I did a search and found nothing relevant. The shifter on my transmission is binding coming out of park and going down to the lower gears after pulling it to the right slightly to shift as per the diagram. Never had an automatic British car so I don't know if that's "normal. I have a 97 Lexus ES 300 with 280,000 miles that shifts considerably smoother. It shifts smoothly up from 2 to D and no other problems other that its not a stick shift. Anybody have experience with the linkage that can help?

 

It's a cable that runs between the shifter and the transmission, so it's possible the rubber seal has perished and there is corrosion inside the sheath and the cable is binding. Perhaps get under the car and disconnect the cable at the transmission and see if the shifter moves smoothly?

 

How smooth should this be is my first question? It is manageable, I just expected something closer to my high mileage Lexus ES300 in shifting. I have a downloaded service manual (Volume 3) that shows the assembly. Getting under this car is problematic. I have a 3 ton jack and jack stands. is a cable replacement in my future?

 

There was a post on here a while back, about the same, albeit an earlier car.

I suggested removing the console lid/trim, and 1) clean all the junk gathered in there over 27 years, 2) lube the lever pivot points, where the cable arttaches, and the bottom lever pivot itself.

That cured his issue.

"Normal" oh boy, what is that. Anyway, all my Jags of that era were smooth and NOT stiff at all. When I grew into the X300 and later stuff, with the J Gate thingy, the "feel" was exactly the same as the older cars. As for Lexus, yeh/nah, no idea, not on my radar.

Cables can go home, rare. Most I have had to deal with have had the inner nylon core melted due to BAD engine earth straps. Electrickery will find an earth path, no matter what, and that cable is #1 on that path.

 

Thanks for the guidance Grant Francis and Jagboi64.