Repair shift position switch on gearbox.

[Eirik]

So, since this is the first major problem in 10 years from new, I ended up with a new unit.
They are ridiculously expensive, though. A unit from a web shop in Japan is 130 USD, which would be app. 210 USD when arriving here. The local Mitsubishi dealer charged the equivalent of 320 USD, and the Peugeot dealer a whopping 600 USD. (That is not a misprint. Six-zero-zero.) To save time, I closed my eyes and went for the Mitsubishi part. Will fix the old one and keep it as a backup.

 

[greenovertone]

Did you see the drill bit locking the lever arm in his 4th picture?

The drill bit is to verify neutral shift position after all work. But if you use it for an anchor you will destroy the fragile SPS plastic.
I braced the shift position sensor's forward steel arm with a vise grip against some part of the frame. Much torque.

But I need to know how to remove the SPS from the central bolt that goes into the gearbox after having removed the 14mm nut and the lock washer beside it.
Then I might open the SPs and with paper towel remove presumed conductive material and avoid $1,000 of mechanics work.

 

[greenovertone]

How to remove the shift position sensor from gearbox? Should I use brute force ?
(How the data harness ?)

I have removed the three nuts 15mm and 10mm and the lock washer from the SPS shaft bolt.

Pry off the cotter pin [ thin wire on plastic, like a tight hat ] and remove cable anchor from SPS to prevent cable anchor breaking at its plastic weak point.

Vise grip was needed to hold SPS forward end while loosening its 15 mm nut, and a shim between grip and axle.

The SPS has now some play and 2 possible postions but stays snug on the shaft bolt.
[?]

14mm nut

 

[greenovertone]

The drill bit is to verify neutral shift position after all work. But if you use it for an anchor you will destroy the fragile SPS plastic.
I braced the shift position sensor's forward steel arm with a vise grip against some part of the frame. Much torque.

But I need to know how to remove the SPS from the central bolt that goes into the gearbox after having removed the 14mm nut and the lock washer beside it.
Then I might open the SPs and with paper towel remove presumed conductive material and avoid $1,000 of mechanics work.

The site format is confusing; but I see other comments and will again fidget at the SPS.

 

[greenovertone]

The drill bit is to verify neutral shift position after all work. But if you use it for an anchor you will destroy the fragile SPS plastic.
I braced the shift position sensor's forward steel arm with a vise grip against some part of the frame. Much torque.

But I need to know how to remove the SPS from the central bolt that goes into the gearbox after having removed the 14mm nut and the lock washer beside it.
Then I might open the SPs and with paper towel remove presumed conductive material and avoid $1,000 of mechanics work.

14mm nut

What else holds the SPS to the gearbox?
It will not move sideway by flat steel leverage.

 

[kiev]

Lots of lube (penetrating fluid) on the shaft and pry it from the rear with flat steel bars, as close to the shaft as possible.

Spray lube on the back side to reach the shaft also. Buy a replacement beforehand especially if the current one just doesn't function at all and can't be driven as is.

 

[greenovertone]

What else holds the SPS to the gearbox?
It will not move sideway by flat steel leverage.

I had used penetrating oil spray and sanded the bolt. One hour of fidgeting with forks and knives shifted the SPS 2mm, later more, it even came off! Tomorrow I seek to help removing the galled screws.

 

[greenovertone]

I had used penetrating oil spray and sanded the bolt. One hour of fidgeting with forks and knives shifted the SPS 2mm, later more, it even came off!

Tomorrow I seek local help removing the galled or broken screws.

 

[Eirik]

I recently refitted a new one. Quite tricky, as the SPS is fragile and the fit is very tight. And to get the ignition key out from the car and lock it, I had to shift the lever to P - and guess what, you will not get the lever out of P unless the SPS is connected and in P as well. So then I had do manually shift the new SPS to P with a screwdriver, which made it difficult to match it with the gearbox axle later. Ok, that was a user error on my part after a long day

Despite proper cleaning, sanding and lubrication, the new SPS unit could only be forced onto the axle by turning the 14 mm center nut against some 12 mm washers. It made some scary noises during this operation. If I were to do it again, I would probably adjust the inner diameter of the SPS slightly with a proper drill bit to make the fit less stressful on the plastic. Actually, the crack in my old unit suggests that the very tight fit may have broken it in the first place, and that this crack had gradually become worse.

But ok, now the car is back on the road. Fingers crossed.

 

[greenovertone]

I find a near match with a 6x1/2 machine screw. So should I make a slightly larger pilot hole, and retap those 3 or skip ?

 

[greenovertone]

I recently refitted a new one. Quite tricky, as the SPS is fragile and the fit is very tight. And to get the ignition key out from the car and lock it, I had to shift the lever to P - and guess what, you will not get the lever out of P unless the SPS is connected and in P as well. So then I had do manually shift the new SPS to P with a screwdriver, which made it difficult to match it with the gearbox axle later. Ok, that was a user error on my part after a long day

Despite proper cleaning, sanding and lubrication, the new SPS unit could only be forced onto the axle by turning the 14 mm center nut against some 12 mm washers. It made some scary noises during this operation. If I were to do it again, I would probably adjust the inner diameter of the SPS slightly with a proper drill bit to make the fit less stressful on the plastic. Actually, the crack in my old unit suggests that the very tight fit may have broken it in the first place, and that this crack had gradually become worse.

But ok, now the car is back on the road. Fingers crossed.

My 2012 MiEV original SPS -- asymmetric quadrangle -- fits 1 way still tightly.

 

[Eirik]

My 2012 MiEV original SPS -- asymmetric quadrangle -- fits 1 way still tightly.

1 way? Of course