F35 Trans (LNF) Frozen Shifter Cables
01-04-2013, 10:33 AM
#28
Water freezes at 32*F. There are no circumstances where pure water can exist below 32*F and still be in liquid form, if its mixed with a salt or any substance to lower the freezing point (alcohol) then yes that could happen.
I only experience the frozen shifter cables below approximately 28*F. Oil doesnt freeze at that temp. alittle bit of water in the oil (if it could blend) would not raise the freezing point that high that oil could freeze.
So what other possibilities could cause the cables to "Sieze"? All materials expand and contract with temperature. Thats one of the reasons why there are torque specs. For instance if you dont torque the spark plug correctly and its just snug at cold temps but below trq spec, it may become loose as the engine gets hot.
SO lets look at the shifter cable. Its a big long rod of metal with a plastic sheathe surronding it. When it gets cold metal does contract but not that much. We are talking iron based metals or metals mixed with iron. Aluminum can contract but it has to get retarded cold. That plastic material around the rod? Plastic is a softer, less dense material than any metal you'll find on the car. It will contract faster than metal or a better way to say it would be "It will contract more than the metal at the same temp difference."
I dont think grease will fix this problem.
I got an interesting idea to try and prove this. take dry ice and put it all around the shifter cables just inside the cup holder. it will not make a mess since it melts into CO2 gas, no water. Dry ice is -80*F. That should definately cool the plastic sheathe at least at that point to cause it to sieze. I may try this.
01-07-2013, 07:31 PM
#30
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Any ideas as what to try to solve this problem. It is -23 where I live. My car isn't really doing this totally. But it is alot stiffer to slide into netural in the morning. But it clears up with in a few minutes of the car running. Any ideas.
01-07-2013, 07:38 PM
#31
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dam now this comes up. every winter since i got trans replaced mine does this, never did before and never happened on the base. dealer told me it was because of moisture and told me to store inside for a day, i looked at them and was like realy like i have a place like that.
as qouted earlier, i dont see how plastic can put enough bind on metal to the point of where in a despriate situation i had to full on kick my sifter free, i may be small and somewhat weak but even my 136lbs couldnt move it
oh and side note, like i said never happed on my base
as qouted earlier, i dont see how plastic can put enough bind on metal to the point of where in a despriate situation i had to full on kick my sifter free, i may be small and somewhat weak but even my 136lbs couldnt move it
oh and side note, like i said never happed on my base
Last edited by BlackLsCoupe; 01-07-2013 at 07:43 PM.
01-07-2013, 07:44 PM
#32
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Yeah really. My car has never been apart. And mine is not bad at all. But I want to find a fix before the problem gets really bad next year . 
01-07-2013, 07:49 PM
#33
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id try takeing that cable out bring it inside and try lubeing it, once it got to spring i sprayed white grease on mine, its a bit better this year hasent froze froze, its stiff and makes it hard for shifting, still think they messed up my cable
01-07-2013, 07:50 PM
#34
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dam now this comes up. every winter since i got trans replaced mine does this, never did before and never happened on the base. dealer told me it was because of moisture and told me to store inside for a day, i looked at them and was like realy like i have a place like that.
as qouted earlier, i dont see how plastic can put enough bind on metal to the point of where in a despriate situation i had to full on kick my sifter free, i may be small and somewhat weak but even my 136lbs couldnt move it
oh and side note, like i said never happed on my base
as qouted earlier, i dont see how plastic can put enough bind on metal to the point of where in a despriate situation i had to full on kick my sifter free, i may be small and somewhat weak but even my 136lbs couldnt move it
oh and side note, like i said never happed on my base
I thought I read before that the lnf uses a totally different shift lingage cable and all due to its updated braket and stuff. I can tell you from looking at it ontop of the tranny. It looks a fair amount different then on my 06 ss\sc. I really couldn't see how so many people with fairly new cars could all have moisture in there shift linkages. Plus , if moisture was getting in there . Wouldn't a good drive and letting them run for awhile dry the moisture out. I mean it gets hot under that hood. Also , did you take your linkages out. And if so, how hard was that.
P.s- My keyboard has no question mark button.
Hence the all periods.
01-07-2013, 07:52 PM
#35
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^^ Lol.... I hear ya about the being small part. I'm 5' 9" and weigh about 145ish. I thought I read before that the lnf uses a totally different shift lingage cable and all due to its updated braket and stuff. I can tell you from looking at it ontop of the tranny. It looks a fair amount different then on my 06 ss\sc. I really couldn't see how so many people with fairly new cars could all have moisture in there shift linkages. Plus , if moisture was getting in there . Wouldn't a good drive and letting the run for awhile dry the moisture out. I mean it gets hot under that hood.
I thought I read before that the lnf uses a totally different shift lingage cable and all due to its updated braket and stuff. I can tell you from looking at it ontop of the tranny. It looks a fair amount different then on my 06 ss\sc. I really couldn't see how so many people with fairly new cars could all have moisture in there shift linkages. Plus , if moisture was getting in there . Wouldn't a good drive and letting the run for awhile dry the moisture out. I mean it gets hot under that hood.
01-07-2013, 07:56 PM
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So I know my way around a car also. But I can't figure out what to do about tyhis little problem. I have already used a entire bottle of white lithuim grease and sprayed the cables both under the cup holder and under the hood untop of the trans. Im kinda lost as what to try next also.
01-07-2013, 08:02 PM
#39
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so you tried lubeing them too. i started to think maby its the bushings, since mine has 85k on it.
01-07-2013, 08:10 PM
#40
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funny how mechanics quit the field so fast, hell i got 2 coworkers they are slow, im in the ford ASSET program and i can do more work a week than them. atleast your other keys work, mine once in awhile dont like they stick.
so you tried lubeing them too. i started to think maby its the bushings, since mine has 85k on it.
so you tried lubeing them too. i started to think maby its the bushings, since mine has 85k on it.
I did try lubing. But it didn't seem to do to much. Im starting to agree with you. MAybe a bushing and or the bearing in the botton of the shifter rod assembly.
01-08-2013, 11:08 AM
#41
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On the weekend or sometime when you don't need your car, maybe try taking the cables out, bring them inside so they warm up and soak them in a tub of antifreeze or something over night keeping the entire cable submerged. If moisture is in the there, then if it mixes with the antifreeze maybe it won't lock up anymore.
Blacklscoupe, I had the same problem with my cables being frozen to the point where I pulled so hard to get the shifter out of first, I bent the cable under the console.
Blacklscoupe, I had the same problem with my cables being frozen to the point where I pulled so hard to get the shifter out of first, I bent the cable under the console.
01-10-2013, 03:17 PM
#50
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I don't think the oil would be so thick at 30 degrees that people are having to kick their shifter free or bending cables trying to get the car into neutral. If it was -50, I could see it.