300TE gearbox help please

[Onur]

Hello there, my dad has a 88'(F) 300TE 4matic Estate 124 series, it has about 144,000 miles on the clock...

we've recently found out that the car seems to be using only gears 1,2, and 3. never noticed much before because dad does lots of inner city driving, but i've been using it on dual-carridgeway/motorways and it revs very high...

for example at 60mph it will be on 4000rpm, 50 about 3500rpm and 40 3000rpm.

Has the gearbox had it or is there something wrong electrically somewhere, some loose wire or switch or something??

any help appreciated.

Many thanks.

 

[television]

With this model the same as the one that I had, it had to be kicked into first, that being the case you have got 4 gears, 4k at 60 does seem high perhaps someone will come on and say what theirs does.

Malcolm

 

[tom7035]

Hello there, my dad has a 88'(F) 300TE 4matic Estate 124 series, it has about 144,000 miles on the clock...

we've recently found out that the car seems to be using only gears 1,2, and 3. never noticed much before because dad does lots of inner city driving, but i've been using it on dual-carridgeway/motorways and it revs very high...

for example at 60mph it will be on 4000rpm, 50 about 3500rpm and 40 3000rpm.


Many thanks.

Yes, seems very high. I know the 3ltr and 2ltr are as different as night and day and with a different 'box, but just for comparison, my instruments tell me;
3500 rpm = 77 mph, 3200 rpm = 70 mph and, for comparison at the lower end, 1400 rpm = 30 mph.
Rolling circumference of the tyres within standard spec.
Might be of help.

 

[television]

Yes, seems very high. I know the 3ltr and 2ltr are as different as night and day and with a different 'box, but just for comparison, my instruments tell me;
3500 rpm = 77 mph, 3200 rpm = 70 mph and, for comparison at the lower end, 1400 rpm = 30 mph.
Rolling circumference of the tyres within standard spec.
Might be of help.

Yes tom I always used to work on the basis of 20MPH per 1K for manuals with overdrive and 1,1k for early auto's, as you say does seem wrong.

Malcolm

 

[Bolide]

Autobox

Sounds like the box may be bad. It's all hydraulic so everything is governed by a byzantine hydraulic valve chest in the box. When were the transmission fluid & filter last replaced?

You can make sure of what's going on by starting in 2. When starting in 2 the car starts in 1st and only shifts to second when you push the stick to 3 (stay with me on this!). Push the stick to 3 then immediately back to 2 and it'll shift to second. Then push the stick to 3 and it'll shift to 3rd. Then speed up to about 45 and shift to D. When you lift off the throttle a bit it should shift again to 4th. If it doesn't change up the box is cream-crackered. If it does shift up then the speedo, or something else, is wrong

If it's the box check the fluid level (see handbook). Top up if low. These boxes don't last forever so, if it's bad, your choices are to repair or replace it. I'd put a s/hand unit in from a breaker like Mercman and just keep driving the old girl

I assume the autobox in a 4-Matic is the same as a 300TE. If not you'll need a good 4-Matic box. The 4-Matic is a law unto itself in many ways but, like all W124s, is beautifully built and worth saving if at all possible

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[television]

I assume the autobox in a 4-Matic is the same as a 300TE. If not you'll need a good 4-Matic box. The 4-Matic is a law unto itself in many ways but, like all W124s, is beautifully built and worth saving if at all possible

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk[/QUOTE]

I missed the 4matic bit, these were a lot thirstier than the 300TE maybe its normal, I will ring my good friend and ask what his was like, he had it from new, some years back now.

Malcolm

 

[turnipsock]

Have you checked the gear stick adjustment?

At what point does it change gear?

What happens if you speed up to 80 or 90 mph?

With the smaller engines, it's about 20mph/1000rpm but with the 3 litres it should be higher than this.

 

[Onur]

thanks for the all the replys!

When were the transmission fluid & filter last replaced?

Well err, we've never replaced the oil but we do check it regularly, its a good level and always really clean.. as to the filter do you mean oil filter or is there a transmission oil filter as well? :/

You can make sure of what's going on by starting in 2. When starting in 2 the car starts in 1st and only shifts to second when you push the stick to 3 (stay with me on this!). Push the stick to 3 then immediately back to 2 and it'll shift to second. Then push the stick to 3 and it'll shift to 3rd. Then speed up to about 45 and shift to D. When you lift off the throttle a bit it should shift again to 4th. If it doesn't change up the box is cream-crackered. If it does shift up then the speedo, or something else, is wrong

thanks, gives us something to try, but i can tell you now, it wont shift up to forth, when the car is in D, there is no difference when its put into 3, its as if the box doesnt go into d for some reason, in the D the gears are all spaced out just like in 3.

Have you checked the gear stick adjustment?

didnt know it adjusted! where do we adjust it from, engine compartment, or under the centre console in the car?

At what point does it change gear?

it changes gear quite high thruout, usually around 3500rpm

What happens if you speed up to 80 or 90 mph?

too worried to try! highest i have gone is 60 and the engine is screaming


many thanks to all who replied

 

[tom7035]

Sounds to me it's missing more than top gear ratio. I'd check the selector rod adjustment as suggested by turnipsock, but this needs to be done from underneath with the weight of the car on its wheels, so obviously it will need to be done on a lift. The other obvious thing to do is go through the routine Bolide suggested. (Don't suppose it matters in which order you do these checks).
Come back after that with your findings.