General gearstick frozen stuck!

[mikejt]

Last night i got in my car and started it fine, waited for it to defrost and went to put it in 1st, it was stuck! it moved up yo 3rd and down to 4th but thats it...

i managed to bang it both ways to break the ice but dont want it happening again, would you reccomend spraying wd40 or a silicone lube down there??

 

[JimbbobW1977]

Funny... I was just coming on to post exactly the same thing. Mine was like it yesterday and today. We have had -8 down here in the midlands, and mine was frozen.

I started it and ran it for a bit and it was fine. Though when it was colder at the beginning of the year it never froze, and its only just started doing it now for some reason.

As you said need to know what needs spraying! im assuming the box is operated via cable, and the last thing I want to do is pop one of the cables out.

 

[1.8Stilo]

intresting, ive heard other people post simular last year and say that they let the car idle for awhile longer and it de frosted its self!

Ive been getting the hill holder/esp not avaliable when i let it idle for a while when de frosting windows. When re start clear, im thinking its a low battery current like the stilo use to throw up abs problem when the battery was low and it was cold? anyone else had this?

 

[sharkrider]

intresting, ive heard other people post simular last year and say that they let the car idle for awhile longer and it de frosted its self!

Ive been getting the hill holder/esp not avaliable when i let it idle for a while when de frosting windows. When re start clear, im thinking its a low battery current like the stilo use to throw up abs problem when the battery was low and it was cold? anyone else had this?

indeed, mine freezes below about -5, just run it on idle for a few minutes and it frees up

unexplained warning lights that then go away are often signs of the battery going.....

 

[mikejt]

yehh was -8 when i noticed it....
i gave it a knock to both sides and it was fine, ive sprayed silicone grease down there, will let you know how i get on

and 1.8 stilo, ive had error messages once when i 1st started the engine ESP unavailable, power steering unavailable, hill holder unavailabe..... turned off and back on and it was fine, never happened since!

 

[Dom130]

dont have the gearbox problem but i have to park it in gear with the handbrake off otherwise it freezes on and that Is a ****ter

 

[JTD_Liam]

Pretty sure someone with a 1.6 JTDM MiTo posted in the Alfa Forum about this over the last few days. Bravos have the same thing - all 6 speed versions, must be a weakness in the gearbox design that lets moisture get in.

 

[Mozarella]

dont have the gearbox problem but i have to park it in gear with the handbrake off otherwise it freezes on and that Is a ****ter

The symptom of a need for a brake service, someone said. The dust attracts moisture which then freezes. Others feel the brake pads corrode onto the shoes, still others that it may be caused by a split in the small rubber boot at the end of the handbrake cable which lets water collect in the U-bend between the caliper and the brake mechanism. If possible, leave the car in first gear with the handbrake off in cold weather. Unless you live on a hill, innit?

 

[georgios1976]

dont have the gearbox problem but i have to park it in gear with the handbrake off otherwise it freezes on and that Is a ****ter

Years ago I was working for a car auction house as a driver and a great deal of cars parked with the handbrake engaged would not release rear wheels! The only way round it was either leave the car in gear and the handbrake off, or if the handbreak was engaged, simply reverse a touch and the rear wheels are released!

 

[jarjarmustdie]

my wifes GP sporting does exacting the same.
must be another design falut

 

[focus]

Just had exactly the same problem. Luckily I had seen this thread the other day or I would have been panicking, just let it sit at idle for about 5 minutes and it eventually freed.

Strange thing is when I left for work this morning at 2.30am the temperature was about -8 and it worked OK, but at 11am with temp at -1 it had frozen, although it could have got colder in between had hadn't had time to loosen up.

 

[Robert1031]

I first discovered this problem last winter, happens when temperatures are really low, one time it froze so bad but at same time i was so annoyed with it that I pulled on it so hard the gear linkage snapped, car ended up getting towed to fiat and repaired there (under warrenty - told them i dont know how it happened). All was good, never happened again so figured problem was fixed, until this winter arrives, temperature was -12 this morning, no surprise then it had completely frozen again, only took over an hour to defrost!!!! Finally got it going, drove down my back road where temperatures hit -15 and the gearbox linkage froze whilst driving in 3rd, with this i pulled over and had no choice but to give up and be towed home!

It it down to poor design which allows moisture to enter and therefore freeze the linkage. All i can suggest is assuring all linkages are coated heavily in lubricants as when mine was new and replaced it was fine, now lubricants faded its starting freezing again. Dont know how easy it is to get into the housing, some kind of silicone lubricant would be good, or something that disperses water. This is all i can suggest in order to try help the problem but from the looks of it its just another fiat problem to add to the list.

If anyone can cure it, id like to know because whilst temperatures are as low as this my car is off the road.

 

[Percyhahn]

Years ago I was working for a car auction house as a driver and a great deal of cars parked with the handbrake engaged would not release rear wheels! The only way round it was either leave the car in gear and the handbrake off, or if the handbreak was engaged, simply reverse a touch and the rear wheels are released!

just out of curiosity, if i park on a hill, i leave it in gear as well as handbrake, just in case the handbrake fails or something. why woudnt you leave it in gear parked on a hill?

 

[mikejt]

Since i sprayed silicone grease down the ball joint the other day, its been fine.... dont know if thats because it hasnt been cold enough or not, but i will see how it goes..

For those who have this problem, does it happen often?

 

[focus]

Car did it again this morning. Am going to pop the car into my local garage to get them to grease it up. Because I am clueless is there any area I should tell them to concentrate on or is it just a case of make sure all of the linkage is greased?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[sparky441]

mine freezes at about -4 done it a few times last week the actuator and end of the cables are just below and to the left of the battery have sprayed them with WD40 but will be taking them off and greasing later this week when i can get it inside at work will let you know how i get on in the meantime i have pictures from fiat in pdf of the gearlever parts and the actuator if anybody wants them please email me [email protected]

 

[Robert1031]

Since i sprayed silicone grease down the ball joint the other day, its been fine.... dont know if thats because it hasnt been cold enough or not, but i will see how it goes..

For those who have this problem, does it happen often?

Doubt it would be ball joint mate, as if that was frozen it wouldn't move at all, when left in neutral over night it will only select 3rd & 4th (Up & down) wont go side to side so it would suggest to me its the sideways linkage/selector. Looked in my manual and to gain access to the linkage the cat cover has to be removed from underneath and to gain access to the cables the battery has to be removed apparently. its not a quick fix especially in this weather.

I agree on the silicone grease though, think that may solve the problem, but unsure weather its the linkage that freezes or the cables.

And to answer your question, yes, anything below -2 etc and it freezes

 

[cainy1989]

Mines exactly the same can select 3rd and 4th but nothing sideways, when it warms up end of the week I will take it to fiat hopefully this will be covered under 3rd yr warranty

 

[mikejt]

Doubt it would be ball joint mate, as if that was frozen it wouldn't move at all, when left in neutral over night it will only select 3rd & 4th (Up & down) wont go side to side so it would suggest to me its the sideways linkage/selector. Looked in my manual and to gain access to the linkage the cat cover has to be removed from underneath and to gain access to the cables the battery has to be removed apparently. its not a quick fix especially in this weather.

I agree on the silicone grease though, think that may solve the problem, but unsure weather its the linkage that freezes or the cables.

And to answer your question, yes, anything below -2 etc and it freezes

I didnt think it would be the ball joint, i sprayed it down hoping it would get to the linkages below (if thats possible)

 

[Robert1031]

i see and is it still working or freezing?