[yka]

I have 1986 560SL.

I have studied possibilities to start always with first gear. It seems that kick down or Gear Lever B connection gives some possibities.

Kick Down switch is connected to fuel pump shut off pin, I do not know why.

- Has anyone tried to short cut either of these switches to make the gearbox start first gear when needed?

Asked,

 

[reno4u2]

You may want to check into this. Believe others on the forum have installed it.

Mercedes-benz V8 V12 w126 SE SEC SEL,R129,R107 SL,w124 500E,400E,w116,w140 SEL CL First gear start module tuning transmission

 

[3547fl]

I would be interested to hear if anybody installed this in a 107 and how well it works.

 

[isthisdave]

.


Check strife's web page.

 

[FriscoSteve]

I will be looking into this as well. I think this would be a great mod to do with instant gratification.

 

[Pearson]

I have the Bergwerks first gear mod in mine, it looks similar to that unit. I had mine adjusted for a "speed" setting where first winds out under hard acceleration, and "normal" where it shifts where it should under regular acceleration. It's so perfect that I forgot what it used to be like.

Take off is great on mine. I get a slight tire chirp on take off and sometimes in second as well.

Another must that I had installed is the automated windows / roll down to one-click. My finger used to go numb waiting for those things. Now, one simple push.

 

[strife2]

The solenoid (that is also connected to the kickdown switch) is grounded by the "B" setting. I used a relay connected to a microprocessor connected to this circuit. The microprocessor counts the 12 volt pulses from the speedometer and if there aren't any for a few seconds, it "arms" the trigger. The first new set of pulses energizes the solenoid and leaves it energized for a about 0.7 seconds. So, it isn't technically "first gear start" but effectively it is because the car hardly moves before it goes into first gear. My intention was not to spin the tires, it was to get moving very quickly.

What I don't like about this is that if the tachometer pulses should fail when the car is at speed, the solenoid would energize. I don't know what this would do, but it can't be good. The company that does this in Europe actually includes a fail-safe by tying in to the ABS pulses from one (or maybe even both) of the wheels, so that if the speedo signal failed but wheel pulses were detected this would be considered abnormal.

I had considered smarter firmware that would consider a sudden change from many pulses to no pulses abnormal, and not switch; but this wouldn't be fail-safe. Still, I've used it for about five years with no problems.

 

[tdoriot]

Where does the auto window module come from? Thanks!

 

[yka]

I asked the always first gear option from Germany...

Here the is the answer from Germany - they do not prefer the "always first gear "- option. I will add "Kick down" or "Gear lever B short cut sw" parallel the mirror joystick "down" function. That will be enough for me.


"Hallo Yka,

I do know that all old MB automatic 4-gear-gearboxes always start in gear Nr2.

This is the normal gear nr 1!!!

What you have in these boxes and what is called gear nr 1 is an extra gear for special purposes. Should have been called gear Nr 0 !!!

The later gearboxes only have three gears. (2-3-4 !!! compared with the old ones.)

For example W 116 6-cylinders have 4-gear-automatic-gearboxes and the 8-cylinders have 3-gear-gearboxes, which has to do with sufficient output torque.

As you have a Drehmomentwandler (Hydrodynamic torque converter ?) you do need a first gear only when going uphill with a heavy camping trailer.

-" Whereby, the output torque can be up to 2,5 times higher than the initial torque, one reason why vehicles with an automatic transmission and torque converter often have one gear less in the subsequent planetary gearbox."

http://www.kfz-tech.de/Engl/Drehmomentwandler.htm

-So what is written on the page you sent: "First gear start - allows your car to work the way its designers intended." is bullshit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-MB engineers wanted the car to drive comfortable without switching unnecessary around between gears. Every single switching action is unnecessary high wear of the friction parts and speeding burns these parts.

"Particularly when pulling off, the work of the torque converter is often associated with a great deal of heat-development."

Who wanted to drive around "sporty" ordered another car with manual 5-gear-gearbox.

-I have never seen or heard of a thing like that before.

-And if I see one, I will destroy it ;-)))))))

-KR

Hans"

 

[Gohot]

Here's a thought.... I had both a 93 and 94 Toyota Twin Turbo Supra and a Lt1 Corvette respectivly, and on the shifter on the Supra there was a button on the thumb side (USA version left drive) and if you wanted you had a choice between traction control ....or not, same with the Corvette, but a slightly different arrangement, it was on the console just below the shifter 'if I remember correctly' and by activating these switches you turned the traction control on or off of course. Wouldn't a push button similar to the Supra be a handy (literally) idea, You could shift as usual in the factory mode, but when needed, a simple thumb push would start you in first and then accelerate through the gears. Mind you, I virtually never have need of such hard acceleration, I tend to be a much more docile driver, and to me ricky-racing my 450 would seem a tad vulgar, never the less there seems to be an audience for such an upgrade. A simple processing board with a mechanical servo seems all that would be needed, a simple (on)... (engage to first) and an (off)... (return to second) and would likely need a fail-safe against shifting into to low at speed. I'm not the electronics guy, but this seems plausible with maybe less chance of monkeying up the existant harness's and electronics.