02' Boxster S 6-speed - can only get R, 1st and 2nd gear

[Doug427]

I did a search, but I can't seem to get anything to come up. I guess I need to polish my search skills. I took it out for a ride tonight, and the car was running great. I ran into a store, came out, backed out of the space, and had a bit of difficulty getting it out of reverse. One I got it out, I can now only get reverse 1st and 2nd gear. In the neutral gate, the shifter won't budge to the right past the 1-2 forward/back shift plane. Feels like it's hitting a brick wall, no give in that direction at all.

Obviously I have to look into this. Is this a known issue, anyone have an idea where to look first? Shifter end or trans end?

Thanks.

[maytag]

My first question would be how fast were you going when you ran into the store? An impact with a stationary object like that is sure to damage something.




Hehehe

Seriously though; take a look at the shift cables where they attach to the transaxle.... they're known to come loose as they age.

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[oldskool73]

pull up the gear gaiter and check you don't have a coin or any other foreign objected jammed in the shift mechanism down there?

[10/10ths]

Might have popped the shifter cables out of their brackets on the transmission. Jack up the car and crawl under the transaxle and look up at the shift cables and check to see if they have popped off their brackets. Sometimes it is really hard to tell as they can be off just a half inch. Reach up and pop them back into place and zip tie them on if that is, indeed, the issue. It happened to me.

[particlewave]

Shifter cables popping off would not keep the shifter from moving past the 1st/2nd gate.
I'm with oldskool...I think there is something like a coin under or in the shifter physically blocking it.

[dsallean]

I found about $34 worth of coins under my shifter the first time I removed it.

[Doug427]

I have to travel for work, I'll take a look at it as soon as I get home and let you guys know. Hopefully it's nothing big.

[seningen]

If its not the shifter cables -- it could be the fulcrum pin(s), common for us Spec Boxsters, but I haven't heard this from the general populace, nor with 6 speeds.

I had something similar on my S (track car), and found one of the tiny pins on the shift linkage internal to the tranny had fallen out -- there are 6 of them, about $6 total. I think my mech fixed this just splitting the back of the tranny.

Mike

[NewArt]

I would check 10/10ths idea. This happens a lot. Easy fix.

[Doug427]

Just got home, and had to satisfy myself the worst outcome (internal trans issue) wasn't the case. Got right under the car and completely disconnected the cables from the trans. Thank goodness, the shifter is still jammed out of N in the 3-4 and 5-6 gates. Removed the boot, and I don't see anything obvious blocking it. Next step when I have a few minutes free time is to remove the center console and examine further. The good news is the trans appears to be good.