Right since getting the Selecta I have been reading as much as possible about it.

Not anything to do with what I am about to ask, but I can now def give an answer to whether you can tow a selecta and the answer is YES but for no more than 16 miles and at a max speed of 20mph any faster & longer distance can damage the box.

On to my selecta and I am confused as hell to be honest. When I start the car which runs lovely I put it in D and unless the little red light comes up on the panel by the lever it will not engage drive. However I have the same symptom in L unless D has already been selected, then even if the red light doesn't show in L it still engages. When in reverse again unless the red light on the panel comes on it will not engage and this is anytime no matter how many other gears have been selected.

Finally there is no light that comes on when in P (I assume the bulb has gone) and gives me the beep/buzzer when I open the door to say it is not in P even if it is.

By all of this I take it the lights on the panel do have a significance to the opperation of the box or the contacts to illuminate these and select the gears needs an overhaul and clean up.

Can anyone shed any light on this or is this Selecta being affected by the McDonalds ghost of Christmas past ? Or should I phone Minty and ask WTF he has being doing to it on EastEnders

Sonya probably slapped it, thats probably why the gearbox didn't go straight away but died a little a while after...

Hello Alan.
The letters are illuminated, not by bulbs but by LEDs soldered to a PCB. Despite the multitude of wires on the plug, you can disconnect the indicator panel and the car will still run as normal, except that the door pinger will no longer operate. You will have looked at the online IPC and noticed that there is a switch unit on the left of the selector lever assy ( inside the console ) Suggest that this most likely needs its contacts cleaned up. When you get the switch unit off, all will become clear.
Rgds.

Thanks pete.

It just seems coincident that reverse will only engage with that light on but could be the position or the contacts as said.

Thanks again.

Ok pete got the little sucker out and looking inside it is a bit corroded.


It does seem that the box won't select gear without this being in perfect order which works in harmony with the lights on the panel. So although the panel has no effect if the light doesn't come on, there is a good chance that it shows that the switch needs attention.




I'll solder in a new LED on the light panel later.

Actually, I doubt that the LED is at fault, they are normally very reliable. Just strip the switch unit and clean the contacts and strips. Watch the 2 very small springs in the moving contact, dont lose them. Then re-assemble see how you get on.
Rgds.

Ok I'll check first thanks.

I'd say that there is a definately a correlation between the LCD lighting up and the gearbox engaging... they may both run off the same thing but if the lights not coming on then the gears don't engage.

as for the beeper thing... I didn't think it had anything to do with the doors... but if you turn the engine off while still in drive or low or neutral you should get the beep. unfortunately mine didn't work if you turned the engine off in neutral at the key... which is why it has had a knock.

It says in the manual that it beeps when the door is open if it's not in P.

Well took it appart & cleaned it up so will try it later. contact cleaner wasn't strong enough so had to rely on the trusty dremil soft wire brush for the corroded bits.

Just to report it's like night & day difference and now selects reverse immediately the light unit also lights up the appropriate LED as well with the exception of Park

Pete having looked at the led, I've got none that small and it looks a very fiddly ciruit board as well as the lettering bit being knackered I'll see if i can find a good used complete replacement somewhere.

RESULT !!!!!
Disappointed about the one LED though but if everything else is working OK, so be it. I am not an electrician but is there no way we can test the LED with a Fluke meter or similar, using any of the others as a standard?
Rgds.

To be honest with the state of the P.R.N.D.L sicky label which is part of the same unit I will be as well looking for another that looks good. I think a spare switch will be handy as well knowing the trip it's got to complete ahead.

When it wasn't selecting reverse properly I was worried about the box as the early BM boxes suffer in reverse before complete failure so thank heavens that isn't the case.

Alan.D said:

Can anyone shed any light on this or is this Selecta being affected by the McDonalds ghost of Christmas past ? Or should I phone Minty and ask WTF he has being doing to it on EastEnders

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Give up now Alan, I'm pretty sure your Selecta was the one that Pat Wickes, Lofty and Roly the dog made love in during a late night episode of 'Late Night East Enders'...

Pandarus said:

Give up now Alan, I'm pretty sure your Selecta was the one that Pat Wickes, Lofty and Roly the dog made love in during a late night episode of 'Late Night East Enders'...

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Phoned the production manager of EastEnders this morning re getting some Jpeg images when it was on set as they wouldn't let me take pics and I said to her I was having a few problems and could she get Minty to call cause his work was shabby. She laughed but don't think he'll phone.

I told you it's all because Sonya slapped it!!! Either that or it got thumped with a statue and buried under the queen vic!

I recently swapped the corrugated thing that the handle mounts through a while back and thought i might have kept the bit with the gear indicators... but i can't see it Alan... I do have a lever but that's not much use.

if you need a clutch i have a spare... for reference. and a starter or 2

You mean the electro mechanico thing?

panda type thingy said:

I told you it's all because Sonya slapped it!!! Either that or it got thumped with a statue and buried under the queen vic!

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I'd like to slap her with a wet fish, may improve her looks :yuck:

Alan.D said:

You mean the electro mechanico thing?

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yeah that big slab of electro magnetic clutch... scavenged the one from the bad selecta left at Andy's before he shot off over to Africa. should have grabbed the lever switch mechanism but that paricular car didn't inspire confidence about the parts condition.