[82]

Maybe you could thread the shaft with a die and put a nut on it.

 

[82]

You could also drill a hole in the shaft and use a washer and cotter pin to retain the shifter cable assembly.

 

[ReginaFalangy]

I realize it's been awhile since this was posted but here is my backyard fix. It's a tight fit getting the push nut on the shaft, but so far so good!
$3.00 from Advance auto.
part# 13441

 

[boxed]

Thanks for this post

I think i have this problem...

Turned on van, dropped it into R and it went into N instead, now its stuck in N shifter seems very easy to move.

 

[thecatholicdad]

Boxed,

We just had this happen to us this morning. We were taking the kids to the park this morning and backed up but when we went to put the vehicle in Drive, we found ourselves stuck in Neutral with a freely moving gear selector...

Since you're two weeks ahead of me I wondered: How did yours turn out? We are debating between backyard fix, trusted mechanic, or dealership...

 

[kglidd51]

these attachments are no longer available. does anyone have them to re-post? txs

 

[yotrustman]

I am an absolute novice at auto mechanics and I was able to do this repair-hardest part was getting the push washers off the pins! FYI it is not necessary to remove the large pin. Thank you all so much for guides!

 

[minasm14]

05siennadriver,

Thank you so much for this write up. I have a quick question for you though...how do you remove the 3 friction clips holding the shifter assembly together?

Thank you!

 

[minasm14]

Thank you all so very much for this post! Feels great to work on the car, plus keep $600.00 in my family's pocket . I feel this is a permanent fix.

Two things I'd like to add:

1) Copper works. I couldn't find the k&s 7119, nor any other steel or stainless steel. I used 1/4'' flexible copper from Lowes - straightened about 2'' of it with a 5/16'' drill bit. After straightening it, I ran the 5/16'' drill bit through the copper pipe to give some wiggle room for the bullet and spring. Then I drilled the broken plastic piece where the bullet used to go with a 3/8'' drill bit. The copper pipe was a tight squeeze - I had to use a hammer to get it in. I recommend using some soap for lube. Worked like a charm in the end.

2) I didn't have any experience with the friction clips. In order to remove them, simply get underneath the metal friction piece and pry it up with a flathead screwdriver.

Thanks again for all the information and the diagrams - lifesaver.

 

[JFcrew]

My 05 Sienna has this problem, but how do I remove the cover to get to the shifter?

 

[SiennaNut]

My 05 Sienna has this problem, but how do I remove the cover to get to the shifter?

I have some bad news for you, you would have to follow the instructions attached on post #3.

Open the windows and get some liquid to keep you hydrated throughout the process.

Great post #8. Going to perform this too over the weekend. Fun times ahead!

 

[JBB]

05siennadriver,

You are a genius! Works perfect now and stronger than the original.

Only additional time saving suggestion is to just remove the top bolt in the lower center panel and move it back a few inches because I was able to reach the shifter bolts with a socket extension.

Thanks for the write up.

 

[ev372]

My 2004 Sienna had the little rubber bushing worn out and had to buy a new cable from the dealer. About $500 after installation. i wish I had found this guy in Lakeland, FL. He sells a repair kit for the bushing, www.bushingfix.com. Might be a good idea to order one for a back up or change out as a preventative maintenance item.

 

[threehappypenguins]

If you don't fix it yourself you have to replace the entire gear shift assembly - you can't replace only the housing for the spring and bullet thing. I forget how much the dealer quoted me, but it was several hundred. When mine broke I also had the open recall on the solenoid, so asked about repairing the broken part at the same time. Most of the expense is the part and not labor, so it didn't really make a difference. Not sure what you would call the piece that broke. I am sure toyota engineers have a name for it, like "the plastic sleeve that will break in seven years and get people to buy a part that is only available through the dealership."

Good luck.

We haven't brought it in for the shift lock solenoid recall as of yet, and just last week the shifter broke on us. My husband said the same thing. He went to shift, and it got stuck, tried to gently move it over and felt something snap. Now it's loose and flopping. We can still drive, though. We just pay attention to where it's shifted. But it really does need to be fixed. Glad I found this thread!

So what I'm wondering is, when the shift lock solenoid is replaced, don't they need to open the dash? I have no idea what the shift lock solenoid entails. If the dash is already removed, wouldn't the labour cost be minimal? And how much does the shifter part cost? I tried Googling, "buy 2005 Toyota Sienna shifter," but I couldn't find anything.

I'd much rather just have the dealer fix it if the labour is going to be minimal because of them getting in there for the shift lock solenoid (and as long as the shifter isn't outrageously expensive either).

 

[threehappypenguins]

Found out more info. The part in question is called the "Shift Lock Assembly" or "Shift Lock Control." It's part # is 33560-08010. You have to replace the whole part; can't replace just the plastic piece. Toyota (here in Canada) wants $639.80 FOR JUST THE PART. Looked on eBay, and after exchange and shipping, it will be nearly $400.

Apparently the solenoid is right beside the shift lock assembly unit and if you buy a new shift lock assembly, the solenoid comes with it. But when Toyota does the recall, they (surprise, surprise) replace only the solenoid. So even if labour is free for the shift lock assembly, it's still expensive for the part.

So looks like we'll have to use the fix as described in this forum.

Thanks for all your help, guys!

 

[halfamillion]

Well, I just had the solenoid replaced and three days later the shifter cable broke. Imagine that. Part cost $197 and 3 hours of labor at $101 per hour plus shop fees. Totaled out to be just over $550. I suspect after 12 years of use and 348,000 miles something is due to break.

 

[anoakgrovekid1]

Thank you for the write up... This helped me so far. We'll see if the fix lasts!

 

[ncg]

I'm adding another thanks to 05siennadriver!

After visiting 7 hardware/hobby stores, I finally just ordered the correct steel tube off Amazon, and had it in a day. One mistake I made was to not cover the crush washer with my hand when popping it off - it went flying into nether space.... And, my local auto parts/hardware store didn't have those either! What's with retail?? Oh well. I made a goove in one of the small shafts and put a c-clip on it.

In the end, I successfully made the modification. I took it apart one evening and put it together the next. All is working perfectly in my 05 Sienna. It cost me three hours of driving around looking for a steel tube, about 4 hours, and $10.

Thank you!

 

[spacecoast321]

Thanks to 05SiennaDriver and his detailed instructions I was able to repair the loose shifter.
In an effort to give back to the community I made a video that I hope covers everything involved in the repair.

Cheers to everyone that solves the hard problems for us.

 

[Dhompe]

Just did this today. Actually, I tried this a year ago, due to the hard selector 4 back to Drive, but when I pulled it all apart, it was fine. Lubed everything and put back together, and it worked (albeit stiffly still) for a year. Recently, when shifting 4 to D, I had to really hit it to get back to D and felt and heard it break. We were an hour into a 6 hour trip, so I was careful with the shifter flopping around and made the trip.
This went quickly today, having experience pulling the shifter. The tube fit perfectly, but the bullet was still moving hard from 4 to D, so I ground 1/16 inch off the spring and that did the trick. Moving the selector is smooth and holds each gear well. I'm convinced this is a permanent repair.
Thanks for the write up!

The tube fit perfectly? Didn't you have to drill out some plastic to increase the diameter of the original hole for the tube to fit?
Thanks,
Dhompe