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Hey boys, I need some help with a diagnosis. I have a five speed 2002. I took it on a long drive Saturday, and it was shifting fine. Then I went to drive today, and it’s shifting very stiff, all gears. Very sudden.

Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong? I just had it at the mechanic for bodywork and spent $2600. I’m not excited to spend more. But if this thing’s gonna die while I’m driving it, and I definitely can’t afford another car, I guess I’ll have to if it’s necessary to take it in to a mechanic.

Please advise!

Kristen

 
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you can take to a transmission shop to have it diagnosed, you don't need to do the job, just diagnosis. not sure how much they will charge for it though

 
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Split shifter bushing maybe.
you need to take stuff apart and look or pay someone to do so

 
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Just for a followup: I brought it into a shop, didn't want to drive it and do more damage. Turns out the water that's always dripped from the roof and pooled in the shifter cowling finally got through the leather and dripped into the shifter workings. After that, it froze solid. They got the ice and water out and greased it up really well. They tried to get new cables, knowing the old were exposed to water and likely rusty, but the part is not available anymore. So, $220, and it's working again. My solution, since it's been dripping since I got it 10 years ago, is to put a plastic bag over the stick shift when I get out of the car. I only drive it once or twice a week, so it's not too much trouble, I think. I'm also going to force Vaseline into the seams in the leather. Only possible problem is now the water will drip onto the floor and contribute to its rotting out, some of which I've already paid a lot to have repaired. Oy, vey!

If someone has a better idea, plz let me know! No, fixing the leak is money I can't put into the car, chasing a ghost.

If I didn't have to spend so much keeping this car legal (there's no public transit where I live in the boonies or friends to drive me around easily,) I could save up for a newer one. But you know the market now, and I spent 4 grand fixing rust on this one this last calendar year. This is how the poor stay poor, friends...

Kristen

 
Rep Power: 223

Does the car have a sunroof? It's either leaking from there or from the windshield. Unless you have rust holes in the roof.
not hard to find if you want to try yourself

 
Rep Power: 368

you have one of the most uncommon causes for a problem we have seen in the forums...

glad they found the cause and thanks for the feed back!

I f you ever need replacement cables, scrapyards are a good source.
car-part.com is what i use to search local ones

 
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Yes, there's a sunroof. Don't know if it leaks. There is rust on the roof in the front, so that could be the expensive problem. Also there is some damage to the rubber gasket around the windshield near the leak. Like I said, it would be chasing ghosts to get all these things fixed, and I'd be so broke I'd have no emergency vet fund left. (Gotta have priorities with my animals.) I will suffer the indignity of the plastic bag and hope the floor doesn't rust out at this point. I am disabled, so I do not have the income to do too many things at once. Maybe this summer if I've saved up some money I'll have them look at the sunroof and rusting roof. Or buy a newer car when the market gets back closer to normal in a year (?) Fingers crossed. I can't keep this thing going forever!

Thx,

Kristen