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Ford Focus 1.8 - Gear cables - Peter D

Broke down this morning with the car stuck in 3rd gear. The RAC diagnosed this as a broken selector cable and towed me to a garage. Gear stick goes backwards and forwards very smoothly but not at all sideways.

Is this typical. Regards Peter

Ford Focus 1.8 - Gear cables - elekie&a/c doctor

Depends what you mean by typical. If a selector cable breaks,then some gears will not be able to be engaged,made worse if the box is stuck in a gear. There are 2 cables and they are replaced as a pair.

Ford Focus 1.8 - Gear cables - edlithgow

My first car, a Heinkel Kabine, had cable operated gears, but then it was mechanically quite similar to a scooter.

I've driven a Bedford Rascal van that also had a horribly vague gearchange which I assumed was cable operated, but then it was a fairly cheap and nasty vehicle.

I'm surprised a Focus has them, but then I don't know much about new cars.

Are they common these days?