Change lift reverse gear mechanism

[eshroom]

Looking to get my mum a Panda 4x4. Ticks all the boxes for her needs except one: she has arthritic wrists and struggles to put it in reverse with the lift mechanism.

I don't suppose anyone knows if it's possible to change the mechanism to one that doesn't have a lift and reverse gear selector?

Shame to have to find a different car just on this detail as this is really the most able micro 4x4.

 

[chris3234]

I think nearly all Fiat's gearsticks have this
It normal just a little plastic peg under the stick gator the stops it moving too far over without being pulled so it may be possible to cut/scrape it off

 

[DaveMcT]

Can she not use both hands to select it? That would be a lot less convenient but if she really needs the 4x4, the Panda really has no peers

The lifter stops the gear lever accidentally hitting reverse. You "could" remove it entirely and fit a solenoid to cover the reverse gate. But you'd need some DIY skills as it's all done at the gear lever gate. There is nothing at the gearbox to prevent accidental reverse gear selection.


A lighter spring might help but if its too light the lever can all too easily hit the reverse gear.

 

[eshroom]

She can do it with both hands, but I don't think that's practical in the long run. Looks like we'll have to opt for a Suzuki Ignis...

 

[Eklipze3k]

I mean, if you're absolutely set on a Panda then of course there are ways around it - either bypass the detent (and run the risk of accidentally selecting reverse), or find a garage who specialise in modifying vehicles who may be able to install an alternative, such a push-select reverse from another vehicle (I don't know if that would be any easier for her?). I doubt anyone on here will have done the latter though, so advice will be sparse.

 

[DaveMcT]

Going Suzuki over the reverse gear lever would not be a good move (IMO). The Panda is a much better car than the Ignis.

You may need to talk to an automotive engineer who modifies cars for the disabled. My mother had her driver's seat raised about 25mm because she was short and got shorter with age.

I would suggest a solenoid that blocks the gear lever from moving into the reverse position. This could sit under the flexible gaiter with a special bracket. A conveniently placed switch would release the solenoid to allow reverse gear selection. I can't imagine you would be the first to want such a thing so should be easy to get a cost for the job.

 

[klu01dbt]

Is the difficulty she has with reaching the lifter, or with the effort required to lift the lifter?

If the latter, on the standard cars the resistance is provided by an elastic strip under the gear gaiter. I would imagine 4X4 cars work in the same way. Remove the elastic strip, or replace it with a weaker one and less effort will be required. You could test this on a car you were thinking of purchasing by pulling the gaiter out of the dashboard and seeing if your mother is able to manage the lifter.

 

[eshroom]

Thanks for all the comments. I agree if it gets bad then we will get the gear mechanism modified, but for now she does ok. A bit worried as I just bought her a 6 speed and she's been using a 5 speed (needs to move the stick further to engage reverse in the 6 speed), but we'll see.

The other issue I had is I've never seen a twin air before. Seems very shaky in the engine bay, though I read this is normal, and no idea if it sounds right. But fingers crossed it's all good... Taking it for a service this week. Other than this, great little car, very satisfied!

 

[PuntoHowTo]

The uplift is a plastic tube with a spring on top, at the bottom is a leg that sticks out and interacts with another piece of plastic which blocks reverse being selected unless you lift the plastic tube and leg up over it.

It is incredibly simple to take off the gear knob and remove the tube, cut the leg off and put it back.

You will also find that all cars have means in the gearbox to stop reveres being selected while traveling forward so you can’t accidentally select reverse while moving.

You could also just remove the spring that pushed the uplift down, or replace it with a much weaker spring. All simple modifications that don’t require any specialists. The spring sits between the gearknob and the uplift tube.

 

[DaveMcT]

Parallel twin cylinder engines vibrate more the four cylinders Some have both pistons moving up and down at the same time so they shake quite badly. The fix is to use soft engine mounts to absorb the vibration. The side effect is more shaking about at tick-over.