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So got in the old Volvo XC60 this morning, started up and nothing from the clutch. Could move the knob (oooer) from left to right but couldn't select any gears. It was -7.
So working from home, re-tried the car again a few hours later and bingo!! all is now good at a balmy 3 degrees. gears seem good but a bit like trying to gear change in treacle.
Took the car in to my local Volvo Dealer who said there might be moisture in the gearbox (not clutch) cable, so recommended flush out of the cable with silicone spray (for the cost of £135 for an hours labour)
Anyway, its booked in to my local (excellent)garage to look at next week.
So, anyone else had this issue before. After 30 odd years of driving its a first for me, even back to some properly cold weather never had this issue before. Even some of the guys at Volvo were a bit flummoxed until someone happened to mention it.
Yep, the 3-speed nexus hub on my commuter has packed up, I managed to drag it into 2nd this morning to stop it being too spiny but hasn't shifted up/down any morning this week (it lives outside and it's been -5 or lower every night this week). Not sure if it's the cable or the shifter actuator box on the axle or the hub, should probably give it a good clean out when it warms up.
Yup, brake cable on my cable-hydro discs points up, collects water and freezes up on my commuter bike. Not fun.
Had this happen frequently on my Fiat Bravo...was an issue with the fiat gearboxes - was lucky to get them all done under warranty...the system isn't watertight and once water is in it freezes. Running the car for 15 minutes so things warm up tends to fix it but it isn't a proper fix as the water is still there.
Sounds daft but I've avoided Fiats since and anything else using the same gearbox (some Vauxhall Corsa and Astra models).
My Citroen Dispatch has two gear cables - one up and down movement, one side to side. During Covid they rusted inside the cables due to lack of use and I had to get them replaced (a ten minute job made into a 2 hour one due to having to remove a thousand screws and half the dashboard to access the gear lever end). It was -10 at ours last night and one of the cables had obviously frozen; up and down movement but no side to side. Engine running for 5 minutes and presto; all good... Water in the gearbox end of the cable presumably.
Yup. Exactly the same in my 2015 Vauxhall Zafira this morning in -8 C. 10 minutes of idling and it warmed up enough to select a gear then 10 more minutes and it was fine.
It's not -8C very often so I'll live with it.
Used to happen to the hand brake on my Astra g and the Astra e I had before that. No engine idling helped warm it up so in the winter I stopped using the hand brake and always had to park somewhere I could chock the wheels in to.
I changed the gear cables on a citroen C5 before, the design was poor as the grease under the gearstick all dried out as it was above the cat, new selector mechanism sorted it.
Yes, my volvo does it as well.
It's OK around 0c but below that it feels like it has glue in the linkages
5 miles or so and it frees off enough to be usable again
The clutch cable on my Corsa B used to do it but it was more the grease freezing than water getting in! Flushed it out with GT 85 and filled it with some Finish Line Wet (it had sealed end caps) and it ran perfectly for the next 2 years until I sold it.
Same thing happened to me yesterday on my hardtail. SRAM 12 speed mechanical. Once back home and warmed up in the garage for a few hours the gears changed no problem. Thanks for the tip on the silicone spray will try o pick up a. An of that today.