Transmission shifts late in all gears
 

Hello everyone! New member and love the site. I love wagons and picked up a 1986 245 DL. Runs great, but noticed it takes forever to shift into 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Light acceleration shift at 25, 50 and higher for 4th. If I let off while accelerating it will shift into the next gear. If I accelerate hard I'm scared I'm going to blow the engine and let off.

Ideas? I'm hoping it's as simple as tv cable adjustment?

Thanks

I should have mentioned that fluid level is fine and looks and smells good. Wagon is an auto with no tach so unknown what rpm its shifting at. Shifts a little too high driving like a grandma, not as bad as normal accelerate.

Adjustment may help...
Loosen the two KD cable locknuts on the throttle spindle. Keep loosening the rear-most nut (closest to firewall) another 1/8" - 1/2". Snug up the front nut, go for a drive and see how the car shifts. It should shift sooner now, and "kickdown" at a higher rpm. If it's not too your liking and you want it to shift at a higher rpm and "kickdown" sooner, loosen up the front lock nut and turn the rear nut out, toward the front of the car. There's really no "correct" adjustment. It's more about where you like it shifting, what fits the way you drive.

I appreciate the response.

I posted just before I drove to work at 2pm. I loosened the TV cable and gave it more slack. I instantly noticed that 1st to 2nd was now about 18 mph.

2nd to 3rd didn't change.

During my whole trip it would never go into 4th/od. I got as fast as 60 and let off numerous times and couldn't get it to go into 4th. Played with the od button and wouldn't go into 4th. Light works and I know light off should activate 4th.

Yesterday when I bought it I noticed 2nd took some rpm to get into 3rd, but it is higher today. 4th did work yesterday and responded to the button.

Is the OD relay OK? Most often the cause is the relay but you are getting some weird symptoms... How many "real" miles? (240 are notorious for bad odos). If the relay is good, fluid is good, and cable is adjusted, that's really all you can do short of getting into more complicated (costly) territory. Also, the cable may be bad, overstretched, and unable to adjust.

I don't know if the relay is ok, but will check in the next few days.

Mileage is roughly 240,000. Odometer was replaced and zero'd according to a door tag.

I have a friend with an extra aw71 that I may try his or solenoid.

if the light is toggling, it usually means the relay is OD good, but yeah, could be the solenoid. or the wiring to the solenoid. or inside the tranny itself.

the circuit is kinda backwards. light ON means no power to solenoid means no OD. light OFF means power to solenoid means OD is enabled (but not forced).