Ugh - snapped shifter cable

Status
Not open for further replies.
supton

supton

Joined
Nov 9, 2008
Messages
26,117
Location
NH
Got my alternator in yesterday; replaced a bent sway bar link while at went. Went to go on a trip today and... stuck in park. Snapped the shifter cable.

Just doesn't end...

Does not appear to be available at AutoZone so down for another week while I order parts.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Can you hook a coat hanger on it and shift it through the grille?
lol.gif


Remember, the detents are inside the transmission, something lightweight like a coat hanger isn't going to bounce around enough to give you troubles.

If your e-brake is in good shape, start it in neutral then give it one click and boom, you're in drive. Maybe put a 2x4 under your front tire then drive over it, stop, open the door, and pick it up for the next time.
 
Originally Posted by eljefino
Can you hook a coat hanger on it and shift it through the grille?
lol.gif


Remember, the detents are inside the transmission, something lightweight like a coat hanger isn't going to bounce around enough to give you troubles.

If your e-brake is in good shape, start it in neutral then give it one click and boom, you're in drive. Maybe put a 2x4 under your front tire then drive over it, stop, open the door, and pick it up for the next time.

Eh, too much work--I'll take a different vehicle until I get a new cable.

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
maybe it's time for a new(er) ride?
21.gif


Don't I wish. Wife is due for the next good vehicle, and she doesn't know what to get (4 doors, green, manual, cheap, reliable, 25k/year, 10 year lifespan ....). Once she gets something I can have her car, which has been a good proper car (only needing brakes over 183k). I don't think she'll let me spend a couple grand on a newer car, just not a good use of money--I mean, what am I going to find that is better for a grand or two? just another gamble, really.

Originally Posted by andyd
Supton, I got a 10 pk of filters from an outfit in NJ quick service.
[email protected]

That's good. I usually just do Ebay or Amazon, both seem to have about the same. $4 per seems common. Don't forget to get cabin filters while you are at it, might as well get a 3 pack. 5 pack might make sense, change after the winter, then after pollen season, that's twice a year. An air filter might be good to have on hand too, that way when rodents chew a hole through it you are prepared.

Originally Posted by AZjeff
Is rust ruining the legendary Toyota reliability?

Sure seems like it. What's sad is that it spent 5-10 years in Arizona before getting lost and winding up in NH. It's got way less rust than my 2010 Tundra (also got less paint, but that's a different problem).
 
So now that I'm home again I can look up what part to get. Rockauto isn't working for me right now; Amazon shows a Dorman for $207, toyotapartsdeal for $195 (plus shipping), and yet ebay has one for $17.
21.gif


Is the cheapo one ok, or is this really something that OEM makes sense?
 
With those kinda prices, I would take the cable out and see what it consists of before I bought another one. Use some Yankee ingenuity
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted by JayhawkRoy
Parts number from toyotapartsdeal is not the same as the ebay alleged Toyota parts number. Are you sure they are identical?

I worry about that too, but this one claims interchange.
 
Originally Posted by andyd
With those kinda prices, I would take the cable out and see what it consists of before I bought another one. Use some Yankee ingenuity
grin2.gif


Am thinking about it, but mum is flying up in two weeks and I think she wants a reliable ride. She doesn't drive stick and I don't think she can climb up into my truck, so, this is it.

Spent over an hour yanking the cable out. But I won. Ratcheting 10m wrench is required, as is a tolerance to pain. And realizing that out of the four bolts that need to come off for the grommits, odds are, maybe none will make it back in... this cable must have gone in before HVAC and everything else, talk about a pain. Center console out, entirely, along with glovebox, so as to get access.

Now, I had sprayed this a few times with Fluid Film, but, what happens is that rust gets into that plastic end, seizes on the bolt, then the plastic fatigues. Spraying with something doesn't work (I think there was washer that disintegrated upon disassembly).

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]
 
Last edited:
The cable uses 2 gromits, one on the outer firewall and one on the inside of the car (there appears to be a cavity between two metal walls). Each side is bolted down. Four 10mm bolts. The ones on the outside of the car, not horrible--do these last and you'll think it a cake walk by comparison.

View is from passenger footwell, once the glovebox and console is out of the way. The missing bolt is up and to the left, and just not doable from the drivers footwell.
[Linked Image]
 
Holy crap, same exact thing happened on my Grand Marquis. I just replaced the Fuel Pump, drove it out and POP! Lucky I have a working parking brake! I have an inclined driveway.
Had to grind a bolt down. Lucky it has two flats to hold the rectangular eyelet.
 
Originally Posted by Kira
What did I miss?

A factory terminated cable assembly lost one of its ends. Replace the cable assembly.

After being parked for a week for a failed alternator it'll get parked for another week to get a cable. Just a few weeks ago it was down for a day or so when the radiator cracked (the radiator was simple but when I cut some wires it suddenly became otherwise). And a few weeks before that was it was down for an oil pan gasket, and before that was calipers.

Reliable this Toyota ain't. It's like the MTBF has been achieved on a large number of parts. Just the way it goes sometimes. At least it's been cheaper than a new car payment.
 
Last edited:
On batteries I usually wait for it to drop a cell. Then I get a jump or two, figure it out, then change the battery in a Walmart parking lot.

On this one, I checked, and had 12.5V with engine off, 11.9 with engine running. I think it's ok. I haven't found a datestamp on the battery, so I'm not sure how old it is. Given how well it's cranking right now I'm ok with running it until it gives grief. I'm ok with running some gambles in life. At least a battery is a small one (as opposed to a shifter cable, I shudder to think how much that'd cost someone if I loaned out the car and they got stranded someplace).
 
11.9V running? You're not charging at all. If you mistyped and meant 13.9V running, then you "may" be ok. I'd still swing by AZ or AAP and have them do a load test on the battery; takes less than 10 minutes and it's free.
 
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
11.9V running? You're not charging at all. If you mistyped and meant 13.9V running, then you "may" be ok. I'd still swing by AZ or AAP and have them do a load test on the battery; takes less than 10 minutes and it's free.


Yep, not charging. The nominal voltage of a car battery is 12.6V, 6 cells x 2.1V.

11.9 running means the battery is being drawn down to power the car's electrics. If that's at idle and improves with RPM, then the alternator is bad or there's a wiring fault.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
Disabling Smart Alternator on 2019 Sentra ?
2
Replies
33
Views
1K
SwampSurvivor
R
K2xx alternator upgrade on GMT800
Replies
12
Views
1K
clinebarger
W
Inner tie rod snapped.. what else should be replaced?
Replies
17
Views
1K
zzyzzx
I
Koni sway bar link bracket failure - Any coilovers available only for the front axle?
Replies
13
Views
463
inquirer
michael007
HR-V in limp mode after car wash - followed by weird noises underneath gear shifter
Replies
4
Views
1K
michael007
Back
Top Bottom