You can find out if you change it right away, also have the torque converter
and filter changed, it's time.  Brown oil is not good.  Mobil1 synthetic
costs a bit more but I feel it's worth it.

I agree on this.
I own a 1980 300SD.
After renewing the oil, i adjusted the pressure that is used for changing
gears.
But if you're not expierenced, you should leave this for your mechanic.

On my car it made a hell of a difference.
But first do what Henry Kolesnik <kolesnik@sbcglobal.net> says...

Lamaeker

Doubtful.  Actually it seems to me that the jerk might be normal.

Basically this car is setup so that if you are very light on the gas
you will see early and soft shifting,  but if you gun it, you will see
later/firmer shifting.

If what you are describing only happens when you really step on it,  
and there is no "flare" (ie the motor revs faster then the car is
going),  it could be normal.

Changing the tranny oil is probably a good idea if the car is new to
you.  Make sure the torque convertor gets drained also.

I also like mobil 1.
Marty

Mia,

http://www.continentalimports.com/ser_ic20242.html

and

http://www.mercedesdismantlers.com/AutomaticTransmissionInformation.html

may be informative, if not actually helpful. A number of things
I keep intending to do on these pages, but haven't quite got
there yet.

Mine '81 (more or less) seems to run only in three gears, and
the shift between the first two is decidedly firm - a quite
solid thunk. When I accelerate a bit harder, the shift between
those first two gears is smoother. The next upshift (between the top
two gears) is always smooth. I'm still not sure I've found the
legendary first gear.

Cheers,

Conrad

P.S. - if you like photoshop, you may want to play with the Gimp
(www.gimp.org). It's a free download. Some folks actually prefer
it to photoshop, but I think it's not so much a photoshop replacement
as another nice tool to add to your graphics toolchest - and yes,
it's written to run on *NIX platforms, but there's a very nice
port to Windows.

Typically the fluid color doesn't cause what you are seeing, but I would
change it if it is brown.

It seems if one gets used to anticipating the shift and lets off the
accelerator slightly, the shift is firmer.  If you keep the accelerator
down, it seems smoother.

"Mia" <maxvalery@gmail.com> wrote in news:1115920713.482762.299190
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Comments from a 1980 300SD / 1986 SDL owner...

The transmission will start out in 2nd unless you smash the accelerator.
The shift to 2nd should be quick and not very harsh. The vacuum actuated
modulator on the tranmission should damp shift jerkiness at high RPM
shifts.  If you are feeling those I'd first check that the vacuum line is
whole and connected to the modulator (and there are no vacuum leaks)  
That has made a big difference in the past.  Changing the transmission
oil is never a bad idea.  That would be a good time to get the modulator
set to the right shift actuation pressure by a MB mechanic.

If the transmission is older than 250,000 miles you may want to start
planning to replace it and the torque converter both.  Adsitco is still
selling rebuilt transmissions for $1195 and TCs for $265 over the
internet with a 2 yr / 24,000 mi warranty.  I got the swapout labor done
for about $500.  I think this cost is very defensible for a car that you
love.  It doesn't take many new car payments to justify the repairs.