carnahanbb

This car (1989 S4) is new to me so I've been going over it as best I can fixing things that I can and making note of things I'll have to take it in for. In any case, I've noticed since I've had the car that the transmission lever can be difficult to move out of 2nd up through 3rd and Drive and tonight the gear lever became completely stuck in 2nd I cannot get it to move up to Drive let alone Park so I just set the E-Brake and thought I'd look for information on line but I haven't come up with much (seems like the best I can tell is that it might be the linkage). I removed the T-Bar shifter thinking something wasn't quite right with it since the plastic base is broken so the set screws don't really hold it snug but manually working the lever didn't make a difference. It should just slide up out of 2nd without having to press the shifter **** so I'm just not sure what would keep it stuck. Is there some kind of override button to release the lever like the shift lock out on modern cars? I should note that the car wasn't even running when I shifted into 2nd I just needed to move the shifter out of the way while I removed the ash tray and when I was done I couldn't get it to budge out of 2nd. It would be nice to be able to address this myself as opposed to having to have the car towed to a shop.

MainePorsche

If you're sure the plastic sliding piece of the shifter base is not catching, you'll need to check the range selector arm on the transmission to make sure nothing is completely loose or catching there. Need also to make sure there is complete freedom of movement of its linkage from the shifter to the range selector. I've attached a very good trans doc and page 2.2/1 is a start.

http://www.w124performance.com/docs/...722_repair.pdf

carnahanbb

Thanks a ton I appreciate that!

Do I need to remove that center dash piece that surrounds the HVAC, Radio, Vents, Shifter, Window Switches, Etc in order to access that area? It seems like I do. I removed some of the trim pieces on either side (I'm replacing all the center switches as well so I already had them off) and I can see what looks like a few loose brackets or something up in there. There are also two very small clear plastic tubes or hoses (one on each side of the transmission tunnel) that aren't connected to anything which seems really odd. Maybe I'll have to post a picture of them?

MainePorsche

Try removing the screw on each side near the aft end of the console along the carpet about near the level of the window switches (you may have to lower the seats a little). This may give you enough play to lift the console a little to give you a look. Do this and try shifting, and see if things are catching. Take a pic of those tubes too.

dr bob

The gear lever mechanism can be isolated from the cable, so you can decide if the stiction is the cable or the gear level in front. Similarly, the rear end of the cable can be isolated from the gear selector lever on the left side of the transmission; I'd try that first since it's easiest, but it's also the least likely.

The cable itself is a Morse-type cable, with very thin steel stiffening sleeves to keep the active part of the cable from bending. The rear end of the sleeve passes through a bracket on the forward left side of the gearbox, actually looks like a "C" so the cable cab be set into the bracket.

Common failure modes include the sleeves failing, so he cable tries to bend as you push the gear lever forward. This sounds a lot like what you are describing. If you can safely raise the rear of the car, you can do a slide-under inspection and see the suspect section on the left side of the gearbox. Unfortunately those sleeve sections are not available separately, only as part of the shift cable assembly.

Replacement includes disconnection from the transmission arm, removal of the C bracket. The gear lever and cable come out of the console together. There are some good online descriptions, but the workshop manual description is also very good, with details about how to remove the sliding 'tamber' section. Make sure you attach a piece of rope to the rear end of the cable before you pull it out; you'll want it to pull the new cable back into place. There are a couple heat shields that need to come out for access, nothing insurmountable. Take good pictures of how the shifter plate is mounted in the console so you can return it to it's old position with the new cable attached. Misalignment will make shifting hard as the tamber binds in the console plate. Note also that there is a fine spring safety clip on the rear attachment at the shift arm on the trans. I recommend also that you do the rear end assembly with those sleeves and the Heim joint only after the cable is secured in place. Otherwise you risk bending them...

dr bob

In order:

The cable, front and rear, the cover plate showing the release arms that hold it in place, the lever and access to the clip at the shift lever, and the rear end of the cable with parts laid out. Note the rope taped to the new cable housing to pull the cable back into place. You can see the somewhat-fragile sleeve section at the bottom of the tray there, and the rubber support grommet and sleeve assembled in the rear bracket.

