rivcal4life

So I finally took care of that Suspention/Steering problem I had from hitting that curb a few weeks ago. I took the car out yesterday morning and after a few minutes, while shifting from 2-3, the transmission jumped a few times, then just completely refused to upshift. I just put in a used tranny less than 500 miles ago.

I figured first things first, and replaced the fluid filter, I did not find any metal scraps in the pan, so I dont think there has been any major damage. I poured in Royal Purple fluid hoping that would help out a little. The shift from 1-2 is flawless now, but no help on 2-3.

I have searched high and low for the past 24 hours searching for a possible Vacuum line diagram. I think the problem has been narrowed down to the vacuum modulator (which Ive located), the upshift delay solenoid, or just a problem with the vacuum system all together.

If it helps any, I have a bypassed smog pump because the pulley was damaged not too long ago. I know this is connected to the system, but am not sure of its relation to the transmission. Also, the Air Con has a hard time going sometimes, which I believe could also be caused by damaged/clogged vacuum lines.

So in short, I am looking for a diagram, or relevant pictures telling me where to look and what to connect where. Also, I need to know what size vacuum tubes I will need to re-pipe the system. I am perfectly willing to pay for these and any relevant info you may have that will get me running again.

Thank you in advance,
-Justin

floodkid

same problem, been lookin for months.

if you find anything PM me.

so far most helpfull thing ive found was on benzworld and im waiting on a reply for a more detailed description of the solution

so far all i got was a "clogged port"..
no clue.

might be imagination, but it seemed to help when i drop it down manually.

good luck.

rivcal4life

PROBLEM SOLVED! For now anyways.

I found a lot of information in different places, so I know this is a very common problem with these cars. Therefor I decided to go ahead and show what I did to absolve my issues. It was a REALLY easy job and took less than a half hour.

First off, Youre going to need to jack up the car enough for you to comfortably access the transmission. What youre looking for is the modulator valve. Its located on the driver side just above the fluid pan and to the front of the center pan-bolt. (see first attached image)

Pop off the center cap with a flathead screwdriver. Youll see a piece of metal inside what looks like a plastic cross. Pull this piece out just enough to be able to turn it with your fingers. In my case, I rotated 1.5 turns, but my car would not upshift at all. If youre car is just shifting hard, you may want to do less.

Replace the t-screw, and rubber fitting. Lower the car.

Let it heat up for about 15 minutes before you test it out. If all seems good, ENJOY!

I still noticed flaring, so I went a step further to tightening the bowden cable. The cable is located under the air filter, but can be accessed without removing it. Look behind the airbox towards the windshield. You should see what looks like a bicycle brake cable assembly (see attachment #2).

To shorten shifts, you'll want to rotate the hex-shaped plastic part counter-clockwise. Start off with small turns. 1/2 at a time should be enough. Test drive after every adjustment, and make sure you allow the car to cycle through all gears so youre sure. Also, remember that the car will not adjust correctly unless it is warmed up first. The amount you will need to adjust this screw varies, so use your discretion. It is normally pretty sensitive, but if youre shifts are way off, you know what to do.

I hope this helps people as I know a post like this would have saved me hours of searching online and could potentially even save someone money.

LET ME KNOW IF THIS WORKS FOR YOU....please :-D

shadowgriffen

haha! Good stuff man, good stuff!

floodkid

::::: bow::::

ty vm

hopefully this fixes my problem as well.

floodkid

Followed directions problem fixed!

thank you so so much.

only other thing in directions.. i rotated clockwise.

my problem was only 2-3 i did less then half a turn on tranny,
i think its still there when it kicksdown, but not sure. guna adjust the bowden cable when my dad gets back from driving it.


someone please put this on a sticky or something. From what ive found, it would help alot of ppl to do this even if there only noticing a soft shift.

rivcal4life

Yeah if I would have read a post like this then I may not have had to replace my transmission a couple months ago.

