FS: 1983 240D Sold
 

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_ZGLTAbcsCmE/SU...otos%20002.JPG

Sold! Thanks everyone.

Still available! Don't hesitate to contact me via PM with any questions at all.

How much information do you have on where the car has been owned and/or driven?

Has it been a southern car all its life? Florida?

This typically makes a huge difference with the rust situation (as well as the interior fading-to-pink situation) etc.

Have you ever pulled a CarFax, or better, an AutoCheck on the car?

Thanks,
Ken300D

You know, I haven't done a CarFax on it ever. But I have service records (in the photos on Picasaweb) going back to 1983 from a shop in Florida, which backs up the previous owner's assertion it was a Florida car all its life. There's no rust except for the spot on the floor pan.

I can run a CarFax on it if that's important, I suppose.

The VIN is WDBAB23A4DB394108 for anyone interested.

Still available?!
 

Is this car still available then?!

Okay, update. Apparently it won't shift out of first now. So....make an offer with that in mind and I'll probably get rid of it.

It's got a great running engine, the transmission is probably just in need of an adjustment/new spring kit, the A/C works well, many new parts. But apparently only likes first gear now.

Grr.

Corrected (vacuum line) as of 11/24

OH MY HECK!
 

Have a lot of people been test driving it?

I wonder how far it would have gone before the tranny issue on a cross country trip. :confused:

I Can answer my own question. There's actually no way to know. :D

Sometimes long distance freeway driving won't trigger a first gear stuckage problem because it's almost all done in 4th gear. And vice a verse. Sometimes the extra heat generated by long distance freeway driving, especially climbing steep mountain grades, can trigger a problem that would not have shown up driving in town.

Could the problem with your car be caused by a broken kick down switch?

Certainly could be. It's had....a half-dozen different test drivers, at least. It seems to have cropped up out of nowhere -- my dad takes it out periodically to keep everything going, then I had a test drive, and the driver reported it wouldn't shift out of first. Was the first I'd heard of transmission issues till that point.

Its shift points were a little messed up already due to vacuum issues that I didn't have time to get sorted out, it could be related to that as well.

This '83 tranny doesn't have a kickdown cable, it's electronic. It could be bad, certainly, but I (unless it's stuck in kickdown mode) don't see that being the issue.

I mentioned it because I've heard of it happening before, but I can't recall the year of the car. Seems like it might have been a 126 300SD though.

Don't get discouraged so quickly, the symptoms you describe sound like a vacuum line fell off, or the kickdown switch is stuck.

As bad as it may sound, a dishonest potential buyer with a little MB knowledge could have even disconnected a vacuum line deliberately after a test drive, hoping to buy the car later for next to nothing because you might assume the trans, is shot.

Get it checked out by someone who knows MB's before you give the car away.

Here's the thread I remembered.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=250268&highlight=300sd+shift+kickdown

Interesting. I'll ask my dad to take a look at the switch and see if the situation improves.

And check the vacuum lines for the EGR system at the engine vacuum-valve and the electric solenoid-valve on the right inner-fender.
A couple times, when I accidentally missconnected the two vacuum lines at the solenoid valve, it made the tranny not want to upshift from first. I'm sure if one of those lines got loose, it would cause the same problem.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Well? Update please :D