Gear indicator on steering column not moving

[blackflag]

As the title says, the gear indicator on my steering column doesn't move when I select a gear. The tranny goes into the selected gear fine and shifts properly throughout it's driving range, just wont indicate what gear I'm in, it never leaves the "Park" location. I'm really not sure how to diagnose the problem, nor how to fix it. Is it a cable that's bad and if so, what's the cable called? I did a search for this recently and didn't have any luck. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[franklin2]

I don't know what year truck you have, and if all are the same, but the early trucks had a plastic piece of tubing with a string inside it, and a spring on one end. One end hooks to the column under the covers that you can take off near the cluster, and the other end hooks to the indicator. When you move the shift lever, the column rotates, and this pulls the string which is hooked to the needle on the indicator.

It's all pretty hokey, and is easily broken if you are not careful when you take the cluster apart.

 

[blackflag]

Thank you, I'll check into that. The truck is an 86, sorry for not mentioning that. I had it in the shop once prior and asked them to look at it but they didn't have any luck with it and honestly I can't even remember what they said the part was, that's why I turned to the folks here for help. Thanks again for your help.

 

[Knuckledragger]

What Franklin said. Plus, it slips over a rivet on the steering column that rotates to get you the indicator location. If the column was taken apart for anything (like replacing the turn signal switch), that loop can come off the rivet easily if you aren't careful. Take the column covers off and you will see the string, rivet and plastic tube. If you don't, they are missing or broken. Not hard to fix, but time consuming because you have to take the column apart and sometimes have to take out the instrument cluster. Good Luck!

 

[blackflag]

Thanks Knuckledragger, I appreciate the reply, sounds like a good saturday afternoon project in my future.

 

[Knuckledragger]

Before you take apart your column or gauge cluster, I highly recommend going to a pick-n-pull junkyard and practice on a hulk in the yard. It is very instructive and you aren't in trouble if something breaks.

 

[blackflag]

Actually, I was planning on doing that both for the practice and to scrounge any other parts I may come across that I need for my truck. Excellent advice and for gearheads it's a great way to spend a few hours anyway. Thanks again for your help.