Hello, i have a 2004 Saturn vue, 4 cyl, 2.2l with a 5 speed manual trannie with about 93 k miles. I bought it about 3 years ago with 64k mostly highway miles. Since then the transmission shift stick has been getting harder and harder to change gears. The clutch seems fine and all gears run, they're just hard to get into or change into. My mechanic recently added a little more transmission oil, but the system persists. Any help would be appreciated. Just a side note, they're just about as hard to put into any gear when the car is parked and not running also. Thanks
The transmition is not the problem. The cables that run from the shifter to the transmition are the culpret. I recently rescued my wife from the road when the linkage broke on our VUE. I purchased new connectors and cables from the dealership and replaced them. For those that have the proper knowledge and skill set, you can replace them yourself. Others are better off having it done at a shop. The following is my personal experience and is not meant to be a guide, repair manual or procedure for those who lack formal automotive repair training! The new shifter cables come as a set. The cable with the white housing does not seem to be a problem. The cable with the black housing controls the push forward-pull back and the cable with the white housing controls the side to side movement. I found that the new cable with the black housing had the same sort of stiffness when I pushed and pulled the cable by hand. Then I noticed that the cable end was bent, causing it to bind in the housing. I straightened the end by bending it with my hands untill I felt the least amount of binding or resistance when pushing and pulling it. When I installed it the difference was amazing! I kept the old cable set for emergencies. The only tools you need to replace the cables and couplings are a 7mm socket on a screwdriver handle, a phillips head screwdriver and a pair of needle nose plyers. Remove the center console, (4, 7mm screws) and electrical connections. Then remove the plastic panels around the shifter, (7, phillips head screws and 2 plastic push pins) associated snap together panel fasteners and electrical connections. Pop each cable end off it's shifter joint/ball and push the collar back on each cable housing anchor. Pull the carpet back and push the rubber grommet through the firewall in the passenger footwell. Then pop the cable ends off at the transmition. Pull the old cable set out and reverse the procedure to install the new cables. There is an adjustment of the cable length. This should be done before replacing the plastic panels and center console. The new cable ends that attach to the shifter can be positioned/adjusted. Looking at the old cable pair you will see where the old clips were positioned and can start with that. Then run the shifter through all the gears to make sure they all engage. If you run out of travel on the shifter handle re-position the clips on the cable ends, as needed, to get full gear engagement without running out of travel.
Unfortunately this has happened to my Vue twice now. I was lucky the first time and was able to find a complete shifter, cables and clips in a junkyard for $25. Now that Saturn is gone it has been a pain finding a dealer that has a clue what parts are needed. I'm hoping the cable adjuster will come with the clips and I can just snap the clips on and be back up and running in 10 minutes or so. Then, it's off to trade it in on something else as I've had enough of this issue and want something just a tad bigger and with an automatic.
×
You might want to check to see if you can adjust the linkage it sounds like you might have some binding if linkage is fine then check all fluids transmission and clutch
11,760 views
Usually answered in minutes!
×