Wife will only shift when indicator arrow illuminates. I say that it can be done sooner depending on engine load. Q: Does the indicator light come on when engine load is minimized and therefore ready to shift or is it tachometer linked. How can one get best economy: by shifting when light comes on? Please advise. 89 745 tic 185K

The light is as useful as my Fuel Economy gauge - in other words, "its jus' fo' dekorashun!"

It's RPM-based only. You can try setting it using the procedure the other poster mentioned - set it for 5500RPM shifts, then see if your wife still follows it!

The default setting described in the owner's manual has you shifting at ~2500RPM all the time. Way too early in my book.
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Speed Racer, '83 240 R, '74 164 E, '93 940 OL1 (Manchester, CT)

That is odd, but that's life with human beings.

Without knowing the situation surrounding your wife's driving habits, I take the possibly outrageous liberty of making this suggestion:

1. Don't talk about it for a few weeks
2. Pull the light bulb (it's dead easy, instrument panel screws are behind little rectangular covers at bottom corners)
3. When she notices that it's "burned out", promise to fix it next time you get a chance to get to the dealer.
4. Hope that she stops missing it soon.

She might even enjoy shifting on her own schedule - isn't that why you have a "stick" in the first place?

If she catches on and the s*** hits the fan, you can tell her that you got the idea from some goof on the internet.

Or even worse....

Take the bulb out, blow it with house current, and replace it. Then you can show her that it really is burned out. Hope she doesn't ask you to "borrow" one from one of the idiot lights. Then she has outsmarted you, unless of course the arrow light is "special".

If your wife does all her shifting by watching the arrow, its a good thing that she drives a Volvo. Please convince her to watch the road instead.

I love a tach, and value it for several situations, but have not used mine for all shifts since I used to try to get maximum acceleration from my '68 Volkswagen.
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3 8s & 2 7s 740,000 miles total

From my understanding the shift light has a bias towards fuel economy. Shift when the light comes on and you get better MPG. Does your car have a tach? You could probably pull one off a junked 760 if you don't. It is the nicest way to know when to shift. Don't have a clue why they put it on an automatic and not a manual though?? Still its nice information to have even if you do have an auto.
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1988 760Tic - 155,200 1966 M-B 230 sedan - 98,000 - Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.

I take it you have the stick shift. Read your owners manuel. Set by disconnecting battery and hold rpm that you want to shift from 1 to 2nd for a second or two and on up till you get to 5th.

What your probably seeing know is the default setting which will have you shift without reving up engine very much. Good luck.

ps A long straightaway is optimal for setting the shift arrow.

Hey Joe,
A friend has a '93 244 with the shift arrow. Can I set it the same way?
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Al Hagenberger '84 245 309K, '87 744 171K