Broken A4 Shifter Guide Tube
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Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Florida
Broken A4 Shifter Cable Guide Tube
Yesterday I pulled into the garage and quickly realized that the shifter had a lot of play and the car(04 C5) was stuck in reverse. I shut it down, pulled apart the console and saw that the bushing on the end of the shifter had disintegrated. I was able to pull on the cable and get it shifted into neutral.
Unfortunately, as I was attempting to press the new bushing into the end of the shifter cable I heard the dreaded "snap" I had been hoping to avoid and saw that the hard plastic guide tube behind what looks like rubber bellows had snapped. However, I did see the shifter cable running inside of it and it was still taut.
I got the bushing pressed in, reconnected everything and shifted the car through the gears without any issues. From what I've read, it seems like others have had this part snap and it renders the shift cable useless. I've read that the cable was changed somehow in late '03, but haven't determined exactly what's different.
Has anyone else broken the hard plastic guide tube(basically in half) and still had the vehicle shift ok? At this point I'm going to end up replacing the entire cable, but I'm wondering if failure is imminent or if I can drive it a day or two until I fix it.
Unfortunately, as I was attempting to press the new bushing into the end of the shifter cable I heard the dreaded "snap" I had been hoping to avoid and saw that the hard plastic guide tube behind what looks like rubber bellows had snapped. However, I did see the shifter cable running inside of it and it was still taut.
I got the bushing pressed in, reconnected everything and shifted the car through the gears without any issues. From what I've read, it seems like others have had this part snap and it renders the shift cable useless. I've read that the cable was changed somehow in late '03, but haven't determined exactly what's different.
Has anyone else broken the hard plastic guide tube(basically in half) and still had the vehicle shift ok? At this point I'm going to end up replacing the entire cable, but I'm wondering if failure is imminent or if I can drive it a day or two until I fix it.
Last edited by StngStlkr; Jul 28, 2013 at 12:52 PM.
