Hope someone can help - daughters fiat 500 2014 manual driving home gear stick went into second and then can’t change gear - gearstick wobbling all over the place. clutch working fine. local garage looked at it and wanted to send gearbox away (£600) and probably needs new clutch and flywheel. I stopped that. The guy said he got it into neutral (physically at the box). I asked if he could get it back into gear and he said ‘it’ll go into gear just won’t come out’. When I got in, the gearstick felt normal so put it into second gear and it went ‘wobbly’ again and wouldn’t disengage. Drove it home in second gear - clutch working fine - cables not faulty - feels like it’s a selector issue but not really confident of the garage jumping to a £2500 repair in 10 minutes. It’s almost like a return spring or something isn’t working - hope all that makes sense and someone can help with some suggestions. Thanks.
Technical Gear selector problem….
- Thread starter abrades
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Technical Gear selector problem….
Similar happened to my Punto, bought a new gear selector cable (about £50) as it had snapped, there are two selector cables on my Punto, 20 minute job to replace. Sounds to me like you have a gear selector cable problem, not hundreds of pounds of repair.
Might just be the gear selector cable connector bush. Easy first check.
Sounds like some good suggestions there thanks - it almost felt like the garage had been able to ‘reset’ the selector and it the became unset once I selected a gear. Think that means the cables are ok
as I could have selected any gear - but i’m wondering if the cables are ok bush might cause the issue….
as I could have selected any gear - but i’m wondering if the cables are ok bush might cause the issue….
20minute job to remove the battery and its tray to check cables and connectors"!
So, I got the battery & tray out to find cables and connectors fine and connected at both ends (box & Stick) - I can manually manipulate it into neutral and back into gear - when I put it into neutral (by hand) the stick feels 'normal' and it can move and select any gear. That's when the problem starts again - once a gear is selected it's as if there is no return / spring? so the gear stick goes limp until I manually put it back into neutral at the gearbox end....would be great to hear if anyone has experienced anything like this before? or any ideas. Bit stumped as cables are intact and gear mechanism on gearbox moves freely in and out of gear.
Sounds to me like the gear selector return spring(inside the gearbox) might failed!.
I think you should disconnect the rear connector.
Then manually move the counter weight at the back of the gearbox. It should swing into the middle (neutral) which is what happens when you knock the gear lever out of gear.
This should help cable or gearbox?
Then manually move the counter weight at the back of the gearbox. It should swing into the middle (neutral) which is what happens when you knock the gear lever out of gear.
This should help cable or gearbox?
sounds like a good idea!- may i ask what you think the trouble might be if the counter weight is NOT returning the leaver to the neutral position.
Check for anything obstructing including corrosion. Otherwise outside my pay grade
.Internal gearbox?
Personally I'd also check the cable movement.
So I've progressed - but no further forward....I can manually (at the gearbox) get what feels like all the gears selecting, returning to neutral etc - I find it goes into second easily at the gear stick end and then goes floppy - if I work the other cable / selector to get 3rd /4th then it happily goes back and forth, but then can't return to 2nd or 1st. Again, all the movement at the gearbox feels unhindered and correct as you'd expect a gearbox to 'work'. The cables all seem ok as well - it's just as soon as I select 2nd (from neutral as this is the only one the stick seems to want to go into) the stick goes floppy and it's then stuck again in 2nd gear. Nothing seems to be out of place, worn, seized etc but something obviously not right - and this was a sudden fault coming onto motorway slip road. Any ideas really appreciated - it's frustrating me now 
You appear to be ok with the gear shift manually.
I understand then that the issue is cable related.
Logically replace the cables and connectors.
But, just a comment you made: going from 3rd to 2nd?
Frustration is Fiat for a challenge
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I understand then that the issue is cable related.
Logically replace the cables and connectors.
But, just a comment you made: going from 3rd to 2nd?
Frustration is Fiat for a challenge
.yeah, once it’s in 3rd it’ll go to 4th with the stick - but can’t get the stick back across to 2nd without manhandling the selector on the gearbox again.You appear to be ok with the gear shift manually.
I understand then that the issue is cable related.
Logically replace the cables and connectors.
But, just a comment you made: going from 3rd to 2nd?
Frustration is Fiat for a challenge
Think you've an issue with the rear cable. Could be the connector.
I'm really guessing now.
Long shot is there an issue with the gear stick?
All the best.
I'm really guessing now.
Long shot is there an issue with the gear stick?
All the best.
Will it go easily 1st to 2nd or 2nd to first, in the same way as 3rd to 4th or vice versa, confirming the fore after cable is OK and it's control?
Is it the left right that's the issue ?
Year or so ago I couldn't select reverse at all, it eventually sorted itself but I still have the issue, knock it out of 5th or reverse and the stick doesn't flick back to the central position you have to physically move the stick, knock from 2nd and it will spring right there's something causing resistance, fore aft into gears no problem at all really slick.
Is it the left right that's the issue ?
Year or so ago I couldn't select reverse at all, it eventually sorted itself but I still have the issue, knock it out of 5th or reverse and the stick doesn't flick back to the central position you have to physically move the stick, knock from 2nd and it will spring right there's something causing resistance, fore aft into gears no problem at all really slick.
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Are you still having gear selector issues? If the selector cable that I have listed for a Punto 188 2004 1.2 will fit your 500, then you can have it if you cover postage. Or collect from Cardiff.
Or have you simply replaced the dodgy selector cable already?
Regards
That’s very kind of you- I had the cables replaced as one had snapped in the middle so gear problems resolved but now running bad with a maf fault which has also been replaced but still unresolved. ho hum - the fun we have! thanks for the offer though
misery loves company! hope you sort it soon!.
Always appreciated when an OP acknowledges when a problem is resolved.
Indeed!
