Technical Gear selector cable

[puntolover54]

Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but my gear selector cable has snapped but I can't figure out which one. My car will go into 2nd, 4th and reverse but won't go into 1st, 3rd or 5th. Can anyone shed any light please. Thanks

 

[fingers99]

I'd look for the snapped one (either at the remote, in cockpit) or the selector (on gearbox). If it has snapped, it will be waggling about.

Then a visit to the scrappy -- they're expensive new.

 

[puntolover54]

I've been under the car and under the bonnet no signs of either cable snapped one feels slightly looser than the other.

 

[AndyRKett]

The cables are either for left and right movement or forward and back this means you could be stuck in say one gear because you can't go forwards and back to take it out of gear (also applies to neutral but can move side to side) or no side to side movement but able to change 1st to 2nd, 3rd to 4th or 5th and reverse.

What you've described is a knackered gear box

 

[puntolover54]

I can manually select every gear from under the bonnet. Plus just had a new box installed so I know it's not that.

 

[Brendan W]

2,4,R ok 1,3,5 not. I would be thinking the bottom cable is running out of throw for the top three gate positions. It's fully out for the bottom of the gate and fully in for the top three so maybe all it needs is a bit of shortening to get the other gears. Or the other way around - it only goes two ways anyhow

 

[AndyRKett]

Appoligies I got this wrong in my head, for some reason I thought that reverse was on a different plane to the other gears that you could select.

Of course if you can select multiple gears then it suggests the cables are not broken, however like Brendan pointed out the throw is out for selecting the forward position gears. The cables are set by fiat in the factory and althought there is some room for adjustment its not easy, and if the bottom gears are selectable you have to be careful not to adjust it too far the other way.

It could be the cable hasn't snapped but has stretched, when you push the stick forwards it pulls on the cable and pulls on the gear box selector so this is probably the issue.

Cables are easy to change, expensive to buy new. You could get one from a scrappy but remember you'll need access to the bottom of the car, which isn't always easy if the car is sat on its belly in mud.

 

[fingers99]

Another possibility is that one of the clips securing the cable (probably the one that feels loose) has come out.

 

[puntolover54]

Thanks for all the help. I don't have the money to replace both cables atm, I know this would probably be the better option I can get hold of the cables for £50 new.

Just need to know which one I need to replace.

 

[Brendan W]

It would seem the lower one is not doing what it should. Are you sure it's connected up right with all the spacers and clips in the right place the right way around.

 

[Ziggy122]

Im Somewhat cofused

as 1 cable does the left and right movement
1 cable does the Up and down movement, so whats confusing is that you have left and right movement and UP and some down movement

Which points to the cable that allows up and down to be at fault somehow has it gotten sloppy? Is the mechanism actually broken?

My gut feeling says tho it might be where the gearstick goes down....

Ziggy

 

[Brendan W]

When the box was changed was the old top plate with selector forks put on the new box?

 

[puntolover54]

I have taken the black plastic cover off from under the gear stick so I could check it was all connected properly at that end (which as far as I can see it is). I also followed it up into the engine bay and again all seems well and again under the bonnet I can't see anything unclipped or missing.

Sorry for not being mechanically technical but I presume that the top plate and selector forks are the bit you can grab and manually select gears with if so then it all seems to be connected fine.

I have checked the eper for the diagram off the cables and clips and nothing seems missing, there is no visual damage to any off the cables.
I have moved the car by manually selecting 1st gear and reverse so I know it drives fine which is what led me to the cables.

If it helps it broke trying to go from second to third, quick change made a popping noise then the gearstick was just floating round but the car was stuck in third. It also seemed like the gearstick went further up than normal.

Thanks

 

[Brendan W]

So let's suppose the cable has broken. When the gear lever pushes it you won't see a problem but when it has to pull as in selecting the top three gears 1,3,5 it won't be able. Centre the box ie neutral and ask someone to select 4. That should push the lever away towards the wheel. Now ask for 3. Watch the lever on the box and if it doesn't pull back past neutral it would seeem the cable is broken.

 

[puntolover54]

Finally fixed my car. Selector cable had snapped about 4 inch from the gearbox end, was a nightmare to change but got it sorted eventually.

Thanks for all your help.