Hey all, been away for some time. Recently had an issue where I went to the car to run an errand. Turned it on, went to shift, and nada. No clicks, and a sure feeling of oddity in the shifter.

Took me a few days, but I finally got to look at the linkage from the top of the car. I had to go in the top because I now live in a toony complex in Pasadena. They frown upon people doing any sort of mechanical work in the underground garage. So I was working on the DL by figuring out the issues from the interior instead of simply jacking up the car.


I removed the shifter cover, the handle, the ashtray and then the center console.

The linkage was disconnected from the shifter rod to the trans. I see that the old linkage clip looks to be in poor nick. Not having the replacement part, I simply popped it back in. I think I got some 8 movements of the shifter until it came out again.


A Local parts supplier got me the wrong clip. So I had to go to the dealer and get the correct replacement clip. By now my car has been down some 6 days.



I slipped in the new clip onto the rubber bushing at the bottom of the shift linkage. I got a real satisfying click sound when I pushed in the shifter rod.

$6 for the clip, a glass of G&T, and the satisfaction that my trans is till going.

Just an FYI, here is the old clip.




Note how the old clip is bent. It was concave to the shift rod bulb. I think this bending comes from using the trans in the "tap to shift" mode. That is when you are in Drive and you manual run through the gears by tapping left or right.

At first I was worried about the trans when I couldn't grab a gear, now it seems completely normal that this piece would wear. Especially if you are the type to shift the auto trans in the side to side motion.

Realize that this is now the second time that the cars shift linkage has been out of the car. Hopefully the last.

Ed

 

Good post Ed. Something we can all look forward to!

 

Thanks Glyn. Can you fix the title of my post. It was suppossed to say, Car won't go into gear.

 

Thanks for the heads up Ed Glad you got it sorted and it was a cheap fix. Sucks for the week downtime.

Holy bent clip Batman

Didn't realize that E-clip takes all that side load when manually shifting. I would expect that clip to be thicker considering. Will take a look at mine next time I am under there.

 

Fixed it for you Ed.

 

Hey Amigo, how is the boat shopping going?!

I was suprised at how thin those clips are. But the differance from the bent clip to the new clip when I snapped in the linkage was night and day. I probably could have gotten away with flattening the clip, but I just don't need the hassle of getting stuck somewhere over a $6 clip.

Don't cry for me Argentina, I was rocking the Bimmer for the week.

Ed

 

John beat me to it.

 

Wish all ATMs were as cheap to fix!!

 

seaCoue, I am trying to understand how you were able to access that clip from top. Did you remove the entire gear shifter assembly?
I've replaced that clip on my ML; I accessed it from under the truck. Gear shifter will feel loose when that clip is starting to go..

 

I had to go in from the top. Going in from the bottom is MUCH easier. But where the car lost the linkage connection, I was not able to jack up the car.

Working from the interior, once I pulled up the shift linkage, I could see that it was no longer connected.

 

Have long admired your effective DIY solutions, SeaCoupe.
Additional kudos for affecting the repair sans raising ire of the landlord or HOA.

 

nice write up

 

$6 for a .06 cent clip.
Oh well.
So, how many miles now?
I get worried every so often, that I might need a different car, but
I like the one I have as long as it keeps going.

I noticed on ebay a whole engine from a 2002 for 1500.
Kinda makes me wonder about bothering with doing a head gasket, vs, just sliding in a newer engine. I'm sure one could be had for less than 1500.
Just drop in a whole new driveline from a wrecked car.