Disco 1 R380 selection issue

has anyone ever encountered a r380 that had difficulties selecting any of the top row? 1st, 3rd and 5th are all hard to get.. thought I'd ask before I strip it to see what's in there..
Cheers

RallyHippo said:

has anyone ever encountered a r380 that had difficulties selecting any of the top row? 1st, 3rd and 5th are all hard to get.. thought I'd ask before I strip it to see what's in there..
Cheers

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Do not start pulling the box out yet! There may be a simpler solution.
The gear change lever has what I think is called a "bias spring", these springs can break or the plate that the spring mounts to is adjustable and sometimes can end up in the wrong position slightly, this will make gear changes difficult.
The whole gear change thing in an R380 relies a lot on minimal slack in all the mating parts and also the correct adjustment of said bias plate and hairpin type spring
To access this conglomeration of bits it will be necessary to remove the centre console and then drill out the dozen or so pop rivets that hold in the rubber closure section, the spring and plate sit on top of the box in clear view.
Sometimes it is necessary to carry out "test and adjust" runs to get it all happening as it should, good luck.
Is the R380 filled with the correct (light) grade gear oil, heavy oil in cold conditions will make it hard to select all gears, just a thought.