Help! Transmission situation.

[buki]

I have never had a problem with my car until today and it's serious I'm afraid.

Got home last night from a great weekend. Parked the car as usual and went inside. This morning I went out to move it into the garage. It started perfectly.

But when i went to shift it in gear it didn't go. I searched the forums and the manual and looked up Park position mentions. I followed the manual's acc mode suggestion and it still wouldn't shift out of park. The shift lever moves normally. It just won't engage a gear.

Help ya'll. I love this car.

 

[AL_Jazz]

shift linkage part #12569499 fits 04-05 year models if your dealership can find one. Quick research says it can be shifted at the tranny from the rear under the car. Here is a thread from several yrs back on another forum that a couple active members from here were responding too over there back then:

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-xlr-forum/210295-05-xlr-stuck-drive.html

ccclark or qizmo have anything to add?

 

[cubby558]

It most certainly sounds like the shift cable has broke. It probably broke at either end, Gizmo's broke by the shifter when his broke and xlrating's broke down by the tranny. Part # is still correct for the '04-'05. Check with your dealer or gmpartsdirect.com I think they are around $60.00

I have never had a problem with my car until today and it's serious I'm afraid.

Got home last night from a great weekend. Parked the car as usual and went inside. This morning I went out to move it into the garage. It started perfectly.

But when i went to shift it in gear it didn't go. I searched the forums and the manual and looked up Park position mentions. I followed the manual's acc mode suggestion and it still wouldn't shift out of park. The shift lever moves normally. It just won't engage a gear.

Help ya'll. I love this car.

 

[buki]

Kudos Cubby!

Update on the trans with a loud thanks to Cubby.

The broken cable is exactly what happened.

I took it to my longtime genius who maintains all of my cars from street rods to a classic 70 coupe deville.

In the process they discovered a leak in the radiator which I am going to replace. The cable fix $200. The radiator $1,100 including $800 for the radiator alone.

He said the young certified guys are fighting to be the one to fix it. He said they may never see another one so they want the experience.

 

[AL_Jazz]

...the radiator $1,100 including $800 for the radiator alone...

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your longtime genius mechanic is screwing you badly and not even offering lube. Please look at the invoice below for an OEM GM radiator I picked up this morning at the dealership for my XLR. Notice the LIST price is less than half what you are being charged. Average parts mark-up is shop price plus 30% bringing the total to $390 charge for the radiator.



The labor charges I get. One must pull the condenser with the radiator with requires evacuating the AC system, performing the work, and then pulling a vacuum and recharging your AC. It's a bit of a pain, but not really difficult. Takes about a 1.5 to perform the work plus freon and oil so $300 labor to do the job is not unreasonable. Total job should be around $700 with a good profit margin...not $1100.

 

[Crimson Pearl]

Spare parts "stash"

I have been purchasing and putting together a "stash" of spare parts for my XLR. This includes a shifter cable, door switches, trunk bumpers, and window seals.

After XLRating had the problem with the shifter cable, I decided to order one and start my spare parts "stash". I might not have it with me when and if it breaks, but at least I'll have one back in the garage!

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

I have been purchasing and putting together a "stash" of spare parts for my XLR. This includes a shifter cable, door switches, trunk bumpers, and window seals.

After XLRating had the problem with the shifter cable, I decided to order one and start my spare parts "stash". I might not have it with me when and if it breaks, but at least I'll have one back in the garage!

We must be thinking alike I'm doing the same thing ordering an extra shifter cable


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Dan & Wendy
"05 GRAND DADDY"

 

[buki]

Thanks Al...

When I read your response on my radiator late last night I went ballistic Al. Called my longtime friend this morning to question the price for radiator replacement.

Here's where the truly stupid kicks in.

His tech said the radiator replacement would cost about $800. I took that as the part alone. Boy, was I wrong!

He said the whole deal including my discount will be $737.

Thank God he is still a genius and an honest one at that.

You saved me a real confrontation by forcing me to clarify all because of a complete misunderstanding on my part.

Bottom line...an OEM radiator costs $359. $280 with a discount.

Ride on compadres.

There's nothing to see here.

 

[AL_Jazz]

He said the whole deal including my discount will be $737....Thank God he is still a genius and an honest one at that....Bottom line...an OEM radiator costs $359. $280 with a discount.

That is excellent news...glad you got that squared away. I was really getting concerned for your checkbook. Hope you get your baby back soon.

 

[rushmore]

Shift cable broke

Driving my Stella (xlr) on 9/4/15 with the top down on a game night and getting the thumb up sign.went to get my mail and a snack then back home, pulled up to my garage backed up to go in and nothing. I was like wtf just happen,put it in drive nothing so I pushed it in the hanger to see what went wrong, I didn't have a clue. So I went on the xlr forum to see if anyone else has had this problem and Bam! There it was the shift cable gromment had broken, so after doing research I found out I could order the cable on gmpartdirect.com for $55 +tax three days later it came, now the real problem is how to fix it myself, so I jack my Stella up and laid under her for 45min to see how I was going to do this hard job, I study it and it hit me just replace the gromment,but the hard part is my hands are to big to fit in the tight space. So I was thinking tow truck and labor cost so I decided to call my friend with small hands to get in the tight space to replace the grommet, so I went and bought long needle nose plies and a 6 pack, and started the work. A hour later I was back on the road. Cost for the job was $65 for the cable I didn't used just the gromment I took out of the new cable, $10 for the plies and $50 for small hands. My Stella is back on the road.

