HELP! shifter will not go into ANY gears! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

ASpec818 · 05-22-2011, 08:59 PM

I tried to move my car and reverse out of my garage but it was difficult going into reverse (and other gears as well). I thought it had finally went in and when I tried reversing, it grinded. After that, I was not able to move the shifter into ANY gears at all (engine on or off)!! I just picked this 2000 S up and it seemed like it was driving ok on the way home yesterday.

Keith Newby · 05-23-2011, 07:28 AM

The shifter is connected to the transmission by two cables. It sounds as if one of the cables has become dislocated...either at the shifter or at the transmission. I'd slide under the car and see if everythings as it should be and if it is look under the console in the car.

ASpec818 · 05-23-2011, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Newby

The shifter is connected to the transmission by two cables. It sounds as if one of the cables has become dislocated...either at the shifter or at the transmission. I'd slide under the car and see if everythings as it should be and if it is look under the console in the car.

Thanks for the reply. I'm actually new to the Boxster scene. What should I be looking for when under the car? Do I have to remove any covers to access the transmission area? Any pics available? Thanks!

ASpec818 · 05-23-2011, 08:00 PM

So I just checked the shift cable connections from the shifter and they are connected. It looks like I'll need the linkage on the transmission next. Does that require removing the plate underneath the car? Or do I simply jack up the rear and start poking around?

blue2000s · 05-23-2011, 08:20 PM

You can see the linkage on the passenger side of the transmission without removing anything.

ASpec818 · 05-23-2011, 08:52 PM

Just jacked up my rear and had my bro move the shifter around. I see two cables. It appears the one on the top corresponds to left and right movement and the one on the bottom represents up and down. They both move and i don't see anything apparent that is deattached. This pic attached is what I can see. Is there something specific on the cables I am looking for? Or as long as they move, they are connected? The only difference is the movement in the bottom cable is shorter because it can't get into gear.

ASpec818 · 05-23-2011, 10:05 PM

*UPDATE*

so i decided to play with the shifter one last time before I was going to tow it tomorrow. I jammed it into 2nd really hard and it went through. after that, all the gears seem to be engaging again. Any ideas on what might've happened?

Do fluids have any effect on gear selection when the engine is off? The s has 70k miles on it and im pretty sure the tranny fluid was never replaced.

blue2000s · 05-24-2011, 05:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASpec818

*UPDATE*

so i decided to play with the shifter one last time before I was going to tow it tomorrow. I jammed it into 2nd really hard and it went through. after that, all the gears seem to be engaging again. Any ideas on what might've happened?

Do fluids have any effect on gear selection when the engine is off? The s has 70k miles on it and im pretty sure the tranny fluid was never replaced.

Was this all just sitting in the garage with the engine off? Sometimes if nothing it spinning the teeth in the dogrings are just not aligned with the recesses in the gears and the tranny won't go into gear. It's not a problem when the engine is spinning because the sncros bring everything slowly into alignment.

ASpec818 · 05-24-2011, 02:25 PM

This initially occured when I was trying to back out of my garage with the engine on. I turned off the engine and the gears were still stuck.

Spinnaker · 05-24-2011, 03:56 PM

Check the shifter for loose change.
(Hey, I didn't know Boxsters were into panhandling.)
A lot of people throw coins into the ashtray and they fall out and down, into the shifter area. Might be interfering with the shifter mechanism. You don't know what the previous owner(s) might have done.