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2002 with almost 100k on it. My red shift indicator broke and I bought the kit to replace it and while I'm in there I want to replace the bulb with a LED and also the linkage bushing.
The last thing I need is a broken cable and I need to know just how far up can you lift the shifter to disengage it and how difficult it is to remove the existing bushing once you get to it.
I searched for any videos showing this procedure but none were found so I'm asking for some upfront advice from the ones who have been there. Thanks in advance for your help--this Forum has helped me tremendously over the 4 yrs of owning my Vette.
Since I had the rear end out anyway, I replaced my 2001 A4 shift cable at about 106,000 miles.
The bushings at both ends were in great condition. Note that in the following pictures, those bushings are dark colored. My theory is that bushings made of the dark colored material are much more durable than those which were made of the semi- clear plastic. If your bushings are dark like these, they will last a long time.
After sending the pictures of the bushings, I realized that since I have the cable out, I could see how far it can be deflected at the shifter end before something might break. The following two pictures show where things bind at the shifter end of the cable when deflecting the shifter end of the cable upward. The first picture is with the cable not deflected, the second shows the same joint with the cable deflected upward to a point where it starts to bind.
Between the two pictures, the cable deflects quite easily, but when it hits the condition shown in the second picture, you should feel resistance if you try to lift further.
How far is that? It depends on how far the cable is extended. With the shifter in low or first, the cable is extended further and can be lifted more than it can be lifted in park. My sense is that if you lift with any more force than just above the weight of the shifter assembly, you are risking breakage of the cable.
I did this a few weeks ago, I only lifted it high enough to get a screwdriver in to pop it off, with the constant thought of NOT bending it too much, it was quit a bitch to remove that bushing as it was in good shape and made of a rubber type material like the above posted.
I got cut up trying to remove that and I was using a spring hook, multiple flat blade screwdrivers..... It was working in that tight space and the fact that the bushing did not fall apart, was the big PITA.
After sending the pictures of the bushings, I realized that since I have the cable out, I could see how far it can be deflected at the shifter end before something might break. The following two pictures show where things bind at the shifter end of the cable when deflecting the shifter end of the cable upward. The first picture is with the cable not deflected, the second shows the same joint with the cable deflected upward to a point where it starts to bind.
Between the two pictures, the cable deflects quite easily, but when it hits the condition shown in the second picture, you should feel resistance if you try to lift further.
How far is that? It depends on how far the cable is extended. With the shifter in low or first, the cable is extended further and can be lifted more than it can be lifted in park. My sense is that if you lift with any more force than just above the weight of the shifter assembly, you are risking breakage of the cable.
Just what I was looking for--this was a great help
Since I had the rear end out anyway, I replaced my 2001 A4 shift cable at about 106,000 miles.
The bushings at both ends were in great condition. Note that in the following pictures, those bushings are dark colored. My theory is that bushings made of the dark colored material are much more durable than those which were made of the semi- clear plastic. If your bushings are dark like these, they will last a long time.
This is the first time in my search(which has been fairly extensive) that I've seen a difference in the type of bushing GM used in this application. Hopefully mine are like these and I can just hold on to the ones I bought as a backup. I wonder what year they went to the different material? Just trying to work out all the bugs before they jump up & bite me. Thanks for the info, might have saved me a big headache.
Since I had the rear end out anyway, I replaced my 2001 A4 shift cable at about 106,000 miles.
The bushings at both ends were in great condition. Note that in the following pictures, those bushings are dark colored. My theory is that bushings made of the dark colored material are much more durable than those which were made of the semi- clear plastic. If your bushings are dark like these, they will last a long time.
That was the exact same bushing that gave me the headache getting out, it is a rubber type material and is very strong, I probably should have left it in as it might have outlast the new plastic bushings.
My advice to people is to check the type you have, then with a long screwdriver, try to gently pry it, if it does not pop out, I would leave them in.
A4 shifter bushing help needed
