I did a search, but didn't find my exact problem.

Background:
I've had my 83 300SD for 3 months, running homebrew BD the whole time. Removed the ALDA about 2 months ago, capped the ALDA vac line.

Last night, doing about 40mph, noticed revs were high. Realized it never shifted into 4th. Feathered the throttle to get it to shift..it didn't. Put it in "3" and back to "D", still no shift. I read other posts that it wasn't good to go to neutral and back to "D" while driving, but I thought at 40 and no load that I wouldn't damage anything. I did it, and it subsequently found 4th and was fine after that, until the next time I came to a stop. Same problem on the way to work this morning...no 4th unless I go to neutral and back.

The 1-2 shift and 2-3 shift are fine, (although they may be occurring at slightly higher rpm, it hard to tell). No other driveability issues.

I need to do 150 highway miles tonight, and I'd like to do it with a 4th gear if possible. Anybody have a quick solution that I can do on my lunch hour?

Thanks

Mark in MA

Possible shifter/shifter rod bushings. I think there are two and you install them from underneath. If they are shot or missing you will get play in the linkage and sometimes no engagement in a gear.

__________________
-disav

99 E300 TURBODIESEL Astral Silver 282K - AMG brakes, suspension, monoblocks, speedo & interior - Full Load Maxed on IP by custom Speed Tuning USA Chip - T3/T4 Garrett - EGR/MAF delete
98 E300 TURBODIESEL Alexandrite Green on black leather 289K
95 E300 DIESEL Green Queen 267K SOLD
84 300D 216k SOLD
87 300D 299K #22 head - intercooler - full load adj. - 8sec 0-60mph - SOLD
76 300D 214K SOLD

I'm confused. By shift rod, are you describing the gear selector? After I go to neutral and back to "D" I get 4th, but then lose it again after the next stoplight without touching a thing.

Thanks

Mark

You might unplug your kickdown switch under the go pedal, and take if for a drive and see if that solves the issue.

If you are shifting into other gears at higher RPM, You might have a Bowden Cable issue. I don't know if the SD's have bowden cable but if so, maybe it's adjusted too high and the rpms aren't getting high enough to shift into 4th. Try adjusting it down and see what happens. I don't remeber off hand if it needs to be adjusted CW or CCW to make shifts sooner. You'll have to look it up.

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If you lose it when you come back to a light then it probably is not the shifter bushings. They are visible from underneath and connect to the gear shifter. I would check the bowden cable and unplug the kickdown switch like was suggested.

__________________
-disav

99 E300 TURBODIESEL Astral Silver 282K - AMG brakes, suspension, monoblocks, speedo & interior - Full Load Maxed on IP by custom Speed Tuning USA Chip - T3/T4 Garrett - EGR/MAF delete
98 E300 TURBODIESEL Alexandrite Green on black leather 289K
95 E300 DIESEL Green Queen 267K SOLD
84 300D 216k SOLD
87 300D 299K #22 head - intercooler - full load adj. - 8sec 0-60mph - SOLD
76 300D 214K SOLD

To follow up:

I adjusted the bowden cable white nut out 1 full turn. It's ambiguous to describe as clockwise or counterclockwise due to the perspective of where you stand to do it.

This returned the 4th gear shift, and the other shifts now happen normally.

Thanks for the help.

Mark in MA

Glad you got it fixed and it was a simple fix!

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