Citroen C5 X7 Estate 2012 VTR+ 1.6HDI 110 5 speed manual gearbox won't select first or second gear

[howardaskew]

Citroen C5 X7 Estate 2012 VTR+ 1.6HDI 110 5 speed manual gearbox won't select first or second gear.
I managed to get the car home.
I don't think it is a clutch problem. the clutch is fairly low mileage.
The VIN is VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
I believe it is a 5 speed gearbox BE4R? The reverse gear is down from 5th.
I can select 3rd to 5th and reverse easily.
It feels like a cable fault or wearing of the adjustment.
Is there a procedure for fitting and adjusting the cable? The gearbox has the right amount of oil and the clutch is good.
I will appreciate any help with the procedure. Thank you.
Happy Easter.

[Steve Walsh]

Get someone to operate gear lever while you look at gearbox cable connections, you should see if it is cable moving or box fault

[howardaskew]

Steve,
Thank you for your reply.
Problem being is that I have never studied a gearbox change mechanism. I am not 100% sure where 1st Gear should be. It looks like there are two cables. One seems badly installed with a lot of slack. I think it is the reverse gear, as it only seems to move when selecting reverse. The other seems to be installed ok but is harder to see.
There is not a lot of information available.
I am wary of buying new cables and finding it is a gearbox fault.

[Steve Walsh]

If both cables push and pull, there is a good chance they are working

[howardaskew]

Is there anyone here who can post up a procedure to change the gearbox cables please? Citroen Sell the cables and lever as a complete assembly for £266. I am hoping just to change the cables.

[wurlycorner]

Not familiar with that gearbox on the car, hopefully someone will be along shortly that does know the car specifically, but gearshift cables are normally all very similarly attached/assembled.

In lieu of that though (in case no-one does), some general advice:

The ends are normally very quick and straightforward to detach/re-attach.
The gearbox end is normally a ball and socket arrangement that clips together, with the 'ball' on the gearbox linkage and the 'socket' on the end of the cable - either a clip you must displace or remove and then the socket lifts off, or simply gently lever the cable end off the gearbox linkage (look carefully to see which). The cable then normally also has an outer 'restraint' that clips onto a bracket on the gearbox, which again normally uses some kind of plastic clip (twist/turn to release etc.).

The end inside the car onto the gearshift mechanism is normally a ball/socket arrangement that's similar (but smaller and sometimes uses a circlip) but with no cable restraint that clips in - it normally is just a push fit into the orifice/tube in the floor pan that the cable pushes into from underneath the car and reaches a 'stop'.

The most fiddly bit is normally getting access to where the cables enter the body - this is normally hidden up above a heat shield over the exhaust. Might get away with tying string to the inside end of the old cable before pulling it out the car and then pulling back in reverse, or with just lowering the exhaust heat shield but not the exhaust (this is how I changed handbrake cables and runner tubes on my mk1 c5).

I think this is your gearbox?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/306207205120
It still has the cable ends attached (they've just cut the cables themselves).
If you look in the pics there, you'll see the ball joint/socket I've described and the way the cable outers are clipped onto a bracket on the gearbox so hopefully that gives you a little more guidance - also worth comparing against yours, can you see anything bent/detached in comparison to yours? Have you got any undue play you can feel on any of the linkages? (they should all swivel easily but otherwise feel 'tight' to the pull etc.)

That engine/box was also fitted to the mk1/2 c5 and the Haynes Manual and the cables are likely identical at the gearbox end/very similar at the cabin end for the X7, so could well be worth picking up a copy of that manual for more reference.

nb: If I'm talking complete crap for the x7, someone please do feel feel to pop along and tell!!!

[howardaskew]

wurlycorner,
Thank you very much for your kind advice. The gear change lever mechanism is removed from below. So it is going to be tricky. The Mk1 models in the Haynes Manual show the gear change lever being accessed from above. I am still hopeful that someone from admin can post up the procedure, which may help. Removing the centre consule is also going to be tricky. The new cables have arrived, I can see that the cable locking mechanism is broken, so it definitely has to come out.

[wurlycorner]

Glad if the general advice was helpful and at least you now know what is faulty on yours - progress.

Hopefully someone can assist with the correct procedure.

Centre consoles are normally quite straightforward to work out how to disassemble tbh, without instructions.

Again general advice (I haven’t studied that part of the x7 yet and mine is auto so will be somewhat different to yours) and apologies if this is teaching to suck eggs!:

Start by pulling out any obviously removable parts (eg trinket trays/cubby holes/storage boxes) and that is likely to reveal some fixing screws. If they don’t just pull out, look in the bottom of them (if lined, might need to pull out the liner) and that should reveal the screws.

There will almost certainly be some fixing screws low down on the sides of the console or the front of the console in the footwell, potentially hidden by removable caps or covers and may need to slide the seat forward/back.

Remove whatever you can find and then gently wiggle/pull on it. If it is still held in place, don’t force it - work out where abouts it seems to still be fixed and then focus in on that area to see where further fixings might be.

May need to pull out any switch panels and potentially lift the gearshift gaitor out of the console to access more fixings.

The mk1 Haynes won’t match the x7, but should help visualise some of what I’ve said there.

[wheeler]

Did you manage to get just cables?
Citroen normally only sell a complete assembly with gear lever however you can normally get the cables separately from aftermarket suppliers for a fraction of the price.

[howardaskew]

Yes, just the cables. Reputable supplier on eBay. The cables are made by Borg & Beck. They were listed at £85 but seller saw them in my basket a few days and offered discounts that steadily increased until I paid £65. I think the part number is 2400.

[howardaskew]

Wheeler,
I bought the cables from here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/277007553224
I think even if someone from Admin was kind enough to post up the procedure it will be difficult. I don't see a heatshield between the exhaust pipe and the Gear selector which sits under the the gearstick on the underside. Although access is good I cannot remove the lid to the assembly. By using this method there is no entry point of the cables through the bulkhead. I think all i need to do is somehow get that lid off. If I grind it off it won't be reusable. If I try and heat it up to melt the mastic with a heat gun it may be better. Some people may undo the 4 nuts I cannot see and drop the whole gear lever assembly. That way it should be possible to entirely remove from the car, fit new cables, connect up to the gearbox and pass the handle up through the floor for refixing and then adjusting of the cables. When I re-stick the cover with mastic I will trap some copper wire so it will be possible to use this to "saw" through the mastic and remove the lid to the cable connectors to the lever assembly. It looks like it will be a challenging day.

[wurlycorner]

For removing the centre console:
This guy is a member on here, I forget his username - but this is better than any set of instructions, because you get to see it in action.

Or


For replacing the shift cables:
Unfortunately this is a series of stills, but perhaps some of the images help you understand how they accessed parts for disassembly/reassembly.

(It does appear they used the string technique I talked about when withdrawing the old/pulling in the new)