New timing chain...check.
New battery... check.
New tires, Bilsteins, and alignment...check.
Freshly adjusted injectors, new fuel filters, and new clear lines...check.
Fresh out of the body shop after a two month quasi restoration..check.
And the most important addition: My Xmas hood ornamention to show our holiday spirit, a Starwreath. StarWreaths for Mercedes - Benz

Now, all I need for my Xmas road trip home is the kickdown linkage to, well, kick down and give me a passing gear. Manually downshifting the auto tranny while going up some our steep and long WV grades doesn't seem natural or proper.

It worked fine prior to getting the timing chain installed at the state MB indie, but came back with a fresh tack weld on the linkage and it's giving my local mechanic fits to get it adjusted.

I'd really like my gal on the road for the first real road trip since we bought her last June. If she don't get fixed tomorrow, then I'll be forced to take the Volvo...

So far they've only been able to affect the idle speed or create a "hang" so that the pedal either does nothing or fully revs the engine. Any pointers?

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1974 240D "Boldie" 170K.- New timing chain/freshly rebuilt IP/replaced valve seals/injectors/upgraded stereo/new Bilsteins with Yokohamas/fresh paint and rocker panels plus lots of welds.

Bumping this for future searchers. (Don't ya hate when these unsolved problems are eventually fixed but there's no follow up?)

It turns out that the fuse for the kickdown circuit kept blowing. The culprit was a galled kickdown solenoid. I needed both the solenoid and the housing it mates to. Quite pricey at ~$150 each.

Shift points and kickdown now working fine.

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1974 240D "Boldie" 170K.- New timing chain/freshly rebuilt IP/replaced valve seals/injectors/upgraded stereo/new Bilsteins with Yokohamas/fresh paint and rocker panels plus lots of welds.

Now that sounds like an interesting fault - I'll be irritating and ask for pictures (now that you've probably thrown the old part in the bin!)...

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

You're actually in luck, sort of.


I just tried to remove the solenoid from the housing to get a picture for you, but it only turns...and turns....and turns. If I understand the set up correctly, the threads of the solenoid don't seem to be "biting" into the housing.

I suppose this is why both parts needed replaced.

There's no obvious sign of damage apart from that.

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1974 240D "Boldie" 170K.- New timing chain/freshly rebuilt IP/replaced valve seals/injectors/upgraded stereo/new Bilsteins with Yokohamas/fresh paint and rocker panels plus lots of welds.

I hope it isn't the housing 'cos the end bites into the transmission casing

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

Yup. That's the part that I have (housing, not the actual solenoid). I mistakenly assumed that the "bolt" piece was threaded into the housing. It looks like it might just pull out under normal circumstances, but mine appears stuck (which is why I thought it was threaded).

Is it supposed to move freely? If so, then there's that the problem and why mine needed replaced.

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1974 240D "Boldie" 170K.- New timing chain/freshly rebuilt IP/replaced valve seals/injectors/upgraded stereo/new Bilsteins with Yokohamas/fresh paint and rocker panels plus lots of welds.

Now I'm confused I'll have to dig the transmission out of the garage in the next few days and do a bit of head scratching...

...I'll be back.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!