Tom Gilmour

While driving and I believe shifting gears from 3rd to 4th, my car suddenly feels like it is disconnected from the transmission. I can put the shifter in all the gears, but nothing happens. It is stuck in neutral. In 3RD and 4TH i can hear something faint and the RPMs drop slightly, but I can rev the car and nothing. Had the car flatbedded home. Checked the obvious problems from underneath like the cable popping out of the holder but it looks fine. Ideas? Cables? Worse?

Thanks.

dan_189

Maybe something to do with engagement? Either way your gearbox will need to come out if you've done a visual inspection.

What does the clutch pedal feel like?

dporto

The most likely cause is that the cables have disengaged at the transmission. The mounting system is a bit weak. You can usually snap the cable ends back on to the ball mount and then zip tie them in place. And no, you don't have to remove the transmission to do this...

Tom Gilmour

I'm hoping it's a cable end. Visually, laying on the ground with my cell phone for a light in the dark, they looked all right. I'll get the car jacked up tonight and check it out.
Dan, the clutch feels fine.
My money is on the cable, although doing an internet search, it seems like most people are stuck in a gear when it happens. Mine is in neutral.

dan_189

Hopefully it's just a cable, I can't speak from experience but it's odd that you can select all the gears, I'd assume if you can't get gears then it's the cables.

I could be wrong though.

dporto

Hmmm, I guess I didn't read your entire post. Strange indeed - I hope it's just the cable(s) - good luck

mharrison

Contrary to what people often think, the simplest explanation is usually right. I would start my approach to this as an issue with the cables.

Porschetech3

If you can hear some "faint" noise and the RPM's drop slightly in 3rd and 4th, I would say your clutch disk has disintegrated. Were you perhaps WFO when this happened??

Tom Gilmour

WFO? Wide full open? Not driving hard at the time. I generally don't

targa996

If it's cable , shifter would be all loose - at least on 1/2 the gears. How is clutch pedal ?

Tom Gilmour

Shifter doesn't feel loose and clutch feels the same (good). It definitely happened while shifting gears. Almost done at work. Looking forward to checking it out. I think.

Ahsai

Sounds like the clutch disc spline worn out

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...h-failure.html

Ahsai

Another possibility is one of the rear axles has been disconnected.

Noz1974

Check the shifter cable ends where they connect at the gearbox , I had exactly the same problem, you need to check the ball joint socket ends are still properly clipped on but also very important, check where the actual cable sheath locates to the side of the gearbox with metal clips, these fail easily!! There's a repair kit available on design 911 but I just used tie wraps and had no problems since
Even if the socket ends are connected when you look underneath you might think as I did, that looks ok but if the cable sheath has become detached , instead of you changing gear when you move the stick, because it is not fixed the sheath just moves backward and forward and doesn't change gear!

Tom Gilmour

Yikes. Started at rear. Cups are seated firmly on ball joints. Even popped them off and reseated them. Cables are snug in the holders with clips in place. Removed center console. Cables are attached to shifter. Everything moves as should. Looks like a tow to local independent. There is some weird thick black grease on the gear box. The IMS was changed by the PO local guy before I bought the car at the end of last summer. Wondering what I got into. Ugh.