SOLVED! Transmission shifting issues

Blckshdw

Original poster
Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
Welp, here we go again. Stopped at the gas station near the house, went to shift into drive, and the lever moves freely. Transmission remains in park, as does the indicator.

I can hear the click when pressing the brake. Got underneath and the linkage is still connected. Had another customer hold the brake while I tried to move the shifter on the tranny directly and it wouldn't move outside of the tiny bit of play it usually has.

I am waiting on a tow truck to take it home, what should I be looking to troubleshoot first once I get it there?

Also not sure how we're gonna get it in neutral to load it, if it's a flatbed :worried:
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
That sucks!

Cable could have come loose at the shifter end. I don't know how stiff the lever on the transmission side usually is. If something got stuck I guess it could have snapped loose of the shifter.

As far as loading, tow trucks have wheel dollys etc to get around those sorts of issues.
 

Blckshdw

Original poster
Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
A lot of my tools aren't in the back anymore, just have one of those cheap Swiss army knife deals. Got all the screws out of the console except the torx screw for the shift handle, so I can't really get in there like I'd like to at the moment.

Hopefully if dollys are needed, we'll be able to get the truck into the garage. Forecast was for rain, but it's sunny for now... ETA for the tow truck is another 45 minutes :ugh:
 

Blckshdw

Original poster
Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
OK got the truck home, tow truck driver had skills, was able to back my truck most of the way into the garage. Due to the low door height, had to drop it 3/4 of the way in. He showed me the correct way to get the truck shifted into gear, I didn't realize you had to shift the selector FIRST, then do it manually at the tranny. :duh: And of course that makes perfect sense, thinking about it later. :dunce:

He said he was sure that the problem was the shifter end of the cable being broken, so when I get the shift handle off and console out, this is what I see...

89377

GM and their plastic bushings :hissyfit: Move the cable a bit, get my new light in place, and see how the bushing disintegrated on one side. Now to hope I can find a nice (metal) replacement like I did for the tranny side, so I don't have to mess with the whole cable.

89379

89380
 

Mounce

Member
Mar 29, 2014
13,667
Tuscaloosa, AL
First I've heard of this failure honestly.

Hey the Dorman kits come with both bushings as far as I know... This one lasted how long? I wouldn't fear another plastic bushing. You'll be rid of this vehicle before it fails again, pal. Sad truth.

DORMAN 14055 Shift Linkage Bushing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GHRUQEK/?tag=gmtnation-20

Side note, I've seen more than one tow truck driver drag a dead vehicle onto a tow truck, they don't posses the time nor energy to pull out dollies (which they're not made for loading anyways) and be easy, if it won't start or go into neutral or if they're just lazy... In park skidding wheels dragged onto the bed like it was just another patient. Nonchalant like.
 
Last edited:

Blckshdw

Original poster
Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
First I had ever heard of this type of failure too. Yeah couldn't find any metal bushings, so ordered another plastic one, it will be here tomorrow. I'm able to shift the cable manually, easily enough, so at least I can still get around without any issue there.

Luckily the guy had a wheel lift style truck. Strung the seat belt through the steering wheel to hold it mostly straight, and everything went fine for the >2 mile drive home. I've seen some tow truck drivers drag vehicles too, that's what I was worried about, but glad it didn't come to that.
 

hockeyman

Member
Aug 26, 2012
726
I'd get crafty with cable ties when installing a new shifter cable. Something to secure the two parts closely together in the event of another failure.

If that didn't work, I'd figure something out by either threading on a large nut/bolt, or drilling a hole in the base piece for a washer and cotter pin.
 
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Blckshdw

Original poster
Moderator
Nov 20, 2011
10,665
Tampa Bay Area, FL
@hockeyman I was actually going to go with the nut/bolt method too, but shamefully, the little clip retaining the cable to the front of the shifter housing defeated me. Couldn't for the life of me get that damn thing to disengage, so I could get the housing removed to drill out that pin.

Also, like @Mounce said, this one lasted 14 years, so I'm confident that it will be OK for a while after replacement. I just need to keep my small set of emergency hand tools in the truck like I used to. Only reason I got stranded, is because I didn't have that T15 torx bit to get the shift handle off. :duh:
 

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