68roadster

The wife's car is stuck in a parking lot, of course surrounded by other cars. The shifter cable is broken. Do you have to jack the thing up and move the lever manually from underneath?

pjdbm

Its probably a broken bushing at the shifter or at the transmission, you can access the trans linkage by jacking it up, yes

GCG

Probably the shifter cable is fine. What usually happens is that the bushings are gone and they are the only things that need to be replaced.

To take the car home, you just need to jack it up a little on the rear left corner and manually action the transmission linkage as mentioned above.

To replace the broken bushing(s), all you need is the kit. Use the white bushings (the orange ones are for Ford) and replace both of them because if one just broke, the other is probably about to fail as well.

And shows you how to do it.

FX VETTE

Thanks for the great info GCG, but are you sure that's the correct part #? I only ask because Amazon and Dorman both state the following - Sorry, this part is not a fit for your vehicle: 2003 > Chevrolet > Corvette > Automatic Transmission Shift Cable Bushing
See All Part Types for your vehicle.

SG Lou

Don't go by "Will it fit my Car" drop down.

Yes those bushings will fit.

norcalace

Might be too late but in order to move the car you will have to manually shift the trans lever when the car is running. Better have someone in the drivers seat with the brakes applied and maybe the front wheels blocked as well. You can get hurt doing this!!

Smoken1

On my 02 I can move the shifter with with the engine NOT running. All I have to do is have the key in the on position and a foot on the brake

~Josh

We fix maybe 4 of these per month.

70% chance shifter cable, the other 30% it's the selector assembly.

Have the tow truck drop it off directly to the shop it's going to.

91LSMAN

I have the cable sitting in the back of my car in the storage compartment, so if it happens to me before I have it preventatively replaced, at least I wont have to wait for parts.

norcalace

I was assuming the OP's car wasn't/isn't running. I know you can move the shifter without the car running but you can't start it in other than park or neutral.

sirdano

If the cable is broken you can start the car as long as the shift inside is in park or neutral.

And this is were it becomes dangerous. If you jack it up put it in gear then start it might lurch forward or backward.

The shift inside the car is the only safety device and brake keeping it from moving

Fast one

If the shifter end has broken, remove the console and shifter then reach into the tunnel and move the cable end to where you want it. You can drive the car around like this until the part arrives.

~Josh

Yep, and some do drive like that. Sad, but hey, it's what's happening.

The c5 is officially the new [beater] c4.

68roadster

Yes it was parked and she broke it when she came back from a workout

I had already replaced the lower bushing with the metal repair about a year ago. I have a C7 replacement for the car but she (and we) still love that coupe.

Did not have time to do this repair. Finally found a wrecker who could do the job and had it sent directly to the shop.