Spilled Soda on Gears

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Guys, I posted this on another car forum, but their members were idiots, so I'm hoping you guys can help me out..

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I have a 95 Altima, and I went to Wendy's today and ordered a regular sized meal, but they charged me for large and gave me a large meal. So, I decided to just take it b/c I was too lazy to go back and argue with them. I put the HUGE cup on my cupholder (it doesnt fit, barely) and I drive forward, and the soda tips BACK and all this Dr Pepper spills onto my gear box (? is that the right term? its the thing i shift back and forth to go from park to drive, reverse, etc.). Is this bad? Did any soda spill inside and will it screw the shifting mechanism?

------------------^^^ (the above was posted last Thursday)

The following happened yesterday:
I started my car today and the gear shifting thing, it was so HARD to move! But like after the car started running, it was fine. My mom spilled soda on the gear a long time ago, and she said the same thing happened to her. When the car runs for some time, the sugar melts and the gears move again. When the car is idle or when you're first starting it, the sugar has been crystallized and the gears are hard to move.

Is there any way I can clean this by myself?

Here's a diagram of my interior:

Ok, heres my interior:

http://www.autonav2000.com/images/ScrapBook/Nissan_95_Altima_2.jpg (without hte little GPS thing)

If you look at the gear shift thing, theres a little black covering at the bottom...

http://i3.tinypic.com/449gbpz.jpg

(i enlarged the figure)

Where the bluish thing is pointing, that little black strip, that whole gear strip got flooded with soda.


Please help/

posted by  Predator_CITF

You're gearbox is under your hood, not under the shifter. The sugar is just making the lever itself sticky. Keep using it and it will break free and work fine again.

posted by  PontiacFan27

Wow I can't believe it's someone posting who isn't like some troll.


Welcome to cf?

posted by  Bronxie

Yes, yes, I meant the shifter, my bad. Are you sure if I just leave it, it will be fine in a while? Is there some way I should clean it or should I just let it go?

posted by  Predator_CITF

You mean to say that other Forums have idiots, too? :laughing:

posted by  Cliffy

Yes, but I dont see how that is relevant. Can someone else provide me with some good course of action?

posted by  Predator_CITF

It's called having a sense of humour.....As for your problem, you've been helped already. What do you want? us to tell you of a super-dupa cleaning agent that'll rid of your problem? Just heed the advice you've already been given, that should be enough! :banghead:

posted by  Cliffy

So you can basically guaranttee mee that if I Just leave it alone, it will fix itself?

posted by  Predator_CITF

I can't see the car, but given the info that you suplied, yes, it should be ok!

posted by  Cliffy

Well, you can see the interior and I've showed you where the soda flooded. So, how long do you suspect it will take till the sugar like melts away permanently or w/e?

posted by  Predator_CITF

It'll just 'wear' away soon enough. I spilled a little tiny bit of beer on my laptop a couple of weels ago and that worried me (what with all the electrics etc!), but even that survived, so your car should be fine.

posted by  Cliffy

If I didn't know any better I'd say spoken like you are some type of redneck! :orglaugh:

posted by  67Coronet383

In my best accent....:laughing: ....

posted by  Cliffy

i hate people like you,no it wont be ok itll work its way into "R" while your driving and veer off and kill a family in a minivan, you better go get that fixed so you dont cause any accidents

posted by  BanffAutoSpa_ap

I just checked because you said you asked on another forum, and I can't see how the members were idiots...They gave you the exact same answer as the members of this forum...

posted by  chris_knows

Ok what do you honestly want me to say? That you're dumb too??

*sighs*

That forum said it was FINE. It's not FINE. I have to exert pressure to move the damn gear shifter. Does that sound like fine to you?

posted by  Predator_CITF

Yeah, they gave you the same answer...


It does sound fine. If you take everything off to clean the spill, it'll take a while and you still won't be able to get rid of all of it. Just relax, it'll clear up.

posted by  chris_knows

I wonder if some contact spray would help loosen it up a bit?

posted by  97Talonchik

You seem to think that everybody is in some way obliged to help you. You asked us for advice, and we supplied it. As did the other Forum! :banghead:

And a bit ofspray will always help, as Talonchik suggested.....:thumbs:

posted by  Cliffy

Your car shouldn't break, but I hate sticky-icky in my interior. I would remove the cover that the soda spilled on and clean it from the inside.



