W124 starts on 1st shift(Gear)!!!!!

[sub_zero]

Hi all,
I came across my user manual for my E220 (1995) and I was reading about driving tips,I found that the car will start moving from idle on the 2nd shift,this was weird to me,I tried it on my car and it was starting on 1st Gear as it shifted 3 times (so it must started on 1st,right?) till reached final shift.Is that normal? What went wrong?
I always put the driving style to 'S' ,I rarely use 'E',but I think this is irrelevant.
Thanks in advance

 

[Ian B Walker]

I always put the driving style to 'S' ,I rarely use 'E',but I think this is irrelevant.
Thanks in advance

Its not irrelevant. In "S" it will start in 1st. In "E" it starts in 2nd.

 

[MangoMan]

I think, could be wrong here now guys, but I believe yours is a 5 speed box, so

 

[MangoMan]

If you have it in 'E', then even if you 'floor it', it will still pull away in 2nd, it only drops down to 1st. if in 'S' mode.

I'm sorry., but that is what the OWNERS MANUAL says.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Hi Bill. I have an E220 1995 too Its a 4 speed box.

 

[fnkhan68]

e220 never came with a 5spd box.

 

[Dave Lewis]

My 200 16-valve starts in first gear in both 'S' and 'E'. In 'E', it just changes up sooner, and hangs on longer before changing down.

 

[grober]

I'm with Mr I B Walker on this one. There is an override to the S--E switch position tho and thats the kickdown switch under the throttle pedal. I think that even if you are starting in E ( 2ND) if you put the "pedal to the metal" as the yanks say the gearbox will start in first. You have to be pretty brutal to achieve this tho.

 

[sub_zero]

in all cases it starts on 1st shift

I have tried both 'E' and 'S' and still starts in 1st.
I think that E220 models start in 1st as they are only 4 cylinders and can hardly move the car on 2nd rather than big 6 cylinders who can move the car on 2nd (more horse power).
What do you think?

 

[BTB 500]

Possibly the switch doesn't work, they are known to fail quite often (though usually leaving the car in E or W mode).

 

[Dave Lewis]

I have tried both 'E' and 'S' and still starts in 1st.
I think that E220 models start in 1st as they are only 4 cylinders and can hardly move the car on 2nd rather than big 6 cylinders who can move the car on 2nd (more horse power).
What do you think?

I agree. I don't know about the 220, but the E200 definitely starts in first gear in either E or S. No pedal-to-metal, no kickdown, no brutality, just my normal gentle driving style. In E it just changes up sooner, hence the notional economy advantage. If it started off in 2nd, it wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, since it doesn't develop any useful power or torque until at least 2000rpm.

 

[BTB 500]

the E200 definitely starts in first gear in either E or S.

But does the handbook say it starts in 2nd, as sub_zero's does?

 

[Dave Lewis]

But does the handbook say it starts in 2nd, as sub_zero's does?

Here's the direct quote from my handbook:
"S=standard, this is used for all normal driving conditions.
E=economy, the transmission shifts up and down gears at lower driving speeds and engine speeds with full throttle than in position S."

No mention of what gear it's supposed to start in. In 'E', mine starts in 1st, but changes up a few seconds earlier, at lower revs, than in 'S'. My car was built in 1993, has the pre-facelift bonnet and grill and black bumper inserts, but M111 16-valve engine and 722 431 transmission. Maybe they changed the arrangement with the facelift models, or maybe it's just the 200, not the 220, that starts in first. I don't know. In 'E', mine's very sedate in hilly conditions, since it it refuses to change down soon enough. It's still twice as fast as the 4-pot Humber Hawk my dad used to drive us over the Simplon and Gotthard passes in back in the day, 5-up with 1960's camping gear on the roof

 

[sub_zero]

I do agree with Dave

I have tried it myself,in both cases the car starts in 1st.
My user manual just says what Dave mentioned,and the car behavior in 'E' just smoother and shifts earlier that is all.
I don't know whether the switch is defective or this is normal.
One more thing,when coasting (going to red traffic light so slowly),I feel the car shifting down from 3rd to 2nd and from 2nd to 1st (RPM is quite clear in this),so it returns back to 1st again,is it normal to feel this?
for cars that starts at 2nd,I think they won't feel this as the transmission won't shifts down to 1st.
I have asked some of the technicians here, they proved to be bubble head.
Really confusing

 

[sub_zero]

Here is a copy of my manual

Here is a copy of my manual:

 

[MangoMan]

I'm sorry, I stand corrected, I thought all 'E' models, as in E300 as opposed to 300E for example had 5 speed boxes.

Sorry.

 

[Dieselman]

My understanding is that all the boxes actually start off in first. The earlier 722.4 boxes held 2nd whilst stationary and selected first as soon as the brake was released and the throttle opened.
This was supposed to reduce creep whilst standing so made for a more comfortable, less stressful drive.

Later boxes dispensed with this and ran all the way down to 1st when stationary.

 

[riccardo]

Our 96 E220 W124 auto petrol also seems to start in 1st no matter what the switch is set to - S or E.

Our old 230TE used to start in 2nd.

Have to say, the E220 is more jerky on startoff because of this.

 

[sub_zero]

Now I think I got it

All E220 owners here unanimously say that their Boxes start at 1st.
So I believe my car is normal .
I don't know about my user manual now,maybe the previous owner gave me any manual,not mine.
Thanks for the help