W124 gearbox

[5907]

My current E280 W124 estate always pulls off in first gear, regardless of how much I accelerate or the position of the S / E switch.

Is this normal? My last pre-facelift 300TE-24 always used 2nd gear unless I accelerated hard in 'S' mode. I kind of preferred it that way.

Also, the S / E switch doesn't seem to have any effect at all on the way the gearbox changes gears. Do you think my switch is faulty?

Thanks.

 

[Bolide]

The post-facelift cars are different from the earlier cars in this respect - the later cars always start in 1st

The S position should see the box shift up at higher revs. If it doesn't do that then I'd suspect either the cables are incorrectly adjusted or that there is a fault

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[5907]

The post-facelift cars are different from the earlier cars in this respect - the later cars always start in 1st

The S position should see the box shift up at higher revs. If it doesn't do that then I'd suspect either the cables are incorrectly adjusted or that there is a fault

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

Ah right.

The gearbox will always hold on to gears until I back off the accelerator pedal (or until the red line), in both S and E.

On my last one, the 'E' mode made the box change at lower revs, and pretty much disabled kickdown.

 

[television]

I do not think so the 722.4 and 5 boxes are all second gear starts. First gear only comes in at full throttle.

I have all of the official data and roads speed checks

 

[5907]

I do not think so the 722.4 and 5 boxes are all second gear starts. First gear only comes in at full throttle.

I have all of the official data and roads speed checks

I've heard from quite a few owners of the E-class facelifted W124s that it always starts off in 1st; I believe the box was modified slightly after the facelift (about 93 on).

I hope so, anyway.

 

[stumpy]

Yep mine is a 96 and starts in 1st

 

[simon_wall69]

I've heard from quite a few owners of the E-class facelifted W124s that it always starts off in 1st; I believe the box was modified slightly after the facelift (about 93 on).

I hope so, anyway.

This has always been the case with my many 124s.

 

[kth286]

5907

My 1995 320 has the 4 speed 722.3 box and starts in second gear.

Yon can gain access to the W/S switch and you should clean the contacts or buy a new switch because over the years lots of rubbish falls down between the centre console.

It could be gummed up with coke and dirt and is always in S mode.

 

[5907]

5907

My 1995 320 has the 4 speed 722.3 box and starts in second gear.

Yon can gain access to the W/S switch and you should clean the contacts or buy a new switch because over the years lots of rubbish falls down between the centre console.

It could be gummed up with coke and dirt and is always in S mode.

It sounds like you have a different gearbox to mine; mine is the 722.4 I think, and it doesn't have a W/S switch.

And it makes sense that a 320 would start in second while my 280 would start in first, the 320 has a lot more torque while the 280 may stuggle to move off in second gear.

 

[Bolide]

5907

My 1995 320 has the 4 speed 722.3 box and starts in second gear

Interesting. I'll check all the cars I have at present. I don't recall any W124 starting in 2nd since my 250TD but maybe I'm being unobservant

Will report back

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[television]

This is very hard to work out. there is no question about the 1990 300 TE as mine was a second gear start. the E-S mode switch only altered the shift points. this also applied to the 200TE of the same year, as I drove one of those too.

The guys in the USA worked out a simple mod to get a 1st gear start by just removing one spring, so if they were a 1st gear start, why would they have done this

 

[hasan80]

I do not think so the 722.4 and 5 boxes are all second gear starts. First gear only comes in at full throttle.

I have all of the official data and roads speed checks

i have a w124 230ce and i believe malcolm is wright.

...well, it drove very well until a so called mechanic replaced my engine, now i have the same problem with mine.. :x:x