Can someone educate me as to what the shifter cable looks like? I thought the manual shifter is tied to the engine with a solid rod, not a cable.

 

Shifter cables are kind of like E-brake cables, braided steel with fittings at both ends, usually pretty dependable. You'll still find shifter linkages in some rear drive vehicles, but cable shifters are becoming more common. They gained favor in front wheel drive cars because of the offset position of the trans and the convoluted routing conventional linkages had to take. And they are cheaper too.

 

You are mistaken with your issue, GOODWILL is not WARRANTY.

If a customer wants to go into a dealership screaming, cussing and stating he/she will never buy another Chevrolet...then why should Chevrolet help them?

But if a customer comes in and wants to have a rational conversation seeking GOODWILL assistance...they will be more likely to receive help.

Bottom line the cable is NOT covered. Any GOODWILL assistance is tied to retaining the customer. If the customer is a lost cause and isn't going to buy another Chevrolet, then GOODWILL should not be offered. These are some of GMs guidelines for giving GOODWILL assistance.

Of course the purchase of an Extended Service Contract would have covered this cable. If a custmer opts to not spend the money for a contract, then they should happily pay for repairs, that would have been covered by that contract. When you roll the dice, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

 

so how does a flexible cable allow for shifting in all 4 directions when rowing through five gears and reverse?

 

Pretty simple, the cable runs are fairly short, its made of pretty stout material, and it works both in compression and tension. When you shift gears you are either pulling or pushing the cable as well as twisting it from side to side, the motions are controlled by the shifter gate. Cable shifters have been used for decades on automatic transmissions and with increasing frequency on manuals since the 60's, now its rare to find a linkage setup in a car. Some people say the cable shifters don't have the feel of a mechanical linkage, and that can be true, but most of the time a performance shifter or short throw kit can alleviate that.

 

There are 2 cables, one for the x axis, and the other for the Y axis.

 

This is the best policy. Its how i got mine rebuilt. Honest

 

X2 on that. I'm positive that all new HHR SS's bought at a GM dealer were offered some sort of extended protection plan. But since the customer sees a 100K POWERTRAIN warranty they assume that the whole car is covered bumper to bumper.

$570 is a small price to pay for repairs on a vehicle these days. Proper maintanance alone is worth that.......

 

awesome - thanks for the info - I haven't bought a manual shifter car since 1985, although I learned on a 1972 VW Bug that had one of the most tempermental manual transmissions in the world - I'd love to drive a manual but it isn't practical with the miles I pile up and the type of roads I drive - and my wife refuses to learn