I wonder if the kick down switch could be sticking for the second problem? Are the linkages for the throttle well lubricated.

 

Frank,
Both cars look great! Which one is the new addition? The silver one looks to have 3 peice amg wheels and the white on looks like 18" amg chrome. I had the exact same problem with my 500. It would shit up and then immediatley shift back and shift realy late. It just gradually got worse. If I remember right, my mechanic said that the valve body was plugged up. I don't know for sure exactly what he did but it shifts perfectly now. Good luck.

 

Frank,
Both cars look great! Which one is the new addition?

my guess is the smoke silver one

i believe it was for sale a year or so ago down in huntington beach area

it is a nice car

 

Where in California (from seeing the number plates on your cars) are you? Can you add the city to your information so it shows below your avatar?

We have lots of enthusuasts in both Nor Cal and So Cal with 560SEC vehicles and we have meet ups/gtg's from time to time. The enthusiasm and knowledge base is stupendous.

My avatar depicts the two I had; I sold the 1990 "Smoke" to a fellow BW member that lives near Tampa FL. a few months ago, who has it. Owning one of them at a time is enough for me. The other one I had since it was pretty new, (the '91 black AMG one).

My wild guess is that your SLS accumulators have gone bad, (often timesd in as low as 60,000 miles they do,) and the ride feels all wrong and too stiff, you will know.

So long as you avoid the white gloved dealer system, the repair cost is not too tragic. If you drain the system though, yourself, be warned - you need to first take out the back seat, and if you are not careful you will have a mess of fluid on your garage floor, don't ask me how I know that.

 

Perhaps the "Bowden" cable is incorrectly adjusted?

Wouldn't that cause it to take 3rd late and it would be very easy to go back to 2nd?

Basically it thinks your foot is WAY deep into the power when in fact you are accelerating normally.

The bracket should be adjusted so there is "just" slack in it at idle.
I like mine with about .125" clearance from the throttle arm.

 

2nd the lube linkages, check the kickdown switch under carpet... that seemed to have resolved most my wild shifting problems in my 560sel.......

 

The other problem is with the shifting points in the transmission. from 2nd gear starts to third gear it wont shift unless you go beyond 3,000 RPM. And sometimes it goes from 2nd to third gear and immediatlely back to second. Almost like the tranny has a mind of its own. I tried flushing the tranny oil and replacing the oil. It still has the same problem. Im guessing maybe the vaccum modulator?

Any help in these matters would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

You may want to read this http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w201-190-class/1361737-diy-mercedes-722-3-722-4-a.html
Mine also flares like yours, but I don't have the "back to 2nd" problem.

 

Thank you everybody for the wonderful advise. This forum is awesome!!!! today my blower stopped working....I started freaking out!. I got on the forum and diagnosed the problem to the strip fuse between the firewalls. Problem solved....well sort of....Now I need to find a strip fuse replacement. LOL. . I will work on the bowden cable adjustment, the vaccum modulater and accumulators for the SLS. Anyways you guys are great!

 

The 'Welcome......' announcement / tutorial on top will help navigate the forum, and to search the forum archive for frequent and previously answered questions.
Cheers

 

10-4! The car is probably the same one you saw in Huntington Beach. Only the car was sold to a guy in Newport Beach and I bought it off him!

 

Actually the 3 piece AMG RIMS are originally from the white car....I put them on the Smoke silver champagne car yesterday...just in time for my question. My next step is to lower the car only in the front a few inches...Ive been really enjoying the full original suspension of this car. My white SEC was lowered 2 inches and it looked hot! I put the 17" chrome wheels on the white car. A few more things to do, to make it presentable and I will try and sell her. Anybody interested?

 

SexySEC,

If you are getting a thump right behind the rear seats, your SLS hydraulic ram is bad. I had the same problem and replaced the ram and no more thump. If your accumulators were bad your rear would bounce.

Mike

 

The other problem is with the shifting points in the transmission. from 2nd gear starts to third gear it wont shift unless you go beyond 3,000 RPM. And sometimes it goes from 2nd to third gear and immediatlely back to second. Almost like the tranny has a mind of its own. I tried flushing the tranny oil and replacing the oil. It still has the same problem. Im guessing maybe the vaccum modulator?

I have the exact same problem after rebuilt my 300SEL gearbox from an Indy. Think iam gonna adjust my bowden cable first since vacuum modulator and kickdown switch is new. Gear would only shift down only when i use the kick down switch....

 

better picture

here is a picture of my 3 pieces

 

God I want 10's.

 

It would be great to see a close up of those 3-piece wheels. Its a rare opportunity that I get to see a set of those on an SEC. I have a set in my basement, but there is something about seeing them on a car!:bowdown: