Hi all. After having the heater core, and a front brake job done, which was needed; the next thing is having the shifter cable replaced on this '99 Concorde. When I picked up the auto, it was stiff, very stiff, to shift. I, dumbly, retook possession of the "thing" for a few days. Well by the next week, during a 0F day, which we do get in MO, I returned it to the shop. My thinking something got kinked. Anyhoo, the shifter cable's being replaced for another $200+. Oh well...:-/
The stiffness of the corroded/stiff shifter cable can be very temperature dependent - tends to get stiffer the colder it is. The replacement cable has been redesigned so that water doesn't get in and corrode it.
Honestly I have trouble imagining how the cable could be damaged by the dealer. Plus - they do develop this problem - plus - when having the problem, they are much worse in the cold. And it did some sitting during the previous work without being used in your normal routine.
My bet is that when you get it back, you will be amazed at how *FREELY* the shifter will be to move and will immediately realize that your cable was somewhat stiff before you took it in the first time (the problem was already starting).
I have a '98 and a '99 Concorde - had to replace the shifter cable on both. When I first replaced the cable on the '99, which had gotten almost impossible to shift (actually I had been using it in its moderately stiff condition for so long that the stress on the shifter caused the shifter pivot pin to break, so I had to replace the shifter also), I saw how truly freely it operated with a non-corroded cable. It was then that I realized that the cable on the '98 was also somewhat stiff - not binding, but definitely took effort to move even though I erroneously had considered it to be normal friction. That's when I replaced it too. Big difference.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.