 

[lextoy]

need some pictures!!
anyone figure out a replacement grommett (that isnt plastic) for a permanent repair?
its got to be doable...

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Hey Stella little one pulls it off again! Hooray for the little man! [emoji106][emoji2]


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Dan & Wendy
"05 GRAND DADDY"

 

[Phil105]

GREAT NEWS

When I read your response on my radiator late last night I went ballistic Al. Called my longtime friend this morning to question the price for radiator replacement.

Here's where the truly stupid kicks in.

His tech said the radiator replacement would cost about $800. I took that as the part alone. Boy, was I wrong!

He said the whole deal including my discount will be $737.

Thank God he is still a genius and an honest one at that.

You saved me a real confrontation by forcing me to clarify all because of a complete misunderstanding on my part.

Bottom line...an OEM radiator costs $359. $280 with a discount.

Ride on compadres.

There's nothing to see here.

GLAD TO HEAR - was afraid we'd lost another of the very few honest/trustworthy mechanics! Happy for you

 

[Phil105]

Driving my Stella (xlr) on 9/4/15 with the top down on a game night and getting the thumb up sign.went to get my mail and a snack then back home, pulled up to my garage backed up to go in and nothing. I was like wtf just happen,put it in drive nothing so I pushed it in the hanger to see what went wrong, I didn't have a clue. So I went on the xlr forum to see if anyone else has had this problem and Bam! There it was the shift cable gromment had broken, so after doing research I found out I could order the cable on gmpartdirect.com for $55 +tax three days later it came, now the real problem is how to fix it myself, so I jack my Stella up and laid under her for 45min to see how I was going to do this hard job, I study it and it hit me just replace the gromment,but the hard part is my hands are to big to fit in the tight space. So I was thinking tow truck and labor cost so I decided to call my friend with small hands to get in the tight space to replace the grommet, so I went and bought long needle nose plies and a 6 pack, and started the work. A hour later I was back on the road. Cost for the job was $65 for the cable I didn't used just the gromment I took out of the new cable, $10 for the plies and $50 for small hands. My Stella is back on the road.

Had very similar problem with Jeep Wrangler - shift cable for 4WD - - factory uses a cheap plastic grommet/cap to hold the shift lever onto the linkage. When it breaks they try to sell you the entire new linkage for $175 when all it needs is a new "plastic grommet" that that DON'T SELL at dealerships. Can buy on line for $0.65 cents! I wound up putting a metal button cap on my linkage and have had no more problems with the plastic breaking.

 

[Stella]

need some pictures!!
anyone figure out a replacement grommett (that isnt plastic) for a permanent repair?
its got to be doable...

I haven't had the problem to know the set-up. Is it a female threaded on one end ball clip on the other? So the trans arm has a ball stud on it? If so I know many ways to convert to a metal clip. Would just need the thread size on the cable and ball diameter on the trans lever. Probably gets brittle from the heat in the trans tunnel.

 

[rushmore]

Shift cable grommet

I haven't had the problem to know the set-up. Is it a female threaded on one end ball clip on the other? So the trans arm has a ball stud on it? If so I know many ways to convert to a metal clip. Would just need the thread size on the cable and ball diameter on the trans lever. Probably gets brittle from the heat in the trans tunnel.

im going to post a picture in a few..

 

[XLRATING]

Here are pics from when mine broke - rest of thread on it is here: https://www.xlr-net.com/forums/cadi...anny-pictures-to-follow.html?highlight=Tranny

 

[rushmore]

Gromment

Here are pics from when mine broke - rest of thread on it is here: https://www.xlr-net.com/forums/cadi...anny-pictures-to-follow.html?highlight=Tranny

Yes that's it I just replace the Gromment at the Trans and shifter, I still have the new cable, but Im planning on modifying the new cable,so the next person will not have that problem.

 

[05 GRAND DADDY]

Yes that's it I just replace the Gromment at the Trans and shifter, I still have the new cable, but Im planning on modifying the new cable,so the next person will not have that problem.

Let's us in on the secret!!!
As far as I know mine may be the original she had 53K on her when I bought her in 2011 and 91K now! So want to be prepared I'm going to order a cable now so at least I have it when I need it!


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Dan & Wendy
"05 GRAND DADDY"

 

[GizmoQ]

Actually the whole thing needs to be redesigned!

Its a push and pull system, twisted cable in shield. There are only 5 wires in the twisted cable and where they connect to the shifter there is a moment exerted on the grommet connector (guaranteed failure at some time). I briefly looked into replacing the cable with a racing bicycle brake cable, but they're only 8 wires. The cable needs to be high strength, low volume one piece (vs stranded wires) and mounted in a way that eliminates the bend up front.