If you drive a manual transmission, the gear shifter is what you move to select the gear you want to be in. The selector cable is what takes this movement and translates it to the transmission. If it is damaged or broken it will cleave you unable to drive your car properly. 

What is a manual selector cable?

Your selector cables allow for the gear shifter to shift side to side and forward and back. As you move the gear shift it in turn moves the cables travelling through the firewall and these move the selector on the transmission. Seeing as you use these cables every time you drive, they are prone to stretching, breaking and replacement is not uncommon.

Why do you need a manual selector cable?

If the cable is broken then you won’t be able to change gear. If you can’t change gear then you can’t drive. The selector cable is essential to operating your car. If the cable or bushings fail it can make it very difficult to drive your car.

How to tell if you need a new manual selector cable

If you struggle to select the correct gear or if the transmission is stuck in a gear then that can mean the cable needs replacing. If there is no tension on the gear shift or there is excessive play, that can mean the cable has broken or stretched too far.

What’s involved in getting a manual selector cable replaced?

The mechanic will remove the trim around the gear shifter and inspect the bushes and cables. They will then unlink the cables from the gear shifter and hoist the vehicle up. They will trace the cables through the firewall to the transmission and disconnect them from the transmission. The new cables will be fitted in the old ones place and fed through the linkages and firewall. They will then be connected to the gear shifter and new bushes may be fitted as well. The trim will be refitted and the gears tested.

How much does a manual selector cable cost near Ashburton?

Most of the costs come from the labor needed to feed and calibrate the new cables. As such the prices start around $350 and can go above $750.

How often do I need a manual selector cable replaced?

They don’t generally break and most of the time adjustment can solve the problems that arise.

Is a broken manual selector cable unsafe?

It can stop you from driving your car which would be annoying. It’s a replacement that if required, has to happen. 

You can find a mechanic near Ashburton with My Auto Shop