Gearbox Linkage Cable Fitting Help ?

[daran71]

Hi

 

Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed my MK1 1998 tdi has been a bit hit or miss with reverse gear. Going in 90 percent of the time but just the odd time having to try a few times to get it in. Then yesterday I was cruising along and moved to 5th gear only for the revs to scream at me. Thinking I had somehow put it in 3rd i tried again with the same outcome. Carried on to my destination about 2 minutes away and went to park to find no reverse gear either!!

 

Did some investigation last night and removed the expansion bottle and the battery and battery tray - also shifted the fuel filter slightly and removed any plastics to get access to the linkage as suggested on other posts!! I can see the ends of the cables attached to the gearbox all are connected ok and if you move the gear stick i can see it moving the selector. So that part appears to be ok.

 

So looking at the cables I will try and describe what I think is the fault. There are two which I will call left and right - I can see them coming out of the bulkhead from I presume the gearstick - this part is covered in what looks like a metallic heat shield - both of these then go through a black plastic bit and then the other side of the black plastic its two chrome little push rod type things that go to the selector bit on the box.

 

The right hand side one had some of the head shield corroded - so i pulled it back to have a closer look - under near it looks like steel strands similar to the protection on steel wired armour electric cable (hopefully some of you will know what i mean) this is then pulled away from the plastic bit and you can see a thinner cable inside that looks similar to a bike brake cable? Im thinking that i shouldn't be able to see this and that the steel strands should be firmly connected to the plastic bit? Im thinking that this has effectively stretched the cable and is not allowing the selector to make 5th and reverse ?

 

So looking through all the threads here - the only reference i can fin to changing the cable is that is "a four hour job" but cant find any descriptions or pictures?? I could buy the cable and get it fitted but im sure a 4 hour job will end up costing at least £100 in labour even in a local place and its another £100 I can ill afford!!!!!

Edited October 13, 2012 by daran71

[BigRik13]

Seems unlikely that the cable would stretch - could be the sheared selector bolt problem, though that might not explain the problems you had on the run up o the failure.