How to Replace 2G Gearshift Lever

Did you determine why the spring-return mechanism failed?
Did it simply break, i.e. in such a way that you might have
been able to fix the old one?
.
_H*

 

Nice writeup, Patrick!

Did you consider a salvage part and if so, did you price it? Reports of similar problems seem infrequent enough that I'd probably trust a used part if the price was right.

 

I had the same problem. My 2005 has only 50k on it.

This is another dangerous Toyota malfunction. The car does not go into park - it stays in drive, a very serious safety concern.

Not a do-it-yourselfer, it cost me a lot more. Miller Toyota of Culver City told me I needed to replace both the shift lever assembly and the park switch. Seems to me the cause is one or the other, not both, and I feel they're just covering their butts at my expense.

33560-47022 Lever Assembly 396.45
84480-47020 Switch Assembly 102.88
Install Shifter Knob and Parking Switch 480.00

Total bill $979.33 plus sales tax.

Any essential parts not found on a conventional non-hybrid vehicle that are expensive really sour me to hybrids. A very unpleasant surprise!

Dave Zellers, Vice President of Customer Retention, are you reading?

 

Looking at the above pictures I notice the UK version of the leaver assembly is different, the control is mirror imaged that is drive and reverse is to the wright.

 

I just got through replacing my shifter... about a 30 minute job and that included a 15 minute trip to town and back to buy a new bulb for the shifter light. A phillips screw driver and a 12mm socket is all it takes. Very easy. Most of the parts just clip in and out.

I bought my shifter used on eBay for $10 + shipping... no one else bid on it. There were many available for $25 buy-it-now.

It is absolutely thievery that a dealer would charge more than $50 labor for this job.

 

This is surprising! Patrick, I would love to do a failure analysis on this part if you are willing to send it. Of course I will post the results here for everyone's benefit. What's also troubling is the failure to engage park when this sticks. Seems like Park should override everything else.

 

Patrick you never cease to amaze me.

 

That you have the cojones to rip your dash apart.

 

Right after the engine swap the gear shift started sticking just like Patrick described in the original post of this thread. As mentioned in another thread, it had been clicking for awhile before it started sticking. I noticed the clicking, but didn't think anything of it since I didn't know it was not normal since I didn't own the car from new.

In my case, it turns out the problems (clicking and eventually sticking) were caused by a piece of plastic warping. Check out the two videos below. Between pulling the dash apart and trimming the plastic, I'm going to guess this is a 20 minute project and is easily done by a DIY mechanic.

 

Nice Job! Well done!

I have two questions:

1. Were you able to unscrew the knob from the stalk without damaging anything? If so, how did you do it?

2. I'm sure you pared away at the warped plastic a little at a time till it cleared. What tools did you use (or would you use if you had it to do over again)?

You invented the wheel here. I'm lazy and don't want to figure out these details .

Thanks again for the videos.

 

1)Yes, the knob just unscrews from the stalk using your bare hands. There is locktite on it, so it took more force than I thought it would for a little knob.
2)I did the plastic "paring" in 2 steps using a sharp pocket knife. A razor blade would work well too.

 

Nothing like bumping an old thread but I too had a clicking shifter. I followed the awesome steps listed here and found warped plastic to be the problem just like in nickbike's video. Shaved a little bit of plastic off and in 1 hour total from start to finish i was done.

 

Glad I could help!

 

Our 2004 Prius, ~70,000 miles, began clicking this weekend when the shift knob is moved. Just now, if I bear down towards the floor on the knob as I move it from right to left, the click does not occur.

Is it consistent with the Terms and Rules of priuschat.com to:

1) write to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) pointing out the hazards of 'do it yourself' mechanics making a safety related repair related to a design flaw in an automobile.

2) Send NHTSA a link to this thread.

3) Copy and paste portions of the thread discussing the repair technique and send them to NHTSA, just to make sure they actually read it.

I think that the images in the first video make it crystal clear that this is a part failure the ultimately leads to a dangerous condition in which the shifter sticks in drive or reverse.

As someone who pulled, rebuilt, and reinstalled the engine in a 1965 VW Bus 4o years ago, I think I could probably do this task. I also think that I should not have to do it; Toyota should accept the responsibility. Whether or not they decide to install a new shifter module or they replace the warping plastic sheet, this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed and that NHTSA should direct them to recall the G2 fleet for this repair.

thanks

baumgrenze

 

I can't seem to figure out how to get the ventilation duct on the far left off. I don't want to break anything...