Yesterday my car was doing the same thing it did before the swap, (not shifting below 3rd gear) so I loosened up the valve a little and it did the trick. If I knew that was all I had to do before, I couldve saved over 1200 bucks, and a month of being able to back out of parking spots and not have to drive around for 45 minutes looking for a spot to pull through....haha.

shdoug

Are you saying that adjusting the modulator fixes the problem of not shifting into reverse? If so, you're going to be a hero! That happens a lot with these transmissions.

rivcal4life

Yeah when I said it was having the same problems as before, I meant when my car would not go into 1st, 2nd or rev.

If your transmission is not shifting into reverse...you need to loosen the modulator valve.

As in, turn it counter-clockwise.

A half turn should do it.

Keep in mind that this is not a permanent fix. You may be having vacuum issues, or a rebuild could be in your future.

I hated it so much not being able to back up. So embarrassing.

floodkid

ya, i thought about that after a while.
sooner or later guna have to go through the vacuum testing hasle and check all my lines and what not.
but for now, she runs great.

lol... that would suck.. not being able to back up...

shadowgriffen

Bro lemme ask you -

If my trans runs good, but is shifting a tad too agressive for my taste, which way should I turn the plastic cross to help?

rivcal4life

As in, it, shifts are reallly short and maybe even kinda hard? They have a little flare between each one?

But just like I told floodkid, this isnt a permanent fix, are vacuum lines, modulators or even the trany are going out...

shadowgriffen

as in it shifts really strong, like it pulls when it does so, the trans is fine, so I've been told by MB mechanics



So which way to make it smoother? or should I just try the bowden cable first?

dbldog

Justin....just went thru your article AFTER I posted an article about my transmission, see 'Transmission....goinG'. I'll give it a try and let you know and yes, not being able to get in reverse is a drag and my wife will have no more of it, we live in San Francisco

rivcal4life

Try the bowden cable first.

Loosen it. Counterclockwise.

Mark it or something so if it doesnt fix the problem, you can put it back and turn the modulator valve. Then go from there.

Did you ever get your headlights wired up right? I Smoked mine a little with some NiteShades spray and I like them a LOT more. They kinda look foggy close up, but you cant tell at all from 100 ft away.

DBLDOG:

yeah dude definately give it a try. If your reverse is not kicking in you shouldnt have to turn it more than a half a turn counter clockwise to get it to work again.

Are your 1st and 2nd gears working right?

Lemmie know how it works for sure.

floodkid

Rivcal, clean out your Inbox

shadowgriffen

haha! remember I got my headlights smashed? Since then I dont even care bout' them no moe', so it's all good.

So counterclockwise for smoother shifts then? Ok cool, i
ll check it out.

thanks again dawg!

rivcal4life

Oh yeah I heard about that RIP stormy eyes.

lol that sounds like a poem or something.

Anyways...youre landlord ever decide to pay you back? replacements?

floodkid

What vacuum lines did you get changed out?
The mechanic down here prolly just didnt want to do it, but he said it was "pointless" to change all the lines out. *sigh*

Ill probably just do it myself, more reliable than his 30 years of MB work... aint it sad?

Did it fix your problem? or can you still feel it?

rivcal4life

I just went ahead and did all the lines. It wasnt that bad. Less than $300.

It definitely helped my air conditioning and a little with the tranny. Like I said though, these are all just work-arounds.

The tranny's are going out.

floodkid

*sigh*
ya, might be picking up another 300E soon that needs alot of work and end up selling the one i have now.

depending on the cost of a tranny fix.
rebuild, replace new, replace used....

floodkid

Im still getting a small flare, found a few things and have some more information


http://www.mercedesshop.com/shopforu...=182598&page=2

I also found something in "The bible" about changing the "Spring pack."
Is the spring pack the same thing as the clutch pack?

phantom2

Right now mines tends to shift at 3500-4000+ from 1st-3rd. I have adjusted modulator and what I think is the bowden cable against the fire wall. No change on shift points for lower rpm.
Help! what else should Ilook for. If you have a picture for the cable I would appreciate very much just to make sure I am looking at the right one. 93 400E
Thanks