Gear Shift

[vee5]

Hi folks

My 2002 Celica T Sport recently went into the dealer for a belt change, an when it came back the gear change seemed worse than it was before. Its always been a slightly tricky change but its just baulked really badly on 2nd/3rd during an overtake. I'm not sure why the gear change should have got worse all of a sudden but it does seem like a strange co-incidence this has happened just after other work being done by the dealer. The car only has 40k on it, its got a full Toyota service history and its not normally driven hard. Is there an adjustment that can be done to the gearchange, and can anyone think of a reason for the gearchange getting worse after a belt change?

Thanks!

[GreyRacer]

I think it is a coincidence really. 2nd to 3rd is the change that usually becomes rough first. Probably find you are starting to get excessive play in the gearbox linkage rubber bushes especially now that your car is eight years old. Suggest you change the original ones for upgraded metal bushes which are readily available from specialist suppliers of Gen 7s. You can go for the solid brass type or the roller bearing variety. This is a cheap and easy mod which is worthwhile.

Apologies for not being able to give you links etc to suppliers or to the other club that has all the information required to carry the mod out but it is against TOC rules and I've been <the spuds of lurrrrvve>ed before.

[sjrainsford]

Yeah, I'd agree that second to third is a dodgy part of the gear change - and even the uprated bushings don't seem to sort it out that much. Have considered replacing the cables on mine in view that they may have stretched a little.

However, if you're sure it's only changed since having work done on it, then really your first port of call should be to take it back and get them to have a look.

Let us all know how you get on.

[vee5]

Well so far its been back to the original dealer who claimed there was nothing wrong, and since that it was driven by another dealer who said the gearchange "was not right". Does anyone know whether the gearchange linkage/cable is situated where it could be disturbed by a belt change?

[sjrainsford]

Nah, it shouldn't be affected by a belt change. It's toward the rear of the engine bay at the back of the gearbox.

If you get someone to change gear whilst having a nose under the bonnet and look underneath sort of where the Battery is mounted, you will see the linkage attachment points. Then it's just two cables that run pretty much straight to the gear stick inside.

[GTForbes]

I'd keep on taking it back to the dealer that carried out the work as if they have caused an issue they are liable for correcting it.

personally I'd just get new cables and bushes and get a reputable indipendant garage to work on it, I work for a mechanic who worked for a main dealer and he says that the amount of things that go wrong in their serive departments is unreal, if it's not a major fault they'll just fob you off blaming the age of the car etc instead of their 'mechanics'