Replacing 5 speed shifter cables

USA spec car in USA? not told
2.3L inline 4 banger.DOHC +VVT cam. 5sp, M/T
nor real name of the box told.
Vtec is honda name for VVT, valve variable timing, and is not a transmission part at all so is off topic if we want to do 1 at a time.
a wise idea that, leaks are your problem.as all are.
your post seem clueless, here, find a real shop and get it fixed?
vtech bad causes huge engine power loss, for sure stuck in idle mode. so lets end that here.
and talk the box, what box 5 speed is it
not told at all
honda says 5speed is a manual transmission M/T
the silly cable to it is bad.
end story, endless.
2 cables clutch release snapped i gear. makes it hard to shift if you do not move car bay hand to N./ (a trick to lean 2 man job) as all tow truck drivers know for 100 years.
shift cable bad. (or levers to it)
see this first photo , one can drop off links to that #8 part and shift the box by hand, sure can and if can the box end is good .
box means transmission box in whole.,, mech jargon.
all this is pure mechanics 101 problem shifting any M/T is.
photo 2 is lever #2 id and cable set 6
one if bad, looking only finds it as is 100% pure mechanical parts.
end to end. no brains no CPU or TCM brains here, just real gears and levers and flex steel cables that love to fail not lubed regular.











photo

You should check the linkage for the shifter. I believe there are 2 cables from shifter to transmission.

Double check the cables and grommets holding everything in place. If parts of the cable can move, the linkage on the transmission wont.

remove the console, pull the carpet back, remove the cable from trans and pop the grommet out of the firewall, remove the cable from the shifter, install in the reverse order and adjust it when you are done

I take it that you have a standard transmission ? there is no adjustment, but on the saturns the plastic insert on the shifter lever (remove the center console) is what breaks, Napa auto parts has the replacement part for about $20, or you can go to saturn and spend $200 on replacing both cables

remove the console and take a look at the shifter bushings. these connect the bottom of the shifter to the cables. it is common for them to fail, they sell bushing repair kits on eBay and some parts stores.
if that is good however, then you have to look at the other end of the cable and make sure that movement of the shifter is causing the linkage to move on the transmission, if not then you are going to need a new cable set. these are much cheaper at parts stores than through a GM dealer.

take a search through saturn repair videos on youtube for particulars on the console removal and shifter cable replacement. there are lots of them there.

Manual or auto?

It's gotta be the cable/linkage. You just have to inspect them and see if something is worn or snapped. They get old and crusty and need to be replaced eventually. I had to replace my shift cable on my 86 se with the 5-speed getrag.

Hopefully it's not the actual tranny....?

This vehicle has a pair of shift cables which attatches to the shifter and runs to the transmission shift housing.To diagnose,removal of the center console is in order so you can inspect and verify the shifter/cable connections and movement,then verify the cables move the linkages properly at the transmission . These cables are a fairly common failed part and sold as the set,these are a dealer item and no aftermarket cables are available .

To isolate the problem as either an internal transmission problem,or external to the transmission,(shifter or cable malfunction),the shifter cables should be disconnected from the transmission.On the transmission are two levers,if you have a 5 speed trans.One is the neutral gate lever,and the other is actual gear shift lever.Manipulating the levers manually,see if the transmission will engage into Reverse gear.If the transmission engages into Reverse gear,then the problem is either in the shifter mechanism itself,or the shift cables.If the transmission will not engage into Reverse gear,then the problem is either an internal problem,or possibly a switch seized up,like the reverse gear indicator switch.At this point,i would have an assistant sit in the car,engine off,and run through all the gear selections with the shifter,while watching and looking for a cable not operating to its full stroke.Take the console apart to access the shifter mechanism and visually inspect the assembly.Disconnect the cables and operate them manually,one at a time,while an assistant watches them underhood.Visually inspect the shifter and it's mechanism for a broken,cracked,or damaged component.At this point,the problem should be identified and repaired as either cable or shifter malfunction.

If its a hydrulic clutch check the fluid and fix the leak if its low.
If its a cable clutch its likely that the clutch is worn out and needs to be replaced