The knob broke off...

Jason_WI wrote:4L

Correct Jason!   .......... I'm gonna have to take a "fire road" to the parts store...   

I was preparing to clear snow from the driveway.. and as usual; I back the vehicle up an incline onto the grass. So I let it roll slowly down the driveway in neutral while shifting the transfer case (2005 Chevy Trailblazer) and in the process; the selector knob crunched..   and came off in my hand..

I suppose I could try to glue it back on... any suggestions on what to use? I have just about all types of glue on hand.. but it has to cure in freezing temps... so I'm thinking epoxy or CA gel might be best.

man that plastic shi** sucks I think I would use ca thin //a lot of it with a burst of accelerator !!!  

CA or Epoxy will eventually fail. Probably sooner than later. If it were me I would manipulate the lever and detent to switch it into 2H then go buy a new part.

Exact same thing happened to the AC dial in our van yesterday. We used a pair of needle nose pliers to turn it back to "0".

well stop twisting it so hard....

CA will work if you wrap thread on the outside to help add strength. It will prevent the piece that broke out from breaking again. That is if you have enough clearance for the added diameter.

Jason_WI wrote:CA will work if you wrap thread on the outside to help add strength. It will prevent the piece that broke out from breaking again. That is if you have enough clearance for the added diameter.

I think I will try that, thanks.

Jason_WI wrote:CA will work if you wrap thread on the outside to help add strength. It will prevent the piece that broke out from breaking again. That is if you have enough clearance for the added diameter.

Thanks Jason, that would probably work if the knobs' shaft-housing had split-open... but mine broke at an angle, (see photo) with a piece still attached to the switch... inside the panel.

I may have to try what Matt did.. and see if I can turn the switch's shaft back to the 2H position with needle-nose pliers.

Roddie

There are probably lots of  replacement knobs in parts yards but, being for Chevys, their knobs are probably broken too.    

     

SD

Earlier this Summer (fast-forward 10 years...) I was preparing to depart from shopping at my local Walmart. I'm driving my 2005 Chevy Trailblazer this day. Loaded with groceries; I start the engine.. put the gear selector in reverse and proceed to back slowly out of the parking-space into the aisle. I apply the brakes.. shift to "D"... release the brakes.. and I start moving backward..

I apply the brakes again.. observe the selector is in fact in "D"... Then I shift to "P"... and I'm still in "R".............. I now see that the "check engine" light is on. I then shut off the engine and attempt to restart.......... NO DICE... engine wont start in-gear.. and trans. is stuck in "R"... I'm dead in the water and had to set the parking-brake to keep from rolling. Now the gear-shift is locked and won't move...

So... now I'm "diagonally positioned"..... immobile... and completely blocking the aisle directly in front of the store entrance. (where's the "sitting-duck/pigeon" smiley.?)

Luckily for me.... a couple of fellas had just come out of the store.. and asked me if I needed help. I explained what happened and steered; as they pushed me into a nearby handicap stall.

One of the guys got on his phone... and figures-out how to unlock the gear-shift. I had tools (enough) with me to gain access to the button under the console... Still "no-start" I call my wife who's on her way home from work.. to come and transfer the groceries to her car and bring them home. I call AAA+ Road-service and wait.. and wait... and wait... and wait... and..............

Lynne came back and waited with me until 7pm... at which point I put "TOW-TRUCK'S COMING" notes on the front and rear glass... and we went home.





The tow company arrived just before MIDNIGHT...... (per their voicemail..) and brought my vehicle to a trusted service-station where it sat until they were able to look at it. I had spoken with them the following morning with what I suspected was the issue; a broken shift-cable. They agreed... and it turned-out to be what had broken.

$500.00 later..



Maybe I could have done this job myself.. but not in my driveway.. and not without a lift.

I should point out that along with those two fellas; several other people asked me if I needed any help that afternoon. It definitely showed me that there are still good samaritans in this world.

Good you got help and dealer fixed problem for a reasonable cost, Roddie.

[Soapbox]
Some time ago, I took the Army's Corps of Engineers cost books, and figured out what the overhead expenses were for a typical car dealer in Clovis.

Figured their property leasing costs, utilities, parts warehousing, tools, reference library subscription costs, staffing salaries with benefits, administrative costs, office equipment, security and insurance costs, specialty tools costs, building upkeep repairs, grounds maintenance and janitorial costs, hazmat storage and disposal costs, vehicle idle inventory costs, and etc. It was then I discovered that their amortized hourly shop costs were the reasonable costs to do business, in spite of a few complaining of being ripped off.

This is how an offsite independent mechanic shop can offer a lower rate, because he has less required overhead.
[/Soapbox]

Sometimes costs are what they are.

