leery about chemicals that cause rubber/synthetic seals to marginally expand in size?

I have also switched to synthetic tranny fluid. Later, somewhere I heard that this is not good to do with an older tranny, but you can't believe everything you hear, but if anyone knows more about this, please elaborate!

Use it all the time-that's the only way to make it go with the wife and 2 kids in it!! Any of you guys have trouble with stalling with the a/c running in hot weather off idle? I can't decide if I have a tight a/c compressor or an overly weak engine, but I seem to have weakness off idle when it's over 90 degrees out(engine still holding at around 95 C on the gauge).

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1982 300DT 190K (Diesel Purge + synthetic oil=smoothness at last!!!)
2004 Ford E-350 6.0 L PSD 227K
2006 Dodge Ram 3500 SRW HO Cummins 4X4 48RE 42K (brute force tow vehicle)
2005 Scion xB wife's rolling pop can
1993 GMC Sierra C3500 6.2 142K

I know the feeling, but I now MANUALLY downshift in anticipation of the slower speeds.

It's cool to feel the 4-3 help slow the car when I pull back from D to 3, then another slowing when I move from 3 to 2. That way, the rpms are already up and ready when I push the pedal coming out of the turn.

It's also cool to round the corner in 2 with the rpm at 2500-3000 and enough pedal to hold the turn, then mash it. Almost feels like a gasser then!

Best Regards,
Jim

San Carlos Bee?

I drove up SCB yesterday to avoid the BS traffic on mission, that hill is a meanie.

i use the kickdown like i would the passing gear on a gasser.

my tranny is making a lot firmer shifts since i had some other repairs done. new engine mounts, valve adjustment, got rid of some play in the throttle linkage, and changed the air filter... not sure which of those would have impacted the shifting though....
i like the firmer shifts but it is shiftiing at higher rpm's now...

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1979 Thistle Green 300D 272,xxx miles
1984 Orient Red 300 D 4 spd Euro Import - 189,xxx miles
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Lofat Productions
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I use it too many times to count each day, in all of mine, both gas and diesels. Even in the brand new model cars, I still use it, thats what its there for! Can you imagine? S55 in kickdown? Its very fun No speeding tickets as of yet...

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Yup, Carlos Bee and then Call avenue (which is steeper, but only about 500' as opposed to Bee's 1/2 mile or so climb that gets steepest half way up).

David

Theres a 1/4 mile fairly steep grade hill near my house with a light at the bottem. I have no problems getting up from a dead stop with my foot on the floor. Did I mention the long 3 lane smoke clouds when running on >50% used motor oil

__________________
Adam Lumsden
(83) 300D
Vice-President of the MBCA International Stars Section

Constantly. There would be no way to navigate our insane urban traffic without it.

Mike

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1979 300 SD
350,000 miles
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1982 300D-gone---sold to a buddy
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1985 300TD
270,000 miles
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1994 E320
not my favorite, but the wife wanted it

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So diesel owners, I have a question... I just got my kickdown switch working (the rod the go pedal attaches to was actually bent so the top of the pedal missed the switch!), and it works great except for one thing... if I hold the pedal all the way down clicking the switch it never upshifts, it just hangs on the 4100 RPM limiter. Is this normal behavior?

Thanks,

-Jason

__________________
1991 350SDL. 230,000 miles (new motor @ 150,000). Blown head gasket

Tesla Model 3. 205,000 miles. Been to 48 states!
Past: A fleet of VW TDIs.... including a V10,a Dieselgate Passat, and 2 ECOdiesels.
2014 Cadillac ELR
2013 Fiat 500E.

I'd say not, though I'm by no means an expert on the subject.

One time on my first 87 300D, I stuck my foot in it and kept it there, from about 45 mph, to test out the kickdown switch, and also observe a temp boost gauge I had hooked up to see if the turbo and wastegate were functioning properly.

They were.

I do remember it shifted back into 4th at 70 mph and was still pulling like a mule. At that point, I decided discretion was the better part of valor before the local gendarme took offense at my impromptu road test.

Bloody shame they put that engine and gearing combo in a 300 for only one year.

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Just say "NO" to Ethanol - Drive Diesel

Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club

it's not hanging on the 4100 rev limiter... the rev limiter is 5500... it's holding on lack of power, change your fuel filters. or adjust the accelerator linkage to get full travel of the IP!

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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!