Looking around the internet it seems that it's common for the gear-change cable end ball-joint to fall apart in some way. I've epoxied it all back together temporarily but I wonder if anyone has been able to source a replacement for either the entire end component or the insert that grips the ball. It seems a wasteful and expensive exercise to replace the whole cable just for this.

IMG_20180530_102211336 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

It isn’t available on its own.

As silly as it sounds, it would probably cost Fiat tens of thousands of euros to have another stock location in all the associated warehouses. It would also mean that if there was a recall, or some mod needed doing to the cup joint part, they’d have to track down the cup joint and all the sub assemblies and modify it that way.

These particular cables can run dry in terms of lunrication, but a new one and enjoy a nicer feeling gearshift.

306maxi said:

.... if there was a recall, or some mod needed doing to the cup joint part, they’d have to track down the cup joint and all the sub assemblies and modify it that way.

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Thanks for that confirmation; all I know is that they probably need to re-design it as I think it should last longer than the two and a half years/ 30,000 miles that it has done!
Clearly it is designed for speed of assembly on the production line more than anything else.

fiat500 said:

Thanks for that confirmation; all I know is that they probably need to re-design it as I think it should last longer than the two and a half years/ 30,000 miles that it has done!
Clearly it is designed for speed of assembly on the production line more than anything else.

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You’ve just been unlucky sadly. My 500 has done 90 odd thousand miles and is on its original gear shift cables. It’s not unheard of for them to fail, but it’s by no means common.

306maxi said:

You’ve just been unlucky sadly. My 500 has done 90 odd thousand miles and is on its original gear shift cables. It’s not unheard of for them to fail, but it’s by no means common.

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........maybe the driver then (it's not me but someone who I will not name but who must be obeyed!). But there are quite a few experiences like this out on the internet.
The car has already needed the clutch hydraulic system replaced because of the poor design of the quick-connector that joins the two sections of pipe. I do think it is because these things are designed for rapid assembly rather than longevity or maintenance......just look how awkwardly the spark-plugs are placed..
It certainly hasn't been a low maintenance new car so far.

fiat500 said:

........maybe the driver then (it's not me but someone who I will not name but who must be obeyed!). But there are quite a few experiences like this out on the internet.
The car has already needed the clutch hydraulic system replaced because of the poor design of the quick-connector that joins the two sections of pipe. I do think it is because these things are designed for rapid assembly rather than longevity or maintenance......just look how awkwardly the spark-plugs are placed..
It certainly hasn't been a low maintenance new car so far.

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I've got a new clutch slave cylinder to fit I'm put off the job as I feel the quick connector is likely to give huge issue so it's keep filling the reservoir for now?

Ha! It could be that tbh. Most of the 90k miles on our 500 have been mine. I would say I’m a pretty mechanically sympathetic person!

John202020 said:

I've got a new clutch slave cylinder to fit I'm put off the job as I feel the quick connector is likely to give huge issue so it's keep filling the reservoir for now?

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Our problem was that after two years the connector had corroded, expanded and split. On reflection I should simply have obtained and appropriate hydraulic compression connector and cut out the original.:bang:

I had one go the day after I sold the car to my next door neighbour. Some great advice on here, superglue it. I did and it’s still holding. Keeping a spare now from the car I just broke up. Just in Case!