Hi all I’m new to the forum, have searched but can’t find any help on topic (unless I’m looking in the wrong place) so I need some help please!

I have been offered a 1997 P reg Colt Mirage 1.6 16v manual car, it has full S/H and has only covered 61,000 miles and looks mint, however it has a problem: - It won’t go into 2nd without being forced? All other gears are fine and the guy assures me that it’s not the synchromesh and says it is a cable problem from the lower gear selector cable?

The cable is main dealer part and isn’t cheap!
is this a known fault?
Has anyone out there got the cables as spare?
I do like the car but should I walk away or is there an easy fix?
am I right in thinking all 1.6 16v Colts are the same from 97 to 03?
Cheers

just a guess
in most manual gearbox cars today
The cables should have an adjustable thread
either under the console below the gear stick
or at the gearbox shifter

there may also be bushes at the piviots
they can wear out

Right a bit of an update:

I went to view the car today and having looked it over I don’t think the gear selecting problem has anything to do with the cable system! This is because I have spoken with Mitsu’s own mech’s and they have never had any trouble from the cables and that’s comes from a guy with 15 years at the company...!

Watching the gears being selected from under the bonnet you can see the cables mounts to two plates that then link to the gearbox, the gearbox has what looks to be an additional linkage part bolted to the outside of the main gearbox housing, this part moves left/right and in/out as the gears are moved depending on the gear selected. Watching it move left/right it moves position just fine however the linkage is very sticky when selecting the gears that make it go in/out?

All gears are very stiff and hard to select on the stick but 2nd is near impossible to locate, if you pause and wiggle the lever between selection then it will engage with less effort than if you just shifting from one gear to another.

So can any of you clued up guys hint as to the best way to proceed, is it lightly to be just the linkage mounted on the outside of the gearbox with warn rods (looks to be bolted onto the gearbox housing) or could it be the gearbox itself that’s goosed?

Any ideas would be massively appreciated as I’m at a loss

Ok here we go again: an update on my update lol:

Been on the phone again to a couple of main Mitsu agents giving them the following info:-

The gears are hard as hell to move via the shift stick and near impossible to get 2nd
Unfortunately I was not able to undo the cables at engine end to see if the lever would then be free when selecting gears
Can kinda see the gear selection working at the gearbox end (rod moves in/out & up/down)

The answer from Mitsu’s men were not guaranteed correct without seeing the car but were as follows:

1st Mitsu guy “deffo not the cables as he has never seen this problem before” so thinks it must be the gearbox end.

2nd Mitsu guy “deffo is the cables or mounting plates” as he sells cables and mounting plate parts once or twice a year and has not known these gearboxes to fail at all and even less with when the car has only covered 61k

Without being able to remove the cables I’m stuck as I cannot isolate were the fault is, I would however like to hear from you all knowing guys n girls to see what you think is most lightly.

Ok that’s me done for now as I’m going for a lie down to de-stress!!!

You need to disconnect the cables at the trans and then feel the shifter if it's stiff then it's the cables. Do whatever it takes, it's not that hard. Move stuff out of the way, one at a time until you have room to get at the cables.

If the shifter is easy when cables disconnected at the trans, try shifting the levers at the trans.

Most likely it's the cables. Trans will grind or pop out of gear but usually don't bind.

there are two cables

One cable is for forward/back motion of shifter

the other cable is for left/right motion of shifter.

If the shifter only binds in one direction that's a clue that it's probably a cable.

if on a budget replace only the cable that's binding

another clue would be look at the rubber bellows at the trans end of the cables, if you find a rubber bellows with a tear or holes then that is probably the bad cable, they go bad pretty quick if the boot is opened up.