Hello there all you great people! I've got a question and I know that I will get an answer through this forum. I have a 1983, 300 SD and it has the following situation on it. It always starts out in second gear. It has just started to do this. I pulled the valve cover and checked the valves for adjustment (I adjusted some of them) and now the car starts out in second. It doesn't matter what I do, the same gear. Where I am at the roads are relatively flat and it doesn't matter much, but it's not right. Solutions???

Check all your vacuum lines.
sounds like you may have knocked one off during the valve adjustment or it may be that the bowden cable that shifts your tranny came loose during the valve adjustment and you did not get it back in place...

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'99 S420 - Mommies
'72 280SE 4.5 - looking to breathe life into it
'84 300SD Grey - Sold
'85 300SD Silver - Sold
'78 Ski Nautique

I have a hunch that you probably disconnected a vacuum line when you had the valve cover off. There is a 3/2 way vacuum switch with all kinds of little hoses coming out of it that has something to do with regulating the shifting. It is a very delicate situation so you migh want to start there anyway.

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1982 300D Turbo "Helga"
380,000 miles

Often those rubber hoses under the black plsatic cover on top of the valve cover are cracked from heat, especially after 20 years! Replace them ALL!