Fiat 500 gear box

[dave7108]

I'm having an issue with a fiat 500. The gear box seems to be stuck in gear. The lever circled in red, should this be fairly free moving by hand? Thanks

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

I have a Ford Ka which is basically the same car.
Can I assume that the green linkage connector you have removed and you didn’t find it like that?

What are the other symptoms. Any noises or clutch issues?

[paul_c123]

Yes and no. The two selector levers together will follow the "H" pattern (with extra legs for reverse and 5th, obviously) so if the linkage which corresponds to forwards/backwards movement of the gear lever is in 1/3/5, or 2/4, and not in neutral, it means the other linkage which corresponds to the side-side won't be able to move. If its in neutral, it will be able to move sideways.

[dave7108]

Dynion Araf Uchaf said:

I have a Ford Ka which is basically the same car.
Can I assume that the green linkage connector you have removed and you didn t find it like that?

What are the other symptoms. Any noises or clutch issues?

Yes I disconnected that. The clutch seem OK. I'm wondering if the gearbox is siezed. My wife was driving it and tried to select 5th which had a habit of not always going in. Upon trying to get it into 5th a snapping sound happened and she could only get 3rd or 4th only. Reverse is also not engaging.

[paul_c123]

dave7108 said:

Yes I disconnected that. The clutch seem OK. I'm wondering if the gearbox is siezed. My wife was driving it and tried to select 5th which had a habit of not always going in. Upon trying to get it into 5th a snapping sound happened and she could only get 3rd or 4th only. Reverse is also not engaging.

I'd be checking if movement of the gear stick translates to movement at the ball joint links at the end of the selector cables (one of which you're removed). If they don't, then its a snapped gear cable. If they do, then check if you can engage every gear directly on the box, manipulating the levers with the balls on.

[dave7108]

paul_c123 said:

I'd be checking if movement of the gear stick translates to movement at the ball joint links at the end of the selector cables

Yes it does. If that's the case do you think the box is seized in some way? Thanks

[paul_c123]

dave7108 said:

Yes it does. If that's the case do you think the box is seized in some way? Thanks

The shift mechanism might be broken, but its a bolt-in-from-above design so you might not even need to remove the gearbox to fix it. As in my other posts, try the linkage directly on the box, following the H pattern, since forwards/backwards positions can and will prevent side to side movement. I can't remember which cable is which but its easy enough to work out with the car there.

But you do realise, the gearboxes on the Fiat 500 (and all derivatives - eg Ford Ka, Fiat Punto, Fiat Panda) are particularly weak around the input shaft bearing. And what sometimes happens is the bearing breaks up, then the seal gets damaged, then all the gearbox oil leaks out into the bellhousing, then the gearbox is toast. Its a known issue and pretty much all Fiat 500s either have a recon box, or will need one, in time.

[dave7108]

Just to clarify the shift mechanism (circulated in picture) could be snapped/siezed?
Thanks for your detailed reply.

[E-bmw]

There should be a selector cable/linkage on the one circled the same as the other one.

The gearbox needs both to select gears in the 2 different planes, other wise you will just get one plane of movement.

[stevemcs]

The bushes around the selector shaft on these, its gearbox out replace the selector and back together.

[InitialDave]

dave7108 said:

paul_c123 said:

I'd be checking if movement of the gear stick translates to movement at the ball joint links at the end of the selector cables

Yes it does. If that's the case do you think the box is seized in some way? Thanks

Do BOTH cable ends move?

[dave7108]

InitialDave said:

Do BOTH cable ends move?

Yes