A month or so ago when installing my stereo in my 2k3 6SP, I dropped one of the mounting screws in where my stick shift was. It is too small to reach your hand in there so I tried my magnet tool...that was too big as well. Next I tried one of my fingers and a screw driver and just knocked it out of site - DOH!

I tried one of those claw things with the spring action trigger and that ended up getting ripped to shreads and I bearly pulled it out in one piece. I was nervous so I figured I'd take it for a ride to knock it loose (and make sure it was working ok). I didn't knock it loose, but I had no problems shifting.

Just this past weekend I noticed that going into 1st and 2nd was a little tough. I figured the screw was back and when I reached my destination, I put the car in 1st again and heard the screw go flying around and freed up the problem I was having before.

My question is this, should I just leave it be or is it worth taking apart that assembly to get the screw out? Also, how do you take that apart?

I'm very worried that I'll cause more harm than good.

 

You're screwed!

 

LOL

I love do it yourselfers (being one myself) because you never know what kinda stuff's gonna happen!

Sorry I can't help but good luck!

 

I would try to get it out...if it already has interfered with some shifting, I would hate to have it get in the way when you really need to emergency shift, etc.

 

 

You know how some people swear by duct tape?? I swear by chewing gum.. Anytime i have lost a screw under the hood someplace (happens quite often for some reason), I just put some gum on an extended screwdriver..works every time.

 

I agree, but I'm so afraid that I'm gonna screw something up. It's a bunch of thick white plastic surrounding the gear shifter and it's covered in yellow grease. I've got no clue on this one.

 

Now that's a good idea! The only problem is I have to get it in at a 90 degree angle so I need something flexable. I'm gonna look into this and let you know.

Thanks!

 

What about those little extension grabbers? You know, the ones for getting stuff out of garbage disposals, etc.

Don't know exactly what the are called but they have that 'plunger' button on one end of a flex cable which when you press it extends 4 'fingers' from the other end...like an arcade crane game.

 

I say.... get that sucka out !!!


~limsandy

 

I can see the next post - ...I have this chewing gum stuck in my shifter...

 

Something similar happened when I was changing my parking lights on my 2k2 last night.Passenger side was no problem since there's plenty of space to move, than the driver's side was a pain, after i squeezed my hand in that tiny spance, the bulb fell inside the housing, I had to unbolt the headlight ( I felt like a thief lol) and rock it back and forth until the bulb moved enough for me to get it out, it was tough, but there's nothing like working on your own car.

For all you 2k2 and 2k3 owners, next thing I am going to do will be to remove the stock horns completely from behind the grille, since I have airhorns and the stock is disconnected. Since I've seen that they cut the horn wire, so if they see no wire or horns there, will that make them think a bit that maybe the car has an aftermarket alarm, what do you guys think?

 

I don't know, but maybe there's some way in there from underneath the car. If so, it would be nice to have gravity working for you instead of against you.

 

I had the EXACT same problem last month. Very scary because you don't know what effect it will have. After lots of unsuccessful searches with my magnet, I all but gave up hope. I then decided to take one last look with a flashlight and realized that the screw was not in the shifter, but rather resting up against the side of the console. All I had to do was remove the center console and the screw came rolling out. Good luck!

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1826

da' claw!

 

This thread is hilarious. I did the same thing spta, except I have an auto and I have yet to find the screw. Thing is, my phat fingers just made it harder and harder to see until I can see it none at all. I have yet to have a problem, so I think I'm relatively safe, but any of you in AZ who see a white maxima parked on the side of a busy road with a flashlight looking in my shift boot, pull over and help!

 

That's what I was trying to describe in my orginal post. One of the "fingers" got caught on something and I bearly got it out. It was all pulled apart when I finally got it out.

 

Yep, that's the EXACT tool that got ripped to shreds. The flex shaft was good, but the claw was about to cause A LOT more harm than good!

 

And the post after that - ...I've got peanut butter, chewing gum, and a screw stuck in my shifter....


HA HA HA!!!

 

Oh well, sorry then....

crap!