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if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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mrwaters
New User
Feb 18, 2014, 10:27 PM
Post #1 of 6
(2821 views)
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if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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Had some issues with a car I bought. 2004 neon with automatic trans.
I went to shift into drive, but the shifter felt stiff and the car reacted as if it were stuck in between gears. I shifted again, and it seemed to cooperate. Puzzled, I shifted to reverse and again into drive. The problem started to get worse and the shifter became almost impossible to move. I eventually got angry and shifted really hard, and the shifter freed itself. unfortunately, the car found it's way into a gear, and I have no idea what gear it's stuck in. It may have been stuck in between gears or It may have found it's way to park. I thought it was in park so I shut it off, but the car refused to start again, so I can only assume that it was in a drive gear.
I was in a hotel parking lot about 150 miles from home so I had the car towed to a mechanic in the area of where the car broke down. The mechanic eventually told me that the shift selector was broken and they couldn't get it to shift into any gears. They offered to replace the transmission for a lot of money. I declined and had it towed to a friend's place. It's sitting there now.
I did a little research and discovered that shift selector they were talking about was the 'manual shaft' on the valve body. I also discovered that the shaft has a smaller shaft within it. The outer shaft connects to the shifter and the inner shaft connects to the throttle kick back? I learned that the linkage commonly breaks there, and can cause the throttle shaft to fall inside of the outer shifting shaft. After this has happens, movement from the shifter cable can cause the 'manual shaft' to dislodge itself from the valve body. Keep in mind that I haven't seen the car. I'm just going off of what info I have available to me.
When the tow truck driver was unloading the car off of the flat bed at my friend's place, it wouldn't cooperate. Since the car was stuck in gear or park, the wheels wouldn't move. My friend said the driver attempted to jerk the car off of the flat bed by raising the bed and doing something with the winch. I don't really know. Apparently, this caused the trans/wheels to free up and now the wheels move as if the car is in neutral.
OKAY! On to my questions. Assuming that the valve body is messed up and not connected to anything influencing the shifting. Could this jerking have caused the car to shift out of gear? Could the fix be as simple as re-seating the valve body components and re-connecting the linkage?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 19, 2014, 2:39 AM
Post #2 of 6
(2808 views)
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Re: if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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? Sounds like plain linkage hardware stuff is stuck and or broken and IMO not as likely to be inside the trans itself.
Being 150 miles away from it is a disadvantage of course now for you. I can't see any use in guessing where the problem is if you can't look right at things now.
The suggestion of a whole new trans over this? IDK but doubt that. Find another shop or tow it all the way back to your home base if you have a shop you know more local to you.
Not sure why the linkage can't be removed right at the trans and just turned by hand? Nobody is going to know much of anything without the vehicle in hand and on site inspection. You can't and a web site certainly can't KNOW what the heck is the real trouble for this situation,
T
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kev2
Veteran
Feb 19, 2014, 3:57 PM
Post #3 of 6
(2792 views)
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Re: if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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as someone tries to shift observe the linkage movement at the top of transmission....
a hail mary - you can trmove the cable from the arm at the transmissiom and shift the arm manually to ck operation
 l
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 19, 2014, 10:09 PM
Post #4 of 6
(2778 views)
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Re: if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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kev2 - the image not available without joining some club?
Same idea on this. Just a look-see with helper I would bet 99% it's just linkage bull. Removed right at trans would shift manually from there - just my bet but it was forced and may have complicated the problem. We're never going to know without someone able to look and check and believe what they found. OP is in a rock and a hard place - no details can be had or observations made so we screwed with this one totally IMO,
T
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mrwaters
New User
Mar 3, 2014, 8:23 AM
Post #5 of 6
(2740 views)
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Re: if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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Thanks for the input. I tend to over analyze impossible situations.
I finally got the car towed home and took a look under the hood. I checked the linkage on top of the transmission and saw that every thing seemed to be in place. The mechanic was right about not being able to shift the car by hand, but was wrong about why. I tried to move the shifter directly on the transmission, and it wasn't going anywhere, so I decided to pop the cable off, and it moves effortlessly. The shifter cable has not only snapped, but has also become stuck within it's sheath somewhere. In less than 15 minutes I, a novice, identified the problem. I understand that mechanics have to make money to stay in business, but trying to sell me an entire transmission when it's nothing but a simple cable problem is really taking advantage of a situation.
I shifted it back into park and the car started right up. The thing that worries me now is that the car shifted into neutral when the tow truck driver tried to remove it from the flatbed. From what I observed, the car was stuck in gear, but able to move as if it were in neutral. I really hope this didn't mess anything up internally. I guess I'll find out soon.
Thanks again.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 3, 2014, 8:44 AM
Post #6 of 6
(2734 views)
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Re: if linkage is disconnected, can an automatic trans slip out of gear?
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Didn't re-read entirely but glad it's back and you nailed the real problem - the cable. It should be OK from the tow alone.
Can't tell if this did this and just once to a car I was in. Sudden stuck clutch cable? The problem ended up being the cable inside it's case was THE acting GROUND cable and fried stuck when starter was engaged. Not real likely but cause was the engine ground was broken. Newer car but long ago. Inspect the cable to find out why is just my suggestion. If by some wild chance it melted on some area of it that wasn't from something else hot check out the ground. We've had a run here with some ground issues for some strange reason??
Good luck with the fix.
PS: Tech that apparently misdiagnosed this probably wasn't (who knows?) out to get you but just missed the cause and might have caught it before going nuts on the trans itself. Can't know but most good techs/shops don't need to make up fake work as there's enough to fix out there to keep them busy anyway.........
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