i was thinking of hardwiring a switch for the kickdown button under the gas pedal so i could kickdown a gear without having to floor the accelerator. would be nice when you are dipping in and out of turns, you could hit the switch prematurely so you wouldnt have to wait for the gear to kickdown when you are half way through a curve.
anyone done this? anybody have some schematics? i dont think it would be very hard.
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92 300E with 145k, charcoal on black interior
eibach pro kit with bilstein HDs
17" amg knock-offs powder coated flat black
35% tint
i was thinking of hardwiring a switch for the kickdown button under the gas pedal so i could kickdown a gear without having to floor the accelerator. would be nice when you are dipping in and out of turns, you could hit the switch prematurely so you wouldnt have to wait for the gear to kickdown when you are half way through a curve.
anyone done this? anybody have some schematics? i dont think it would be very hard.
Why not just downshift???
"Kicking down" or "downshifting" while in a curve is not a safe or accepted performance driving technique.
You should be in your lower gear and have your braking complete as you enter the curve and accelerate out in that same gear as you exit the apex of the curve.
To do other wise ( down shift or braking )will cause an abnormal weight shift and upset the cornering balance that you try to maintain.
i was hoping this would be less about driving technique and more about actually figuring out a way to do this. RBYCC, you are right. i was just trying to throw out an example that it could be useful in.
my point is that i dont like to screw with the shifter on an automatic, especially on a benz. its clunky, wears out shifter bushings, and i feel foolish trying to shift gears in my auto like it was stick. if i wired up a little button or switch i could just flip it when i am anticipating the need to shift down, instead of waiting for the laggy downshift. ever been going up a hill, not needing to give it more gas but just trying to get it to downshift? sometimes its pretty stubborn. thats what im trying to aid here.
i just wanna know if anyone might have some tips or experience with doing something like this?
and btw mcbear, no shit it wouldnt be fun in the rain. thats why you dont drive like that in the rain.
i was hoping this would be less about driving technique and more about actually figuring out a way to do this. RBYCC, you are right. i was just trying to throw out an example that it could be useful in.
my point is that i dont like to screw with the shifter on an automatic, especially on a benz. its clunky, wears out shifter bushings, and i feel foolish trying to shift gears in my auto like it was stick. if i wired up a little button or switch i could just flip it when i am anticipating the need to shift down, instead of waiting for the laggy downshift. ever been going up a hill, not needing to give it more gas but just trying to get it to downshift? sometimes its pretty stubborn. thats what im trying to aid here.
i just wanna know if anyone might have some tips or experience with doing something like this?
and btw mcbear, no shit it wouldnt be fun in the rain. thats why you dont drive like that in the rain.
Nothing wrong with manually shifting.
I do it all the time in all my vehicles from a paddle shift six speed 400HP C6 to my G55.....don't do much with the C43 as my girl friend drives it.
I've had my 300CE since purchasing it new in may of 1988.......even with the recent addition of a whole lot more torque, my driving style hasn't changed.
I prefer to engine brake the car when I feel like a "spirited" drive.
Also don't like to "kick down" as it is more brutal then taking control yourself at a better RPM and gear to maximize acceleration.
If your transmission is in top shape you shouldn't get the "lag' you describe.
I've found in nineteen years of ownership that the transmission is above average when it comes to response time.
How fast it shifts has to do with throttle pressure, you might want to have your trans checked out because if it lags using the shifter it probably will lag on a kick down.
My Personal Advice is not to go for an External Switch. It might cause problems with the Shifter in the future and having problems in a MB are very costly and hair raising. It is also very dangerous.
you are probably right about the tranny not being in very good shape. the people that owned the car before never had the fluid changed. it wines in 1st gear and for the first time a few days ago it fell out of gear when i was pulling out of my street. i dont think its going to last much longer. if the tranny dies i might just swap in a 5 speed. is there an abundance of 5 speeds in europe or anywhere for the w124 that i could order. i'd imagine they are pretty common over there. . . . ?
instead of waiting for the laggy downshift. ever been going up a hill, not needing to give it more gas but just trying to get it to downshift? sometimes its pretty stubborn. thats what im trying to aid here.
Maybe your Bowden cable has too much slack. You can adjust the Bowden cable a little to achieve an easier kickdown. The adjustment is very accessible under the hood next to the throttle linkage. You can turn it a little and drive to try it out. Then turn a little more and try it again. You can definitely get the car to be more responsive to peddle movements, although you can also go too far the other way and get so it never shifts into 4th gear. Just give it a try and see what you think.
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I just couldn't give up on my 1995 E320.
I think it might be like always going back to that same bad relationship with an ex girlfriend.
You feel you love them too much, or you are just too stupid to know any better.
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