C5 X7 auto gearchange mishap!

[milleplod]

The wife doesn't drive my car very often, much preferring her Saab convertible....but when she does use it, there's always something to grumble about afterwards.....crumbs everywhere, smears on the glass, no fuel in it, that sort of thing. Today, however, she's surpassed herself......although, at the same time, she's proved just how strong her left arm is!

Apparently, the auto gearchange has been reluctant to come out of 'P' again, an issue I posted about a while ago, and which I thought I'd resolved. Obviously not! She didn't think to mention it yesterday when she used the car, 'because I always managed to force it out of Park'!!! Worrying indeed. Its been the same today - this time she mentioned it when she got home, so I thought I'd take the gearchange surround off again and try to get more electrical cleaner in there to free off the....well, whatever it is I can see move when I press the brake pedal!

Sure enough, the lever is a pig to get out of Park - 5 or 6 presses of the brake pedal though, and you can hear, and feel, the 'click' as the pin (?) releases and allows the lever to move to the right. I take off the surround to have a look, squirt some cleaner in there....but can see that, in previously forcing the lever to the right, my Mrs has broken the brown-coloured plastic under the white plastic - its broken where the red arrow is in the pic.

You can only see the break when the lever is knocked over to the right coming out of park when the lock hasn't released - its snapped at its narrowest point and sort of springs out of place as the lever's moved. If the lock releases - which it is doing now since I squirted cleaner in there - the break isn't evident at all, the plastic stays in place.

I'm in a quandary now. Should I replace the whole gearchange unit, as in the pic (stolen off eBay, btw) - if so, is it do-able from inside the car, does anyone know? A used unit is £50. Or just leave as-is and if it plays up again, just apply more cleaner?

When I previously had the issue, a few months ago, a quick squirt of contact cleaner 'fixed' it - I couldn't get the gearlever itself off the unit though, so access to the lock device was quite restricted.

Pete

[wheeler]

I reckon it’s probably changed from underneath, never done one on an X7 but on the mk 1 you have to drop the exhaust & its heatsheild down & drop it out from underneath.

[milleplod]

I reckon it’s probably changed from underneath, never done one on an X7 but on the mk 1 you have to drop the exhaust & its heatsheild down & drop it out from underneath.

Bugger! Looking at the eBay pic, I thought that might be the case.

Pete

[RichardW]

Yep, comes out underneath - exhaust and shields off. There are no parts shown against the selector, but it has screws on the top - so it must come apart I'd be tempted to get one off e-bay then dismantle it to see if the part can be changed over. Or just removed

[milleplod]

I'm wondering about simply epoxying a piece of plastic over the cracked part for now. I think if I keep on top of the release mechanism, perhaps have another try at getting some lube (silicon grease?) in there rather than just cleaner, its unlikely to cause any further issues. Or is that the dreaded wishful thinking....?!

Pete

[EDC5]

Your problem will be the shift lock relay in the passenger footwell. I had the same issue with mine ( several presses on the break to get the lever to release)

It was a right swine to get to but fixed it immediately.

I also accidentally broke the gearstick surround in the same way as your missus but have just left it. There is no point doing anything in my view.

[Stickyfinger]

A Citroen dealer replaced the complete unit under warranty on mine when I first got it in spite of being told the same, they then got it back to fir a new shift/brake lock

[EDC5]

I should add there wasn't a simple way to locate the offending relay, I had to get an assistant to repeatedly press the brake pedal and I traced the sound and vibration to the area In the passengers footwell.

The relay coil was fine but the contacts were tarnished and not making a good connection.

[milleplod]

Your problem will be the shift lock relay in the passenger footwell. I had the same issue with mine ( several presses on the break to get the lever to release)

It was a right swine to get to but fixed it immediately.

I also accidentally broke the gearstick surround in the same way as your missus but have just left it. There is no point doing anything in my view.

That's reassuring that you left yours as it was. Can it be coincidental do you think that as soon as I squirted contact cleaner onto the lock thing that it started moving straight away? Is the relay you mention buried underneath the carpets, or around the pollen filter area?

Pete

[EDC5]

Your problem will be the shift lock relay in the passenger footwell. I had the same issue with mine ( several presses on the break to get the lever to release)

It was a right swine to get to but fixed it immediately.

I also accidentally broke the gearstick surround in the same way as your missus but have just left it. There is no point doing anything in my view.

That's reassuring that you left yours as it was. Can it be coincidental do you think that as soon as I squirted contact cleaner onto the lock thing that it started moving straight away? Is the relay you mention buried underneath the carpets, or around the pollen filter area?

Pete

Yeah I didn't see the point putting it back and it has been usefully to be able to get it out of park without having the engine going occasionally

It's actually on the left of the passenger footwell. Underneath the BSI. You'll need some acrobatic skills to reach it unfortunately.

[Gibbo2286]

You could knock up a metal strap around your weakened plastic bit.