I don't have much experience working on cars. Today my shift cable stuck permanently (I have been shoving it back in the housing from time to time). The cable was apparently frayed and binding in the cable sleeve. I ran it up to my mechanic for replacement.

They said its an all afternoon job and would cost $340 to replace it. I was just curious how hard it is to do and how much a job like this typically takes. I know they replaced a headlamp bulb for $18.95. When it burned out a couple of weeks later I went to the auto parts store and put one in for $8.95 so I'm learning its a lot cheaper to do things myself.

Thanks for any info on this.

Uh...what year and model ? Auto, or manual ?

If automatic....you must mean the kickdown cable (comes out of the tranny and goes to the throttle). Not an all afternoons job. Spend a couple of bucks and get a Hayne's repair manual, along with a Bently repair manual. Then go to it.

If a manual, then you mean the clutch cable(from clutch peddle to the bell housing), which is easy to replace. About a twenty minute job.

Get the books and start saving $$$'s, plus you'll have a lot of fun and pride in DIY (doing it yourself) !!

Richink is right...your mechanic seems to be a RIP OFF.

Ok well, I already had the car in the mechanics shop, I just wanted an opinion as to what it should take. The kickdown cable (original volvo) is $110, add a new filter and pan gasket you wind up around $135. The charged me $338 total (including tax).

Here are the instructions I found on the web:
Parts are about $100 - $75 for the kickdown cable, $25 for tranny pan gasket and filter. It's about an 1-1/2 hour job, very messy though as you must drop the tranny pan. You kind of need an assistant to help with the cable, and a long pair of narrow vise-grip pliers. Basically :
Drain the transmission of fluid.
Unbolt the dipstick/filler tube from the transmission sump (may be "very" difficult and require a giant pipe wrench). More fluid will run out.
Unbolt and remove transmission pan. More fluid will run out.
Unbolt and remove the transmission filter. More fluid will run out. You now have access to the cable and tranny innards.
Have somebody fully extend the cable, this will rotate the internal valving fully. Clamp onto the rotating valve (where the cable attaches) with the narrow vise grips immobilizing the valving (it is spring loaded). With a second set of narrow pliers remove the cable end from its recess in the valve actuator.
Remove the cable & sheath - friction fit in transmission, bolt-on at throttle body.
Re-assembly is reverse of disassembly. Careful not to remove the vise grips until the new cable sheath is seated in the tranny and the cable end is attached to valving.

So next time ;) I'll know what to do. Would help to have a lift, I guess.

Thanks for all your replies.

I hate to tell you, but your quote price for that alone is enough to discourage me from going the traditional route of handing my mechanic the keys and saying "fix it."

My kickdown cable bound up, and so it's currently disconnected. I was able to order a new one (ScanTech, though) through VLVWorld for under $30. Other sources gave similar prices. There's no reason to pay $100 for a cable, and it's barely worth it to spend the $75 so that your Volvo mechanic will put it on (mine won't put the cable on since it's not his, so I will have to take the car to AAMCO or something like that).
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'89 244 GL -- 103K miles (see profile for info on car)

It should be noted that Dealer parts are rarely, if ever, worth the insane mark up.

There are plenty of after market suppliers that are just as good, if not better then the Volvo Dealer stuff, at usually 25% of the dealer prices.

The only items I ever buy from the dealer are things I can't get else where, or something cheap like a gasket for the throttle body, etc...
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If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as 'Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!'

Just in the future make sure you always remember to indicate the year, and model (a 244 is a sedan, a 245 is a wagon). Also mentioning if it's a standard or auto tranny helps.

It can save all of us lots of time, and helps us answer your questions!

Don't forget about using that pull down menu that puts the year of the car in the title of your post as well!

Here's an example of the whole thing.

"I drive a 1980 245 DL with a standard tranny. Recently..." then I'd go on to list the problem. I throw that opening line (or one similar to it) in every one of my posts about my '80.

Don't feel shy about asking questions either! We are here to help!
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If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as 'Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!'

I've never had to do one in a volvo, but in my old pontiac i did it a few times. Basically just take the cover off the shifter, and you should be able to see the top of the cable. I'd guess it's a pin kinda thing holding it in there. Once the top end is free, jack up the car and crawl underneath. On the side of the tranny should be the other end of the cable. Same kind of attachment down there. Slide the whole thing out after making sure all the brackets and such are free, and reverse the order for the new one. A new cable shouldn't cost ya more than say, $60 or so i'd guess.

Somebody feel free to correct me on this, as i said, never done it on a volvo...... but that should give you a basic idea.
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John '82 242GLT / '83 244DL / '66 122S (crunched front end, looking for a home)

P.S. I did it in that old firebird about 4 times in a month, because the ground strap from battery to body had broken, and the next easiest path was through the shift cable. That effictively welded the cable to the housing, and fried a bunch of cables before i figured out what was going on!!!!

Hello,

Can we say rip-off artists???

I just wanted to say that. Others will tell you the likely very simple process of replacing your shifter cable.

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Happy Bricking!!! - Richard - '87 245 DL , '82 242 GLT - Half a million km between them!!!