I had this happen to me once with our 2002 Ford Escape. Attempting to back out of a parking space when it wouldn't shift into reverse from park. After 10 minutes of poking around, it turned out the plastic bushing on the end of the shift cable failed, and the cable fell off the lever on the transmission. I slipped the now enlarged end of the shift cable (missing its bushing) back onto the lever, and then was able to shift it into reverse so I could back out of the spot, but sure enough, it fell off again when I went to shift into drive. So with the shifter set to park and the vehicle shut off, I got back out (car half-way into the lane), set the lever on the transmission to park by lining it up to the hole on the end of the shift cable, got back in, started it up and carefully shifted it into drive. I then drove home hoping it wouldn't suddenly shift out of drive on the way.

In a pinch, I made a replacement bushing out of a rubber grommet, but wasn't sure how long that would last so I went to seek out a real replacement. Ford doesn't sell just the bushing, they want you to buy the entire cable assembly. However, there are people selling aftermarket bushings online for $10-$20, so I went with one of those. Still working fine today.

Similar problem on my 2014 F 150 column shift, dropped shift lever down to R and still in park. Lucky I'm at Home Depo so go get some small tools and flashlight. Pulled the rubber boot from shift lever and could see the cable had failed at the shift mechanism, hard to reach.
Plastic retainer had disintegrated, thanks Ford. Was able to move cable with long pliers so drove home holding it in D. I made my own retainer clip out of metal and GTG!!
Shortly after that my laundry washer malfed, 13 years old so out with the old set in with a new. The new set is the biggest POJ I have ever owned. As I am admiring my install everything plumb and level I notice water at my feet. Copper feed lines popped another pin hole leak in a closed wall so tear out wall and repair. Been fighting electrolysis for years and I am loosing battle.
So I say to wife well at least everything is flushing as I head to the shower.
Half way through shower water is over my ankles, that never happened before! Waste pipe to septic tank clogged, 4" PVC 65' run to tank.
Had to find the clean out that was buried for 30 years, digging. Call plumber comes with snake and gets flowing, clogs again 3 days later so he comes back and gets it flowing . Says "I aint coming back again" OK. Clogs again call new plumber, he knows his stuff. Camera down pipe shows 30 years of calcium buildup. He snaked it for three hours and had me soak pipe in acid for a few days. Works now but probably should have it water jetted.
So now its time for vacation, 2AM second day out 2000 miles from home hit with acute pancreatitis. ER visit and admitted to hospital for treatment, morphine helped. The pain is off the charts. After release from hospital drive home cause vaca is spoiled.
Got home to a denial of coverage letter from United Health my two bit ins co. Getting a lawer for them.
So my gull bladder needs removed, gallstones caused the pancreatitis. That surgery went well, home and recovering and notice another water leak. Too weak to tear out wall so shut water off. Turned on for flushes and back off till I was strong enough to repair.
Now I can't wait for the first hurricane to come!!
Been a weird year.

TLDR: Count your blessings, things can always be worse!
and nice tag

The shift activation lever on my 2010 Dodge Ram transmission literally rusted away to the point where the shift cable fell off and the transmission wouldn't go into gear. A new replacement part fixed the problem. While waiting for the factory replacement part to arrive, my mechanic fitted a salvaged lever. It worked but had a bad habit of downshifting into low.

So just another example of a common problem with vehicles.

Admin wrote:I had this happen to me once with our 2002 Ford Escape. Attempting to back out of a parking space when it wouldn't shift into reverse from park. After 10 minutes of poking around, it turned out the plastic bushing on the end of the shift cable failed, and the cable fell off the lever on the transmission. I slipped the now enlarged end of the shift cable (missing its bushing) back onto the lever, and then was able to shift it into reverse so I could back out of the spot, but sure enough, it fell off again when I went to shift into drive. So with the shifter set to park and the vehicle shut off, I got back out (car half-way into the lane), set the lever on the transmission to park by lining it up to the hole on the end of the shift cable, got back in, started it up and carefully shifted it into drive. I then drove home hoping it wouldn't suddenly shift out of drive on the way.

In a pinch, I made a replacement bushing out of a rubber grommet, but wasn't sure how long that would last so I went to seek out a real replacement. Ford doesn't sell just the bushing, they want you to buy the entire cable assembly. However, there are people selling aftermarket bushings online for $10-$20, so I went with one of those. Still working fine today.

We had the same malfunction and I know there is another plastic clip on the trans side.

Thanks Bob

At least Roddie didn't break down in winter blizzard.
I can't believe that 4.2 holds 7 Qts.
AAA dropped the ball, IMO

Sorry to hear of your health problems, @crankbndr . That your HMO didn't cover costs sounds weird.

Seems some form of a cathodic protection system would be needed in your acidic? soils plus extra hard water to calcify your waste discharge plumbing. Seems one would have to invest in a house water softening system. Ouch!

Comparatively speaking, we were blessed in arid NM, but all can change in MO. Think @Kim would be more aware.