So, ever since it started getting below 25 here, the car is a little stiff to get into gear until it warms up. I usually let the car heat up a few minutes, and once I drive like 2 blocks it shifts like butter, but its a bit stiff until it heats up. So last night I get ready to go out, it's 15 out, and I let the car heat up, go to put it in 1st, and it didnt wanna go in, so I was gonna let it heat up more, and when I went to pull it out of 1st, it was about half in, the shifter broke, sounded like it just snapped. Now the shifter is stuck in the 1-2 quadrant, can't move it side to side, and it is clearly seperated from the gears... It just got towed to the dealership cause it is under warranty, but how bad you think it is? I was planning on getting a TWM shifter in the spring, would it solve the issue being all metal?

 

Probably just popped the cables out.

 

That's why TWM makes the cable clamp!

 

I hope thats all it is, it didnt feel serious, just pissed me off haha, I am trying to figure out if the TWM would help alleviate the cold weather issue with it begin so stiff to get in gear... I want one regardless but I could use the $450 for other things if its not gonna make that much of a difference.

 

Mine popped out twice since I 've owned it. Sometimes your able to pop it back in and it'll be fine. The second time the plastic piece that connects to my shift knob broke. Wasn't slamming gears either, 3rd decided not to go in when I was shifting quick. If you pop out the piece in front of your shifter and look in there you'll be amazed how nimble those plastic pieces are. I've heard great things about the TWM setup.

 

yeah hope fully the dealership calls back relatively quick and its fixed, that what warranties are for right?? I just wish I had something to compare it to, my 08 I bought in spring and totalled in fall so it never saw the cold weather, the stiff gears are new to me, my VW never had the issue last winter, but from what I have read it is somewhat common in cobalts.

 

I wish I had insight as to WHY it is so hard to get in gear when its sub freezing out... I am a big why kinda guy so it bothers me not knowing.

 

Thats common for it to not go into first sometimes when you first get in. It can be the cold, but more likely its the gears just being off a little. Usually if you shift to another gear and then back to first itll go right in. Sounds like you may have tried to force it...?

 

well I usually let the car heat up first cause I kow its stiff, but it usually only give me a mild resistance until I drive up the block, what happened was I went to go in 1st and it didnt go so I stopped it but it was halfway in, so when I pulled it out of first is when it "popped" and got limp.

 

Dang mine was also really stiff when it was really cold out, I though it might have been snow or ice somehow got packed around the tranny. However I never had that much of trouble I just had to let it warm up for a few minutes then wiggle it a bit and it would be fine. Hope it all works out though and its covered under warrenty, which it should be. Chevy is pretty good with the warrentys from my experience's.

 

I hope that the dealership visit goes well, and am looking forward to an update,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

 

heres my theory on this problem. It only happens to me sub 25*F. Water freezes at 32*F. That rules out moisture and condensation some how magically getting in the shifter cable sheath.

The shifter cables are surrounded by a plastic sheath and trails with it all the way through the fire wall to the tranny. I believe the composition of this plastic sheath is not designed for sub 25*F weather. My theory is that as the temperature drops the plastic sheath shrinks and tightens onto the cable. Some might say the metal in the cables should have the same properties? not true. In this instance the plastics absolute zero point is much higher than that of the metal cable. Energetic molecules sit almost still alot quicker in the plastic than the metal.
In this way the pastic becomes more dense at lower temperatures which in turn mean it shrinks onto the cable like shrink wrap and basically holds it in place. Its like putting your fingers in a chinese finger trap. Your finger in the shifter cable and the trap is the pastic sheath. the pulling action( shifting) is being obstructed by the tension of the sheath.

I have this same problem and I dont see a real fix for it. What I do when I know its going to be cold is park the car in neutral so I dont have to hold my foot on the clutch for 40 mins while the car warms up lol. work the shifter slowly and apply force gradually every 5-10 mins until it gives. You can have your heat on full blast and remove the cup holder hoping it will heat up quicker. I noticed parking in a garage when its 20*F outside helps cause inside the garage is +40*F.

More than likely OP, you snapped your shifter cable linkage. Not a big deal. Just becareful not to force the shifter when its "frozen" in place next time.

 

I dont miss Pen Argyl...sure is warm in Florida!

 

Pen Argyl would still suck even if it had Florida's weather... Shitty little town it is. I'm tryin to get a place in Bethlehem or Allentown, closer to work.

 

So, shifter is "broken" and shift cable got bent, theyre overnighting the parts, warrantied. hooray! **** cold weather haha

 

 

I have a different theory myself.

The first winter I had the car, the shifter was stiff as heck first thing in am.

Eventually, I ended up losing reverse this summer. Took it in and new shift cable put in under warranty.

First thing I did when I got the car back was put it on the hoist in our shop and lube the exposed areas of the cable under the hood with undercoating.

It was -20c (-4f) this morning, no problem at all.

 

so you saying it is moisture freezing the cable in place? Like maybe frost or something? I bet if I spray some WD-40 on the shifter end of the cable and work the shifter back and forth it would eventually lube the whole thing. I still think the problem is the pastic sheath is to tight. Why would they make it so snug?!?

 

Yea but lubricants attract alot of dirt, especially to exposed areas of underneath your car... I have a TWM shifter by the way and I still notice this when is cold here... um like 30 or so after work in the morning. I usually let my car warm up but one day I didnt and it was a biznatch to shift... So besides the bent shifter, a TWM isn't going to help this situation much, BUUUUT they do look cool and man I love how mine feels when you shift now.

 

I never understood why we have PLASTIC shifters. I've never been in a car with the shifter made if plastic till now.

 

No **** right!!! Lol and people wonder why I am so leery of doing a NLS... haha... cuz its not a muncie M22 thats why lol... I can actually break this thing haha

 

It's real simple. Plastic is cheap to manufacture.... especially in large quantity.

 

Or a Honda with a metal shift rod.. Even my old work car 97 Kia sephia had a metal shift rod like a Honda. But nls is fun regardless.... And op I've been in freezing weather in tx for almost a week and didn't have any trouble.

 

Update, got the car back last night, parked overnight for work, it was like 15 out, it has a new shifter and cable and it was butter even in 15 degree weather, so methinks perhaps the shift cable was on its way out... good for having a warranty