all...

my 1987 300D automatic transmission will not shift out of low or 1st gear...

any ideas??

this has been a bullet proof car over the years..

thanks for the help...

Sounds like the kickdown switch is stuck, or the wire is shorted, or something. Try unplugging the wire at the right/rear of the tranny?

__________________
Dave
Boise, ID
Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!

Low fluid will prevent shifting also.

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1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

i checked all vacuum lines under the hood...i then check the fluid...low!!!...when i last had the oil changed at jiffy lube 3 weeks ago)they were supposed to check all fluids...what a letdown...

from now on i will check my fluids...

thanks for the help..

Check either the kickdown switch or the bowden cable. There should be some slack in the bowden cable. It's a cable coming from the tranny to the top of the valve cover. It gets pulled when the throttle is pressed. If it is too tight, the shift points will be REAL high and you may think that the tranny doen't shift at all.

I didn't think mine was shifting... until I got it up to 3500 rpm, then it did.

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)