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Cadillac Repair/Shifter problem

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Expert: - 6/22/2010


Question
My 1988 Caddy Deville will not shift into any gear - it has the column shifter (automatic transmission) and will not move into a forward gear, neutral, reverse or park. It (shifter) just
moves freely. Is there a shifter cable that needs to be replaced or ???

Answer
Hello,


My first guess would be a bad park cable. It runs between the shifter arm under the steering column under the dash, to the floor shifter. It is a cable designed as a safety device that prevents the key from coming out of the ignition when in any other position than park.

The easiest was to see if a bound up cable is the problem is by doing to things. Disconnect cable under dash, either it has a small pin that needs to be removed or a bell crank that just pops on to a ball onto the arm. A big screwdriver can be used to pry it off.

Next, remove the console plate and disconnect the cable. Try shifting gears at the floor shift with cable disconnected. If it shifts, you need a new park cable. It was common for us to see this event. Once removed, you will see where the strands of wire cable caused the binding.

Not fun to change. I think it only pays a ridiculous flat rate of .5 to .7 hours and it may take two hours to route the new cable.

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Rob Painter

Expertise

Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience

Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

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