I just bought my first Mercedes a few weeks ago. Awesome car. Great price. Very meticulous former owner.

Tonight on the way to see The Davinci Code, something bad happened. The transmission seems to be having some issues. I hope it can be fixed, cheap.

It's an '82 300TD, w123.

It drives, yes. But not very well. It won't shift into second gear until about 3,200 rpm. Third gear happens at about 3,500 rpm. After hitting 3,500 rpm, the transmission seems to fix itself, and starts behaving normally again. When it's in "misbehaving" mode, after you let off the gas pedal (or diesel pedal?) it won't go into neutral. This problem too fixes itself after hitting 3,500 rpm.

I checked the transmission fluid, and it's between the two lines on the dipstick, a little closer to the bottom line.

I hope I can fix this. Any expert opinions? Possible vacuum issue? Or transmission bushings (i read a little about those at Diesel Giant's page), dunno. I really love this car. I don't want to have to have a new tranny put in her already.

I will say, Mercedes does kick some ass. For a broken car, it drives okay!!

It sounds like an easy fix might be the thing called a bowden cable. This is adjusted at the top of the valve cover, it is attached to the throttle linkage.
It is the cable that goes under the passengers side of the car. First make a mental note of how much thread is showing on the adjustment nut. Then slacken it (meaning turning it clockwise when standing on the passengers side) about three turns. You should notice a difference when the trans shifts. Mabee too soon, so turn it back the other way 1.5 turns, etc. I think it is a 13mm nut, and its plastic. I'm able to turn mine by hand, but if it hasn't been moved in a long time it would be easier with a wrench.
This is a guess. If no work was done on the motor, i.e. valve cover off, I don't know why it would need adjustment, mabee just a wear compensation thing.

It the "something bad" occurred on the way to see the movie, and it was not present prior to the trip, then the movie is the culprit. You should have never went to see that movie.....................



Seriously, the problem is very likely to be a stuck kickdown switch underneath the driver's accelerator pedal. There is a pushbutton that closes a switch to allow the vehicle to kickdown into the next lower gear. The button lives in a bad place and can easily get stuck with dirt and debris.

So, find the button, disconnect the wires from the button, and drive it again.

Report back with your results.

If you're driving with the accelerator pedal (notice I said accelerator pedal and not gas pedal,,, you might get flamed calling it a gas pedal in this forum ) floored, i.e. pedal to the metal, stomping it,,, etc then the RPM's are normal. Rmember the car Redlines around 4500 RPM and the engine will do every bit of that without any problems.

I know it sounds kinda scary, like a race car, but it's within specs.


Now of course if you're lightly hitting the gas pedal, then there are some issues with it.

Marty

Not that you used the term, but it's also not a "throttle pedal."

I always liked the term "foot feed."

.........."rack modulator pedal"

I know an old woman in Pa. who calls it "the zoomis propelska"

I needed a laugh this AM as one of my peers on the XJS list was picking on me on Fri. for NOT CONFORMING TO THE RULES!

Those Jag guys are so ANAL!...I guess it goes with the territory!

I said..."my buds on the MB site are Much friendlier"!

Tinker with that tranny.......IT WILL come back to life!

I wish the Jag was as easy to fix.

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[B]AlanT
BELEN NM


93 dodge cummins truck~old reliable
01 Volvo AWD XC70 Turbo Wagon
74 450 SE on the way out!
Recent: 1972 Toronado 56k on the clock!

IF it plugs in, lights up, makes noise,
I'M ON IT!

It was God punishing you for seeing The Davinci Code.

__________________
Gary
85 300D Ivory, 202,000
Beatus exsisto Jesu, verus et Deus verus Vir

I'm gonna tell Kirby on you
Dropped the XJS list a while back for that reason, either way mines done and just as fast as Chad's

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Stable Mates:
1987 300TD 310K mi (Hans)
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee OM642 165k mi (Benzrokee)

My 240D did the same thing when I bought it. Lack of vaccum makes it ****s late, and mine had several leaks. Mine would only shift at redline, and then only if you backed off the pedal. Hook a gage up to the hard line leading TO the tranny, I bet you find zero or way low vaccum. Chuck.

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2000 C230 Kompressor "Frosty"

2007 PT Cruiser
2001 VW TDI Beetle
1999 Landrover Discovery II
1971 Corvette

Gone: 97 Cabrio, 83 240D, 93 VW Eurovan, 95 Volvo 850, 93 Chevy Astro Van, 77 VW Bus, 99 VW Jetta, 74 VW Bus

On the 617, in the later years, vacuum has nothing to do with the shift points. It affects the harshness or softness of the shift by causing a slight delay in the shift, but it has nothing to do with the rpm at which the shift occurs.

That's good, I usually call it the "accelerator pedal," but that doesn't really apply to the 240D. Maybe the "conservation of momentum pedal"?

The Mercedes recommendations on changing the fluid and filter for the automatic transmissions are much shorter than most American cars used to be... have you changed the filter and fluid in your car since you bought it ?
Also might want to do a search for Trans-X using my name as poster...

Well.... you wont be-freaking-leave it. The kickdown button was jammed all the way down. A simple tap with my finger popped it right back out!!

What the hell good does that kickdown button do anyway??

Apparently God's punishment was only temporary.

Of course I believe it.

It's happened about 30 times already to other members.

That button tells the transmission that you want more POWER.........AND RIGHT NOW!!

Don't go to those movies anymore.

Help is what we do here.