Failure of the automatic transmission shift cable bushing can leave you stranded…but, it’s an easy DIY-friendly fix.
If someone had told me that the transmission shift cable bushing would be such a pain in the butt while being such a simple component both in looks and its fixing procedure, I would have likely doubted. However, when I faced it head-on, my concept of it changed, completely, that moment and day.
It was a bright Monday morning, the time was only a few minutes to eight and my kids were already seated in the vehicle waiting for me. I sprinted out of the living room, bade my wife goodbye, and jumped into the driver’s seat of the family’s only vehicle at the time.
I cranked the reliable piece of machinery and the motor fired up fine – but curiously, when I attempted to engage the transmission using its lever into reverse, the usual stiffness I normally felt was gone.
In its place, the old, trusty lever simply rolled down from ‘park’, ignoring all the other positions and weakly settling in ‘drive’.
I should have known then that something was wrong…but, who was I to be overly bothered if my transmission lever decided to be smooth and easy to manipulate?
The shocker came when I tried to step on the gas and accelerate…
I got a flat nothing!
There was no corresponding backward movement – instead, the tachometer needle shot skywards and the revs kept up without any corresponding output to the tires.
That was when I knew that something was wrong. I quickly scanned the instrument cluster and noticed that the gear position indicator was still pointing at ‘Park’ when I had already moved the lever to ‘Drive’.
I knew I was in for it…especially when I looked at the time and discovered that it was just a few minutes to eight (when the school gate closes).
I jumped down and helped the kids to the nearest bus station, knowing that a hard day had already started!
After a ton of explanations at the gate of their school, I called my mechanic then (that was before I became a DIY person).
The gentleman arrived at my residence a few hours later and after a few minutes of ‘troubleshooting’, determined that it was my vehicle’s transmission cable bushing that had gone bad.
I was livid…why do the smallest things in the world cause the most pain?
However, when the issue happened again, years after on another vehicle I was using, I was already a DIY mechanic and was up to the task, eager to display my mechanical prowess…
Table of Contents
What Does the Transmission Shift Cable Bushing Do?
Exactly as pictured above, the transmission lever bushing helps maintain alignment between the transmission lever and its cable, absorbs vibrations sent from the transmission to the cabin via the tranny cable and its lever, and importantly, prevents noise that may also be transferred into the cabin while all the time, making certain that the lever and cable remain firm in an auto marriage.
However, like all good things, this little bushing eventually wears out and gets lost in thin air!
When that happens, the scenario as explained above is what you’ll likely be faced with.
What Happens When Your Transmission Lever Bushing Goes Bad?
Usually, when the transmission lever bushing goes bad, it does so without any warning. One minute, the vehicle drives just fine, and when you crank it again and engage the transmission, the shift lever moves without any corresponding transmission action.
In essence, while the transmission lever moves from ‘park’ to ‘reverse’, ‘neutral’ or ‘drive’, on the tranny hardware, things usually remain static and unchanged on the instrument cluster.
And when things remain ‘static’ with your transmission, you’re effectively stranded and completely ‘grounded’.
Automatic Transmission Lever Bushing Replacement on a Toyota or Lexus
The design of a Toyota or Lexus when it comes to parts replacement is simple and non-complex, at least on the majority of the i4s and v6s currently on sale in the market today.
The procedure for the gear lever bushing replacement is no different across the marque’s offerings: you only need to hold the gear lever cover firmly and carefully raise it upwards, exposing the base of the transmission lever, which is usually covered.
With the transmission lever cover off, grasp the lever cable, remove it from its base, and slide the bushing on it.
With the bushing securely in place on the tip of the lever, firmly push it back into position, until it fits in, as it should.
With that done, the rest of the work is as simple as making certain that any electrical connectors removed previously are replaced, as they should.
As wrap-up, the transmission lever cover goes back on in a reverse fashion.
That’s all – the procedure is as simple as changing a defective brake light switch or hood strut.
Here’s a short video I shared on TikTok about the procedure. The video is about a minute long but captures the entire process in an easy-to-understand manner.
If the writing here doesn’t convey as much meaning as you’d love to, the video will and hopefully, will see you sorting the problem yourself, DIY style.
What if You Don’t Have a Bushing Handy?
Sometimes, you know what’s wrong with your car – but lack the parts or tools to fix it: this is what happens when your transmission bushing goes out and you don’t have a spare handy.
You can avoid this by making sure that you have a spare bushing in your trunk or glove box so that you don’t look confused (or stranded) when it happens.
Usually, this happens around or after the 100,000-mile mark, so at least, you know when you begin to expect ‘trouble’.
A good place to hunt for such bushings is Bushing Fix – an authority on all things bushings, across makes, models, and years.
However, it’s important to note that if you carefully follow this guide, even without a bushing, you won’t be stranded: just open the transmission lever cover, fondle with the lever end of the transmission cable, manually reattach the cable to its base and guide it firmly with one hand as you shift the transmission with the other hand (into the desired position).
This way, you’ll be able to drive for hundreds of miles more and avoid getting yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Summary
The failure of an automatic transmission shift cable bushing can effectively leave you stranded – if you’re not mechanically inclined.
However, it’s an easy fix that doesn’t even require tools to tackle – just your hands.
This guide provides all the info you need to fix things up and keep yourself on the road.
Good luck!