I strongly suggest you think before you post insults about members in future, otherwise yet another 'What' account will be banned!

posted by  My Life, My Era

If you are really worried, you could remove the plastic, and spray some brake clean on the linkage. If you can't see the linkage, you may need to get under the car.

I don't know what it would take to remove the plastic cover. Most likely it pops off, but it may have screws...

posted by  Mathew

NOW KIDS.....what has this taught us all....DONT DRINK AND DRIVE!!!!:banghead:

posted by  BanffAutoSpa_ap

I am sure nothing bad will happen it will prob. just be a little sticky for a while :smoke:

posted by  greg985

yea your screwed, spilled soda on the gearshifter usually f's up the transmission. get ready for a rebuild:thumbs:

posted by  adamc44

u may wanna try n steem clean it cos i spilt some stoof on my car 1'ce n well it stayed stiff till we gave it back (company car) just try n clean what u can out

posted by  daz_ash

Hang on a minute....if I read that correctly (it was quite difficult to read...), you are suggesting he steam cleans it? even though it's inside the car, and would controdict his problem in the first place? I mean, if he did ever come back here and grace us with his presence, I'm not sure he'd want to make the gear lever and surrounding areas soaking wet, as this could cause the problems that his spilled drink didn't....(Water and electrics tend not to go well together....):ohcrap:

posted by  Cliffy

Fixed.

Also, the gear shifter will constantly be moving, if you rubbed the area that you spilled, it would eventually be fixed.

posted by  chris_knows

Basically, that lever consists of just metal line in a plastic sheath that goes to the transmission, and a lever mechanism.

Soda's going to get into the mechanical linkage for sure. Won't cause any problems with the lever mechanism until it freezes one night. It won't shift into any other gear on you and if it does, the car will probably stop really fast.

If it gets into the metal line, which is unlikely since they are often sealed against getting crap in there in the first place to inhibit rust, then you've got a problem since it won't tension correctly and has the potential to screw with the trans.

I'd personally go in there and clean it. Rubbing alcohol is the best stuff for cleaning up that sort of mess since it dissolves everything. Avoid brake cleaner; it'll dissolve the plastic as well.

Don't spill soda in your car!

Oh yeah, and don't look for garountee's from people on mechanical forums. If you come here for advice, great. If you're coming here for emotional or mental support and can't differentiate between a troll and someone who's trying to give you good advice, then you should be flamed into the stoneage until you begin to realize that lesson.

posted by  Gwokable

if u steem clean it most of water eveporates so ur ok

posted by  daz_ash

You're a f*cking idiot. Go climb back under your rock. :banghead:

posted by  vwhobo

Well it is a gear stick. :wink2:

Take the console off and give what's left a good clean.

posted by  Wally

I f*ckin' said this weeks ago Wally. Don't start this sh*t with me.

posted by  My Life, My Era

... but I have now posted the solution and that carries much more weight.

posted by  Wally

Pour the purest rubbing alchohol on it that you can find. 91% is what I used for this problem (I think you can get 100% which is best). It works on radios and electronics too because the alchohol is not conductive. I have even heard that it works on cell phones. The only problem is that you have to air it out because the smell of the alchohol is very strong, but it will wash away soda and other gunk for good...

posted by  johngraydc

I couldn't resist... :laughing:

-Matt

posted by  bigriv1990

I just did the same thing today and was freaking out a bit at how sticky the stick is. Thank you!!

posted by  Springer

Drain Cleaner: The most common type are liquid caustic solutions containing sodium hypochlorite NaClO(bleach), sodium hydroxide (lye), or potassium hydroxide in concentrations up to 40 percent. These are used to dissolve grease and hair clogs.

As you can see above "These are used to dissolve grease and hair clogs.". Your main problem is the hair clogs. Just get some Draino and problem is fixed.

NOTE: I would not recommend pouring this stuff into your shifter.

posted by  Rob`

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