I have a 97 Saturn sl2 5 speed I had the shift cables replaced. It worked great for a few weeks. Now I have very little horse power in 1 2 3 gears it shifts but the horsepower isn't the same the shift cables were used. The RPMS go up but it doesn't have the power it use to and the shift light comes on. But 4 5 R works fine. Does it sound like I need to replace the low gear shift cable?

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I had trouble with what seemed like a transmission on my ford van. Was told by a master mechanic to disconnect the NEGATIVE battery cable for 5 minutes to reset computer. I did this, it worked & never had another problem with it. Maybe it will work in your situation. Doesn't cost anything to try!:)

I was curious never had a standard shift with your problem. Found a guy which had similar problems but only fifth gear would work. He put some final notes which I will post maybe it will help. His problem was the cable broke so he was not really shifting into gear.(96 Saturn)
1. If you are having the problem, first visually check the cables under the hood - make sure they are still connected
2. Then check the cables visually, inside the engine compartment. The lower cable is hard to see
3. Next thing to check would be where the cables connect to the shifter. You'll need to remove the center console. 2 screws in the back of the console, two at the front behind the fuse panel door, and in the same place on the drivers side. Popout and disconnect the power window switch assm. Pop out the cup holders, twist out the little light. Disconnect the cigarette lighter. The shifter **** is a friction fit - pull up but watch out - mine let loose with a lot of force - watch you head.
Check the cables to make sure they are still connected to shifter. A common problem reported often (not my problem), is the cable bushing breaking. The end of the cable has a plastic ring. In the ring is a bushing that snaps over a piece on the shifter. If the busing breaks, it needs to be replaced. Google it, there is a lot of information on it and after market parts to fix it.

If, you are unlucky like I was, and your cable is broken, you'll need to replace it

i had the same problem with my 97 sl2 check the shift cable on the trans when it happend to me the end of the cable was broke.

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

If console shift....On the shank of the shift lever were you can't see a horse shoe shape clip is pushed into the Handle towards the bottom of the shank portion. You need to pry it out keeping a magnet very close to this part. It can be lost easily. This clip is facing the front of the handle of course which is hard to see
If column shift the lever is sold with the knob only

I have the same problem, Noticing that my 2006 Saturn Vue, 5-speed becomes extremely hard to shift gears when the weather is cold. (Temps range from 20-43). Has been colder in the last month. What could this be?

also side note:
Our windshield wiper spray doesn't work on front window but work on back. They both started about the same time when the temps dropped to single digits. Dont know if that had any causes.

I have been suffering from the infamous deteriorated bushing for about 18 months now. Until now, have fixed it with tape. But I want to sell it now and need something more permanent. Anyway, I went to a junkyard today and managed to pull off the entire shift cable in about 1 hour. I'm a novice as well. A few clips at the transmission, pulling the bushing off at the gear shift. Hardest part was getting it through the firewall without totally destroying the rubber. If you have questions, e-mail me at [email protected]

Check the cable clips at the trans. Sometimes these clips come out and won't shift. Horseshoe clips that hold the cable housing.

You should probably check the shifter cable. I had the same thing happen and then I couldn't shift into 2nd, 4th, and reverse gears. Then the cable snapped and I had to replace it. Be careful "man-handling" the shifter. If you break the shift linkage at the base of the shifter it's about $45 from the dealership. It's cheap plastic and doesn't take much to break. If you really want to know if it's the shift cable and not the gearbox crank the engine, have someone hold the clutch, disconnect the shift cables from the box, and manually shift the gears. If they move smooth, it's probably your cable which would mean there's a kink in it somewhere. You can't fix that. Depending on the VIN you're looking at anywhere from $189 (what mine cost with tax) to a little over $200 (from the dealership brand new). Talk to the parts desk at a Saturn dealership and they can tell you which one you need. Hope this helps