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I know this subject has been beat to death on here, but I have some lingering questions about replacing my shift cable on my 04. I have searched the forum with mixed results. Getting ready to replace mine at 90k (as a preventive). I want to avoid the inevitable and replace it before it fails. I realize many have just replaced the bushings with success ( I have done this on the wife's old Sunfire) but I have also seen cable failures and I wanna get it all done at once. From searching I think the 04 cable is different from the previous years in the C5 generation, with perhaps different colored bushings, and may have been revised a time or two to address the problem. Just wondering if anyone out there has a good permanent fix for this particular year, before I purchase and install. Any advice is welcome, thanks.
I also have an '04 and the rear end of the cable popped off and i did not want to bugger rig it with new bushings because they never last very long like the factory pressed in bushings do..so i had a new complete cable put on...it was cheap to buy and cheap to have put on...i do not have a lift and even if I did, I did not want to take all that **** off underneath when I could have it done in an hour...
.02 registered
While I was at it , I bought 2 more brand new cables because at some point in time, mfkn GM will discontinue the cable like they are doing with other C5 parts...
yes sir...GM # 10352529...if you cant get one i will get you one from my Cheby dealer for ya
Note...this one fits my 2004 Vert...there are a few different cables for different year C5s...
While the shift cable is a known failure point. The shift cable is also not considered to be a consumable part. I would probably just leave it alone unless you're having a problem with it. Just my $.02.
Thanks for the replies, the part# Yello95 provided seems to be the one I want, and strangely enough it is listed as an 05 replacement too. I am going to order one to have on hand just in case. I have been hearing of so many guys getting stranded and having to grab a tow this summer, due to this. Below is an interesting thread from a while back on here picturing the different color bushings. I'm going to check mine out today to see exactly what I have.
While the shift cable is a known failure point. The shift cable is also not considered to be a consumable part. I would probably just leave it alone unless you're having a problem with it. Just my $.02.
Sometimes the old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" is not a good thing. After 15-20 years of being subjected to high heat because of it's location, in addition to the end bushings crumbling, the plastic cable itself becomes brittle and can cause failure and leave you stranded in nowhere land. It is a cheap preventative measure insuring you that at least the "shifter cable problem" will not leave you **** out of luck...
Just my back yard mechanic thought process taking over
Well alrighty then I thought the same thing until mine crapped out in a bad location...it was not broken and i waited until it WAS BROKEN...lesson learned...
Just wait until it breaks when you are way out yonder, then switch it...
Any thoughts on average mileage when shift cable expires?
If a cable is still good after 10 years of usage, it would probably be a good idea to replace it then...there is no way to tell by mileage...time, heat and other conditions deteriorate the plastic and nylon bushings...
If a cable is still good after 10 years of usage, it would probably be a good idea to replace it then...there is no way to tell by mileage...time, heat and other conditions deteriorate the plastic and nylon bushings...
Agreed...I have heard of so many breaking lately, all with varying mileage, age, etc. Just ordered my replacement cable this morning. Called three shops so far and no one wants to mess with it. I'll probably end up doing it myself, as it would be a great time to add an x pipe as well....
On a related note, I have worked in the plastics industry for most of my life, mostly for automotive suppliers. I'm pretty familiar with Nylon. Some of the off the shelf cables I have viewed online already show signs of yellowing and degrading, probably from sitting in a hot warehouse for a decade or so. It would be nice to see a supplier do a service run on these, and get some newer ones on the market.
Agreed...I have heard of so many breaking lately, all with varying mileage, age, etc. Just ordered my replacement cable this morning. Called three shops so far and no one wants to mess with it. I'll probably end up doing it myself, as it would be a great time to add an x pipe as well...
EXCELLENT !
Last edited by Vetteman Jack; Sep 10, 2021 at 12:25 PM.
It happened to me backing out of a shopping center parking lot, nylon bushing broke at the transmission. Tow company had to slide the rear of my car over to get it straight before they could load it. Was a huge PITA. Went ahead and replaced the whole cable myself, wasn't hard just time consuming. Be extra careful at the shifter, you can break the cable. Preventive maintenance is best in this certain case. My car had 60,000 miles on it.
Agreed...I have heard of so many breaking lately, all with varying mileage, age, etc. Just ordered my replacement cable this morning. Called three shops so far and no one wants to mess with it. I'll probably end up doing it myself, as it would be a great time to add an x pipe as well....
On a related note, I have worked in the plastics industry for most of my life, mostly for automotive suppliers. I'm pretty familiar with Nylon. Some of the off the shelf cables I have viewed online already show signs of yellowing and degrading, probably from sitting in a hot warehouse for a decade or so. It would be nice to see a supplier do a service run on these, and get some newer ones on the market.
Just had my cablle bushing go when my wife drove to work 35 miles from home. Read various threads, went to autozone and got Dorman part 14057 as well as a low rolling jack, both totaled under $100. Jacked the car, found the bushing was loose at the tranny just like the attached picture from Yello95 depicted. Wedged my fat hand in between exhaust and transmission, and squeezed bushing into place. Threw the jack under the back deck, and have peace of mind should anything happen in the future. Good pictures here: Post # 6 Linky
Cable and/or bushing gave up on my '03. towed to mechanic; they replaced cable that I had pre-ordered in case of problem. Have only driven the car less than 40 miles and realized a problem.
Now --- gear indicator shows 1/2 red & 1/2 white for most gears including Park. Shifter can't travel back all the way down to the rear to 1st gear. Is there an adjustment on the cable, shifter, and/or trans to correct the slack to allow the proper cable & gear?
Took off the shifter indicator top to see if the red part was perhaps broken. Nope. It's the cable vs. trans position.
Not an expert in any way, but here's what I found when I replaced the cable on mine. The selector and transmission are both supposed to be in Neutral when cable is connected. There is an adjustment on the cable, visible in the picture I posted above where it ratchets tighter. The piece I'm referring to is the plastic piece below the screw in that picture. I believe you can loosen the ratchet plastic and adjust to get correct. May well be wrong, just my thoughts.
Another shifter cable question..
After 15-20 years of being subjected to high heat because of it's location, in addition to the end bushings crumbling, the plastic cable itself becomes brittle and can cause failure and leave you stranded in nowhere land. It is a cheap preventative measure insuring you that at least the "shifter cable problem" will not leave you **** out of luck...
