Greetings All,

After adjusting my tranny linkage and all, it still starts out from a dead stop in second gear. Is this normal operation or not? I've heard it from both side and really want the answer to put an end to my search. This is a 1980 300TD station wagon with the wb025 series tranny, mechanical linkage only.

Thanks,

Charles

The 1980 300TD in the US uses only vacuum controls. The 1979 300TD used mechanical linkage for trans controls. FIRST gear start on the US 1980 model is a vacuum control. The 1979 car starts in second unless you hit electric kickdown button under gas pedal.

Forcing fuel to the engine
 

If the kickdown switch is being used to start out the car in first gear aren't we over fueling the engine by kicking the pedal to the floor? Any logical reason why MB starts their cars in second with a diesel engine that requires RPM's to operate efficiently. While I'm asking and maybe a little off topic, but what would the conditions be if an injection pump is either providing too much fuel, or too little because the drip timing is off in either respect?

Thanks,

Charles

The fuel mixture isn't changed by pedal position, the injection pump is calibrated to deliver the correct amount of fuel & the intake has no butterfly to control how much air is pulled in. A quick stab to the button with pedal & then backing off will get you going. MB designs trans controls different than anyone else as they build their own transmissions.

MB Doc,

Is a '87 300SD supposed to start in second gear like the '79 300 TD above?

How can the transmission be adjusted to shift to 3rd gear from high gear without pushing pedal to floor enabling the kick down switch? Even at 25 MPH the transmission will not downshift without enabling the kick down switch. I would like the transmission to downshift at about half throttle below 40 MPH like my 300SD does.

P E H