Technical fiat seicento MPI gearstick floppy stuck in gear

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

I own an Seicento MPI 2002 I was driving along changing gear when all of a sudden the gear stick went sloppy so I pulled over. When I released the clutch found it to be stuck in reverse.

I checked that all ends on both cables were still connected that go to the gearbox selector from the gearstick and they were. I disconnected the ends from the gearbox and pulled both cables back and forth and both cables did move as they should and they seem OK. I then checked that the gearstick would move to all positions while the connectors were disconnected and it did. Am I right to think that the plastic gearstick mounting and the cables are OK in this case? If these are OK what could be the possible causes?

Thanks

fingers99 · Sep 29, 2013

Check to see if a clip has fallen off the ends of one of the cables. Each cable has two, one at each end of the cable.

Difficult to check the cables themselves without a beautiful assistant to observe the other end.

Any recent work on the car?

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

Just checked all four clips and all of them are in place.

No work done on the car in over 2 years

What do I check next?

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

In order to check the selector cable nearest the front of the car I disconnected the rear one nearest the bulkhead and got my son to change through all the gears one by one using just the font selector cable by using the gearstick while I manually changed through all the gears under the bonnet and they all went in OK and he was able to reverse and drive forward in all gears.

I thought it must be the other selector cable that is broken so I pulled hard on the end nearest the gearbox and managed to pull the car by it so it can't be broken. But why doesn't it push the gear selector nearest the bulkhead back and fourth like it should?

cc1 · Sep 29, 2013

Check the bottom of the gearstick. The plastic ball assembly may be broken?

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

I have visually had a look and all seems ok. Will I have to take it out for a full inspection and what am I looking for?

fingers99 · Sep 29, 2013

Lots of play, obvious break.

See the Seicento Technical Manual, Vol 1, Section 2, Gearbox.pdf

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

Yes it has lots of play.

If I disconnect both cables at the gearbox end and I can pull the end of each inner cable with the handbrake off and pull the car along can the cable still be broke somewhere?

fingers99 · Sep 29, 2013

dx90 said:
Yes it has lots of play.

If I disconnect both cables at the gearbox end and I can pull the end of each inner cable with the handbrake off and pull the car along can the cable still be broke somewhere?

Depends whether you're pulling the outer or the inner!

But I'd pull the remote out, look for damage in there.

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

Is the remote the whole box that the gearstick sits in?

If yes the mechanism inside seems to be working fine and at the gearbox end pushing and pulling the lever back and forwards just fine. Would you say that this cable at least was working as it should? This is with the other cable diconnected.

blu73 · Sep 29, 2013

are the brackets that hole the cables in place still properly bolted up... theres 2 little metal brackets, one with 3 bolts to the gearbox and the other shares one bolt from the other and one under the thermostat.. Not that i can think of why they may have come loose at all, just a thought.

dx90 · Sep 29, 2013

Yes checked them and they are all there and tight.

Do you think it could be the gearbox?

I know that it all points to the cables but both have checked out to be ok.

Thanks

fingers99 · Sep 29, 2013

It is very, very, strange. I'd not expect it to be the box as the lever went floppy.

Yep, the remote is the box with the gear stick in it.

I'd suspect that something has simply come loose, but.......

dx90 · Sep 30, 2013

I wanted to rule out the selector cable nearest the front of the car (see photo outlined in blue). I disconnected the rear one nearest the bulkhead (see photo outlined in green) and with the car running using the clutch I got my son to change through all the gears one by one using the gearstick with just the one cable attached to the gearstick (outlined in blue). So when my son put the gearstick in the first gear position and kept it there, I would then select by hand at the same time at the gearbox first gear as well using the mechanism (outlined in green) and so on through all the gears. They all went in OK and my son was able to reverse and drive forward in all gears. Does this mean I can rule out the gearbox as the problem?

In the photo (outlined in green) where the cable connects, does this work by the cable pushing and pulling that mechanism back and forth to select the correct gear? If yes, then this points to the cable that connects to where it is outlined in green being faulty. Do you agree with this?

Pep0 · Sep 30, 2013

Some of the bits connected to the metal of the gear lever are plastic they are more likely to fail than the box

If the stick shows floppy strip the stick mechanism.

Breakers for replacement...

dx90 · Sep 30, 2013

Pep0 said:
Some of the bits connected to the metal of the gear lever are plastic they are more likely to fail than the box

If the stick shows floppy strip the stick mechanism.

Breakers for replacement...

Is there a spring in the gearstick mechanism that keeps it centred when both cables are diconnected?

dx90 · Sep 30, 2013

cc1 said:
Check the bottom of the gearstick. The plastic ball assembly may be broken?

I visually inspected it and all looks good, no cracks splits nothing and the metal lever that connects to the selector cable moves as it should.

Thanks

dx90 · Sep 30, 2013

dx90 said:
I wanted to rule out the selector cable nearest the front of the car (see photo outlined in blue). I disconnected the rear one nearest the bulkhead (see photo outlined in green) and with the car running using the clutch I got my son to change through all the gears one by one using the gearstick with just the one cable attached to the gearstick (outlined in blue). So when my son put the gearstick in the first gear position and kept it there, I would then select by hand at the same time at the gearbox first gear as well using the mechanism (outlined in green) and so on through all the gears. They all went in OK and my son was able to reverse and drive forward in all gears. Does this mean I can rule out the gearbox as the problem?

In the photo (outlined in green) where the cable connects, does this work by the cable pushing and pulling that mechanism back and forth to select the correct gear? If yes, then this points to the cable that connects to where it is outlined in green being faulty. Do you agree with this?

Is the above correct please? Photo is on page 1.

dx90 · Sep 30, 2013

Anyone know of the cheapest place to buy the selector cables?

If it's only available from the main dealer what are the part numbers?

Are there any photos anywhere of how to take the heat shield off to gain access to the remote before I begin?

Thanks

blu73 · Sep 30, 2013

download the sei technical manual, it takes a while to get used to navigating it but it has literally everything you could ever want to know in it..

https://www.fiatforum.com/downloads.php?do=cat&id=7

For buying new cables i would suggest eurocarcare.net, often best to ring or skype them over using the site i find. Or shop4parts.

Part numbers can be found on the eper, link on top menu bar of the forum. But for ease here's the link. http://eper.fiatforum.com/

Technical fiat seicento MPI gearstick floppy stuck in gear

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