Register Log In

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Car will not engage into any gear!

Print Thread

Car will not engage into any gear! #1613381 07/19/06 07:57 PM
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 512 Southeast Michigan R Reebs OP Veteran CEG\'er
OP Reebs Veteran CEG\'er R Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 512 Southeast Michigan	I had another post about how my speedometer stopped working on my 98.5 SVT and now this new problem happened later today (the same day), but I don't think my 2 problems are related. Anyways, I recently replaced with Pete and Tim my clutch (spec stage 1, my flywheel (fidanza), Steeda short shifter, and we put in Tims newer trans with a Torsen LSD. Everything felt great for the past few weeks until today... I was driving nice and easy going to shift from 2nd to 3rd and I had no 3rd gear. Then I tried 4th and nothing, then 5th and nothing. I coasted into a parking lot and my shifter moves around freely from 1 straight across to 5th and all around in a big circle. It is if I have no gears! Or one big sloppy gear! From searching and Stazis over the phone diagnositic, my best guess is that my shift tower bolt came loose, but I have no idea how hard that is to fix?!?! Is it a 5 minute job or a 3 hour job? I need my car for work tomorrow! Any ideas or advice!?!? It can't be a blown diff or a bad trans... and I can't imagine my clutch going after a proper break in period. Plus when the clutch went last time is was nothing like this. Thanks, Jeff For Sale - 96 Tour Sport 2.5L MTX with SVT Exhaust, pre 98 trunklid with newer Contour Sport spoiler instead of lip spoiler, newer Contour sport rims. Newer paint job. Brand new floor mats. Rust Free! PM me for details and pics.

Re: Car will not engage into any gear! #1613382 07/19/06 10:04 PM
Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,143 Ypsilanti, Mi A AliasJerk�?� Addicted CEG\'er
AliasJerk�?� Addicted CEG\'er A Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 5,143 Ypsilanti, Mi	Originally posted by JReebs96sport: I had another post about how my speedometer stopped working on my 98.5 SVT and now this new problem happened later today (the same day), but I don't think my 2 problems are related. Anyways, I recently replaced with Pete and Tim my clutch (spec stage 1, my flywheel (fidanza), Steeda short shifter, and we put in Tims newer trans with a Torsen LSD. Everything felt great for the past few weeks until today... I was driving nice and easy going to shift from 2nd to 3rd and I had no 3rd gear. Then I tried 4th and nothing, then 5th and nothing. I coasted into a parking lot and my shifter moves around freely from 1 straight across to 5th and all around in a big circle. It is if I have no gears! Or one big sloppy gear! From searching and Stazis over the phone diagnositic, my best guess is that my shift tower bolt came loose, but I have no idea how hard that is to fix?!?! Is it a 5 minute job or a 3 hour job? I need my car for work tomorrow! Any ideas or advice!?!? It can't be a blown diff or a bad trans... and I can't imagine my clutch going after a proper break in period. Plus when the clutch went last time is was nothing like this. Thanks, Jeff sounds like the shifter cable came off, probably due to the short shifter, there is a little ball on the end of it that likes to break a lot. 98 Corolla LE 1.8L DOHC 1ZZFE TEIN H.Tech Springs Tokico HP series Struts Short ram air intake Tsudo Axel Back Exhaust ... if a jelly fish stung me.. would you pee on the wound?

Re: Car will not engage into any gear! #1613383 07/19/06 10:19 PM
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 512 Southeast Michigan R Reebs OP Veteran CEG\'er
OP Reebs Veteran CEG\'er R Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 512 Southeast Michigan	Where do I get this ball that you speak of? How does a ball break? I don't know very much about the shifter and its linkage. I did pop up the boot cover but nothing stood out as too unusual. Thanks, Jeff For Sale - 96 Tour Sport 2.5L MTX with SVT Exhaust, pre 98 trunklid with newer Contour Sport spoiler instead of lip spoiler, newer Contour sport rims. Newer paint job. Brand new floor mats. Rust Free! PM me for details and pics.

Re: Car will not engage into any gear! #1613384 07/20/06 05:50 PM
Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 246 Delaware B BrandonSVT99 CEG\'er
BrandonSVT99 CEG\'er B Joined: Dec 2005 Posts: 246 Delaware	this just happened to me.I was also shifting into 3rd very nicely not rough at all,next thing I kno I have no gears.I check my linkage and it has not came off.It is most likely the shifter tower bolt.I feel for you man! I have not been able to drive my car for over a week or so..I want to drive it sooo bad!! 99 SVT/silver frost....with "some" mods SVT FLYWHEEL 4 SALE!!! PM me

Re: Car will not engage into any gear! #1613385 07/20/06 06:24 PM
Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,788 Bethlehem, PA L LUCA_dup1 Hard-core CEG\'er
LUCA_dup1 Hard-core CEG\'er L Joined: Dec 2001 Posts: 3,788 Bethlehem, PA	Have you checked this: Look under the car by the front driver's side wheel and look up. There are two "boxes" one white and one up above that is black. There is supposed to be a bushing that fits around the "peg" sticking out in the picture (white box). My kid had the same problem with her Contour. The bushing was still there but it was distorted, she replaced just the bushing and all was fine. Ours was missing (as seen in the picture) but I had no problems shifting at all. The part was $13 and change at the dealership. Not sure if that is your problem but it's worth a look see. More info Last edited by LUCA; 07/20/06 06:42 PM. Phil 98 Silver Frost #2059

Re: Car will not engage into any gear! #1613386 07/20/06 07:45 PM
Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 222 Flint Mi H hotblack98 CEG\'er
hotblack98 CEG\'er H Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 222 Flint Mi	I had the same problem with mine a few months back. It was the bolt on the shift tower. It is a easy fix (atleast mine was)I think it took about 30 minutes. I was able to fish the head of the broken bolt out of the trans with a magnetic tool. Good luck Mike 1998.5 CSVT Black/Midnight blue 4895 of 6535 DOB Feb 28, 1998 Kanuberized Nightshade Tails 17 inch RS5s http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2064434/1

Re: Car will not engage into any gear! #1613387 07/20/06 09:11 PM
Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 512 Southeast Michigan R Reebs OP Veteran CEG\'er
OP Reebs Veteran CEG\'er R Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 512 Southeast Michigan	Thanks for all the good advice! I hope it will be an easy fix. I will check out what Christine said, but it could very well be the Shift Tower bolt. Can you just replace the bolt or do I need to upgrade the shift tower to keep this from happening again!?!? Does anyone have any pics of the shift tower bolt and where it is at on the shift tower? I am going to pull my shift tower on Saturday and I am hoping the bolt head will be easy to find... if that indeed is the problem! I have heard of this happening to quite a few CEG'ers. Could it be due to my Steeda Short shifter or my fidanza flywheel that we just recently put on!?!? From what I've heard... contiques that have light weight flywheels and short shifters may be a cause because of the shifts and the RPMs dropping and raising so fast!?!? Doesn't sound right to me but that is what I read while searching. It seems to me like something that just happens. Anyways, advice on how to find the bolt head or any tips and pictures would be very helpful. I will do more searching to see if I can find a good link with a how to and pics. Thanks to everyone. What would I do without CEG! Jeff For Sale - 96 Tour Sport 2.5L MTX with SVT Exhaust, pre 98 trunklid with newer Contour Sport spoiler instead of lip spoiler, newer Contour sport rims. Newer paint job. Brand new floor mats. Rust Free! PM me for details and pics.

Moderated by horseydug_dup1, Ray_dup1

Link Copied to Clipboard

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5