Hi there,
Over Christmas the clutch on my 55 plate panda (1.1 Active) was very heavy. It seems to have gone back to normal but now the gear chnages are very stiff. I've been told that the clutch control cable needs to be replaced. Does that sound right?

Thanks

No, the Panda dosn't have a clutch cable, it is hydraulic. At least the RHD ones are, and as you are based in the UK I assume yours is RHD.

When it was cold the hydraulic oil will have been thick. Our clutch was sticky/stiff/gooey etc... until the car had warmed up a bit.

The stiff gear changes are likely to be the gear cables, is it sticky across the gate or in the direction of the gears? Without looking I am guess it is two different cables.
Some salt water may have got in and started to corrode them.

Not a normal problem.

Hi thanks both for your replies,
I have a RHD Panda and the stickyness is in the direction of the gears (1,3 and 5 the worst).

Hi Simon.

Have had the same prob, so had to drive "up mendip" to see my bruv, who is a mechanic.Ahhhh

It is most likely to be one of the linkage cables for the gears, which could be as a result of several things.

(technical description from mechanics, "up and downy one" as opposed to the "side to sidey one". lol):chin:

• 'Boot' on end of cable (at gearbox end) damage, muck getting in, corrosion to cable
• Wear & Tear, with the nylon covering inside the cable sheath breaking down (between the black outer, and the cable itself) happens a lot, to other cars/vans too
• Boot under gear stick damage (most unlikely) and muck getting in.

Had to give Fiat dealers a call, linkage cables sold in pairs and was quoted £144 for the pair

<btw: If anyone knows of cheaper, I would love to know>

Anyhoo, certain amount of WD-40ing on the cable underneath(2 man job, one under squirting cable (might want goggles) as one moves gear stick) then the same under the gear stick boot (you have to pop 'boots' off, so that oil goes in) and mine is now a lot lot better, although not as it was....
So I do realise that I will need new 'uns, simply because I don't want them snapping, leaving me without gears!

Am told that replacing cables is easy to do, but £144!!! they aint much more than what you'd have on your bike.

The gears on our Idea are now starting to suffer when cold. the combination of moisture and the grease seems to thicken up in the cold. (the same happened to the front wheel of my sons pushchair after a proper wash off just before christmas)

Selecting gears was becoming sticky on my 4x4 Panda and at the last service the guy lubed it all up and now there's no stickiness - so I guess it is possible to make it better without having to resort to new cables.

My stickiness was side to side though, not fore and aft

Thanks for all these ideas and advice. I'm not driving the panda much at the moment (on my pins or bike) but had to take it out yesterday and the change had gone from stiff to requiring considerable force to move through the gears and I was worried that actually something was going to snap or that the gears would not select. I Have now had it fixed at my local (independant) garage. Gear control cables were the problem, as you rightly guessed. £180 for the cable set, £310 all in. Ow! Anyway the gears are now running like a dream (almost no resistance, which is disconcerting!). It appeared to be a very quick job if you know what you're doing (I left the car yesterday late afternoon when the part was ordered, garage called me at 08:40 today to say it was ready).

I've never had this problem with a car before but it sounds like I'm not the only one. (I still like the panda though.)

Well, maybe ours are on the way out then - the lubed up cables as per last post lasted a while, but are becoming sticky fore and aft now.

Obviously spoke too soon!

It has been a long time since the original post but I have recently had a similar experience. My Fiat Qubo had been sat idle for some time and the gear shift had become very stiff, particularly when attempting to pass through the gate to 5th / reverse.

I read the posts responding to this query and felt that WD40 might work but, because it is thin and not resistent to the engine's high temperatures, would probably burn off pretty quick.

The first thing to do is select a gear at the extremes of position: 1,2, 5 or reverse, so at least one of the exposed metal rods is in the extended position. Run your fingers along the rod to search for corrosion. If you find corrosion then use sand paper or emery cloth to rub the rod down until it is shiny once more throughout the exposed length. Apply oil, WD40 or something thicker, I used engine oil on a rag initially. Repeat the process for the other rod whilst it is in the extended position. Work the gear shift a few times so the oil can find its way into the cable's sheath.

When the gear shift is smoother clean off the oil and apply a thick grease to the exposed cable end so it is protected from the elements. Ultimately the original protective coatings have now corroded away so you will need to apply grease to keep the damp out.

Whilst the gear shifts may not be as good as with a new cable it should get you by until you can afford a new set of cables.

Happy motoring.

james_f said:

Well, maybe ours are on the way out then - the lubed up cables as per last post lasted a while, but are becoming sticky fore and aft now.

Obviously spoke too soon!

Click to expand...

yep they shouldn't be lubed. Dust stick to eventually and you are back to square one.


Cleaning with meths also works but eventually they have to be replaced.

Simon12 said:

Hi there,
Over Christmas the clutch on my 55 plate panda (1.1 Active) was very heavy. It seems to have gone back to normal but now the gear chnages are very stiff. I've been told that the clutch control cable needs to be replaced. Does that sound right?

Thanks

Click to expand...

that was me in another thread.

and I suggested you had two problems and one sounded like gear selector cables


fairly easy to test


First it will fail even if the engine is off

Second still with the engine off the gears will select easy and smoothly if you select the gears direct via the leaver on top of the gearbox.

If the gear lever movement is the same with engine off as it is with engine running you can assume the clutch is ok.

Clutch not releasing properly would be normal action across the gate but stiff moving lever into each gear (lever fore/aft). First and reverse are the worst and slow downshifts are difficult.

If problem is a gear selection cable, it will be stiff fore-aft or stiff across the gate. Its unlikely to be stiff both ways as its unlikely that both cables would bind at exactly the same time.

Try bleeding the clutch hydraulics. If the gear lever action improves, you have found the problem. If the problem returns a few weeks later, you will need new hydraulics. The master cylinder seals wear and pull in air. At £30 for an LuK slave on eBay you might was well change it with the master. LuK masters are about £75.


If the hydraulics are old and tired, total parts should be around £100.

My gear selector is stiff first start on a morning but it soons improves as it warms up, i do have a notchy first gear though.

Is it the same before you switch the engine on?

To be honest i've not tried but i'll let you know next time i get in the car.