This must be a sign from above. I have driven down to South Jersey to visit my in-laws 4 times in the last couple of years. Out of those four times, my Turbo has broken down near their house twice. The latest time was this weekend... threw the car into second gear and the shifter became all loose. Fortunately, I had already completed the shift into 2nd, so I was able to limp the car to their house. Moving the lever does not change gears nor does anything else for that matter. Is there a cable that could have broken? I just need instructions on getting the console off and taking a better look at what's broken. Towing the car back to Philly to my dealer is going to be a royal pain.

Needless to say, I will not be visiting my in-laws any time soon.

Thanks!

 

100 to 1 it was this piece (on the left):

Below is the weak, plastic stock linkage (left) and to the right is the metal linkage. The stock linkage has the ability to snap on a hard shift. The stock linkage is weak enough to where a metal one had to be developed. You aren't the first to have this problem.

 

OK now for a silly question! If I just had a B&M short shifter installed would I still have to worry about this?

 

Installing the B&M does not replace the linkage.

 

Correct. I bought both when I did my upgrade (linkage + B&M). He might have pull the threads loose, but I still put my money on the fact that he broke the linkage.

 

Don't get too confident with the Evo linkage either. I was left stranded next to the road after attempting a 3-2 downshift. I wasn't so fortunate as to have completed the shift so I just coasted to the shoulder.

Basically, the set screw that restrains the cable to the coupler is the weak link not the connection from the coupler to the shift stalk. It wears a groove in the plastic ribbed end of the cable.

I had no tools with me so I had to wait for some reinforcements. I pulled the console off and drove home shifting it by pushing and pulling the cables.

Now I make sure I have a torx wrench in the car so I could pull the console if I had to.

 

I also have the B&M installed... looking at the responses, I am pretty sure I did not break the plastic stock linkage shown in the pic, but rather the cable came loose per "BartN (TX)". I am heading down there later to figure this out... do I need any parts from the dealer to put the cable back on? Thanks a lot guys.

 

All I did was put the cable end back in and crank down hard on the set screw. I've done 2 DE's since then with no problems so far. Well, this is if you don't count the crunching on 2 to 3 slow upshifts

 

There should be (3) set screws, perhaps two at the least.