Since March of this year, my 1981 300D has had difficulty going into reverse. Upon shifting into reverse, the car delays for as many as 30 seconds (sometimes more) unless I rev the engine, and even then the transmission doesn't grab until 2800 rpm or so. The upside is-once the transmission grabs, it holds the reverse gear. This is a very annoying development. I have tried taking the transmission apart (it appears to be in good shape), I have changed the fluid, and I have used a transmission additive. I am still getting the delayed response. In recent weeks I have also noticed that my car is dieseling a lot more frequently-sometimes for as long as 10-15 seconds after taking the key out of the ignition. Since the pneumatic door locks are also temperamental, I'm wondering if I have some sort of vacuum leak-a breach in the line, or is the canister failing? Can anyone offer me some tips on troubleshooting-or better yet, resolving the issue?
- posted
20 years ago