I am inquiring for a friend and this is very little to go on but maybe somebody will have an idea? She said when entering a roundabout she went to downshift and the car locked up. She said she was able to poke something in the hole on the shifter and it ran okay for a mile or two but now it sounds like the transmission is coming apart. I realize this is very big but it's all I know at this point does anybody have any idea but they could Point me towards?

 

The manuals in these cars are pretty reliable from what I've read. Never experienced that.

 

Not familiar with a hole with a 6 speed?

 

I suspect the transmission is a five-speed automatic.

 

The access hole is used to get it out of park. Not sure what is going on.

 

What does she mean by ;locked up? Did she accidently put it in park while driving?

 

Sounds like it. No wonder the car is making odd noises.

 

Only thing I know is that a 6-speed manual trans does not have a hole.

 

I was thinking the same thing when I posted, but refrained!

 

Talked with her briefly. She down shifted to 2nd gear, when she let the clutch out the wheels locked up, killed the engine and skidded to a stop. Even after pushing the clutch back in it stayed locked up and wouldnt roll. She said she put a pin or a pen in the factory hole on the shifter (?) and the clutch disengaged, she was able to restart and it drove perfectly for a few minutes. She has pneumonia now so its hard talking to her but she said now it feels like it is going into gear and us going to go but doesnt? I didnt get an answer if that means the rpms go up and nothing or if its locked up? What is the hole on the shifter for and what would cause it to lock up that it has a factory reset of some kind?

 

What the hell "hole in the shifter" ? I've owned two six speeds, there IS no hole in the shifter.
This is the strangest thing I've read on here in the nine years I've been on here.

 

This is the strangest thing I've been asked to diagnose. She lives at the very end of a road 15 miles out of town and its het only transportation. I feel for her so trying to help but her knowledge of cars is limited to the ignition. Stereo volume and gas cap which adds to the problem...lol

 

I can hardly wait to see how this turns out - so curious.

 

Haha, well the 2 bolts holding the shifter up, that are beside the driveshaft, if they came out and the shifter fell down against the driveshaft, be some bad noises, mess up the linkage and look we have a hole, lol

need some pics

 

Pictures of the hole and shifter would be a big help.

 

Well Guvnah this is all a bunch of old codswallop. Also called SPAM.