carnahanbb

That's what I did last night and I can just peer into that area and see a few metal brackets that don't seem to be attached to anything, those little tubes I mentioned (I'll get a picture this evening) and the shift linkage. It just seems completely stuck. I mean the gear lever will slightly move forward and rearward but it feels like it's binding or caught on something. You mentioned that there might be a plastic panel caught on something and that's kind of what the linkage feels like but I can't see any trim catching or binding and when I release the plastic trim slider that moves with the linkage it seems to move smoothly. I feel like I need to look down into that area to get a better idea of what is going on. Thanks again for the help!

dr bob

More pics of the shift cable replacement

dr bob

Under the car...

carnahanbb

Yup, that does sound pretty similar. It was shifting pretty smoothly between PRND it was the 3 and 2 that were causing the problem and now I'm stuck. Looks like I may have to invest in a floor jack and jack stands. Description sounds a little intimidating but I'm fairly handy so I think I'll give it a go.

dr bob

Don't worry about return on investment for the jack and stands. You'll save back the costs on this first project. The cable isn't cheap but not much from Porsche is these days. 928 International and Roger usually stock the part. Have fun, and post pics as you go along.

carnahanbb

Thanks again! BTW I found this picture on the web and it is definitely those brackets I was talking about. Are they supposed to be attached to anything? Also, from what I'm seeing I don't have to take off that central part of the dash to get access to the shift linkage...I hope! Although I need to replace the interior temp sensor cover because mine is chipped and broken so maybe I'll kill two birds with one stone.

Also, looks like a used cable will run me about $100 and a new one is $245 from 928 International.

dr bob

Those engage the console underneath when they are latched, holding that top plate (and the tamber section) securely when engaged. They must be completely disengaged to allow the panel to come up off the console underneath. Those two pins on the tamber engage recesses in the lever, just finger pressure needed.

carnahanbb

What exactly is the tamber? I'm going to try to remove just the trim around the shift lever in order to work on the problem as opposed to the entire center dash, console area.

dr bob

The "tamber" is the accordian piece that slides fore and aft with the shift lever (and holds everything you spill or shed near the gear lever...). It's captive in that top trim piece, the one held in by the two levers. It engages the lever with two little pins that engage recesses in the lever.

Fpollow the WSM guidance on releasing those two levers. I'm not handy to the WSM or the car right now or I'd fill in that guidance for you. The T handf, the little boot comes off, then the two leveres get released. With lever in some close-to-mid position, use fingers to spread the cone that sits around the gear lever, so the two pins are free of the recesses in the gear lever. That op trim plate, with the sliding accordian tamber piece, will come off the gear lever. The shift assembly bolts into the console, and is removed by unbolting from the console, then pull up and forward (in the car, towards the front of the car) only after you have freed the rear end of the shift cable at the gearbox end. The cebnter section of heat shield needs to come out for access to the cable where it passes on top of the torque tube. The sliding part of the cable (the core) connects to the gear selector lever on the let side of the gear box; remove the safety clip, and pop the little heim joint off the ball. Carefully remove the bracket that hold the cable housing to the gearbox (two bolts, allen capscrews with spacers). Remove the joint from the end of the cable core and save it to use on the new cable. Unscrew the metal sleeve sections around the core, then the nut that holds the rubber bushings/sleeve/grommet in the bracket. Pull the bracket over the cable assembly and store for reassembly later. Securely tape a piece of rope to the cable housing. Tie the other ed of the rope to something under the car, and then extract the gear lever assembly with cable attached.

Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Tape the forward end of the rope to the new cable after you assemble the cable to the gear shift lever. Easier with an assistant but possible to do it by yourself, use the rope to pull the cable into place as you guide the shifter assembly back into place. rear end metal sleeves are off the cablere as you pull the cable into place, so tape the exposed core to the rope too so it doesn't get lost as you pull. Follow WSM guidance on setting the gear lever position correctly. Remember that the gear shift lever assembly MUST be correctly positioned in the car to keep the sliding accordian tamber section from binding in the trim panel on nstallation. Those pictures you took before disassembly will help you get it close, then a little extra push and shove will get it just right before you engage the locking levers on the trim again.