[mondeomanv893xtl]

Hi , i've recently bought a e300 td avantgarde and discovered it is stuck in w. It is starting in second gear but kicks down to first.I have trawled the forum for a thread on how to dismantle the selector as I believe it is quite complicated, from reading other threads.From what I have read so far the switch mechanism sticks therefore keeping the gearbox in w. The car has the five speed auto 722.6.
I have already dipped the box and the transmition fluid is at an acceptable level.
I would be very grateful for some first hand experience / knowledge of this problem and how to rectify it correctly, perhaps a suitable thread or link because I can't find one!
Thanks.

 

[Plutoe]

I am somewhat confused---when in W or S---nothing "kickdowns" by itself. In W if the shifter is not in 1 the car will start off in 2 and go up in gears. In S(standard) the car will start off in 1 and go up in gears.

The W and S portion of the shift recognition gear switch is integral, if it is faulty you need the complete switch.

You may want to scan the transmission module prior to doing all that work and finding out it is something else!!

If in W the transmission down shifts by itself you have other issues than the W and S portion of the switch. Ding How!!

 

[Kajtek1]

My 98 300DT transmission starts on 1st gear in W setting. Hard to tell if this is a defect or program, but this is what it does. If you read the parallel topic -W setting is activating sprung clutch, what will give you Hill Holding, when S does not, so I set my switch to W as my wife will appreciate the feature.
Welcome to the forum and please fill up the profile with car info for better accuracy.

 

[renault12ts]

I am somewhat confused---when in W or S---nothing "kickdowns" by itself. In W if the shifter is not in 1 the car will start off in 2 and go up in gears. In S(standard) the car will start off in 1 and go up in gears.

The W and S portion of the shift recognition gear switch is integral, if it is faulty you need the complete switch.

You may want to scan the transmission module prior to doing all that work and finding out it is something else!!

If in W the transmission down shifts by itself you have other issues than the W and S portion of the switch. Ding How!!

What the OP means is that if you are in W you can kick down to 1st. The box doesn't do it by itself, but only if you use the kick down facility. Live and learn.

 

[renault12ts]

My 98 300DT transmission starts on 1st gear in W setting. Hard to tell if this is a defect or program, but this is what it does. If you read the parallel topic -W setting is activating sprung clutch, what will give you Hill Holding, when S does not, so I set my switch to W as my wife will appreciate the feature.
Welcome to the forum and please fill up the profile with car info for better accuracy.

Yet another oddity on your car only KJ.

Everybody else's car will start in 2nd gear when in W...yours too I suspect.

BTW it's a SPRAG clutch, not sprung!!

 

[Olivier A]

Its easy to look for it. The switch got a little plunger inside that got the habit after awhile to be stuck down....
You need to peel the top of the selector, I think from there you can open the switch, I did it but it was years ago, there is a teeny spring in there that has a tendancy to sprung out and easily get lost, this is the fiddling part, then look at the punger, pull it out and clean it properlly.
put it all back together and enjoy the drive starting on first

 

[Plutoe]

Oliver you gotta get yourself on Masterpiece Theater, either that or be Benny Hill replacement!!

 

[Olivier A]

Oliver you gotta get yourself on Masterpiece Theater, either that or be Benny Hill replacement!!

I don't get it? Do you know how the system work there? Have you been there? Have you done it?
Can you explain your position.
Cheers.

 

[Plutoe]

It's the way you express youself. I BELIEVE that you have a masterfull sense of HUMOR and no doubt would make an excellent Benny Hill!!

 

[Olivier A]

Plutoe, the benny hill doesn't go down well at all, also I read few or your comment about other member and I can easily see that you are a bully.
What I was giving is true info.
By the way your answer still doesn't say if you know about the S/W switch

 

[Kajtek1]

I don't take Plutoe as a bully. Rather as a clown. Each place can use one.
The problem is, that there are "white" clowns, "black" clowns and stupid clowns.
Talking about switch - I restored lot of them on W123. The switches were big had very solid contacts and were easy to take apart. Usually after +- 20 years the problem was dirt accumulation,.
Newer switches are often glued together and tiny contacts just bend out of shape. Still worth trying.

 

[mbvis]

Hi , i've recently bought a e300 td avantgarde and discovered it is stuck in w. It is starting in second gear but kicks down to first.I have trawled the forum for a thread on how to dismantle the selector as I believe it is quite complicated, from reading other threads.From what I have read so far the switch mechanism sticks therefore keeping the gearbox in w. The car has the five speed auto 722.6.
I have already dipped the box and the transmition fluid is at an acceptable level.
I would be very grateful for some first hand experience / knowledge of this problem and how to rectify it correctly, perhaps a suitable thread or link because I can't find one!
Thanks.

Start the fixing with simplicity, check the S/W switch. I suspect someone spilled liquid over the center console. I spilled coffee on mine but it was the window switch for driver's side that needed cleaning to make it work again. The coffee caused it to act funny, pressing down, the window went up, pressing up, the window went down.
Open the cup holder cover, lift the wooden panel off the center console, unplug harnesses from the switch array, unscrew the bottom with a tiny torx screwdriver. Dismantle the S/W switch to see if anything got loose inside. Re-assembly is the opposite of the dis-assembly.

 

[jmfulkerson]

I have had a simular problem with my 2000 E320 matic. The shift selection is actually elctronic "mother board" and had to be replaced. As much as I hate to say this, your dealer is the best bet here or a local repair shop that works only on German cars. Hope this helps...good luck

 

[mbvis]

I have had a simular problem with my 2000 E320 matic. The shift selection is actually elctronic "mother board" and had to be replaced. As much as I hate to say this, your dealer is the best bet here or a local repair shop that works only on German cars. Hope this helps...good luck

Did you rule out the simple cause before paying big bucks at the shop?

 

[Olivier A]

As above, also we are talking about the E300TD which might be different then the E320 matic?
But defo as Mbvis said, a more precised procedure then me, just check the easy cheap fix before the dealer look at it. Again, mind the little spring, its easy to loose it.