DIY Shifter Cable Replacement
Like many others on this site, I f'd up my shifter cables during the aluminum shifter cable bushings install. I wasn't aware of the fragility of these cables at that time. Here is the broken part:
http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/2240/77844938.jpg
The part costs around $150 online, but I think with replacement at the dealer, it's around $250. So here it is:
1. Take out your cowl (for turbocharged people), and remove your intake (whether turbocharged or supercharged) and center console. I figure if you don't know how to do this, you will not be messing with shifter cables. Here are those two places:
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http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/8468/40882512.jpg
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/6638/86357159.jpg
2. Remove the clips holding down the shifter cable bushings:
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1931/63902484.jpg
3. Remove retaining clips holding the two drum-fasteners. The drums will be able to slide back and out of their mounts:
http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/7848/99688133.jpg
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/1522/47992450.jpg
4. At this point, remove the shifter cable bushings at the ends. I did this step last (and hence first during reassembly) to make sure the cables didn't get bent again!
5. Now go inside the car. Pry the metal wire clips apart and take the two connectors off of the shifter assembly (one on the bottom and one on the side):
http://img803.imageshack.us/img803/5305/62476883.jpg
6. Disconnect the plastic holders by twisting them and pulling out. There is one on each side of the shifter assembly. I used a vise grip to get the old ones out, and the new ones I got to go in by hand:
http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/5856/29192020.jpg
7. Now time to go under the car! There are two mounts holding the cables to the body, as well as the plate that seals the cabin from the outside. Here are the mounts (they are next to the 1st O2 sensor where your cat would/should be):
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/327/28151241.jpg
NOTE: I am pointing to one of them (it has a G on it) and the other one is at the very top of the picture (it's half cut off by the camera). These are very easy to find!
8. Now remove the plate that seals the cabin. You can see in this picture that one of the nuts is covered by the heat shield. I managed to get that nut by bending the heat shield enough to get a wrench in there:
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/1001/32085338.jpg
NOTE: It would be much easier to get to that covered nut if the shield was removed. It is also very easy - 2 nuts and 4 bolts hold it to the body and all are fairly easy to see.
9. Now that everything is disconnected, remove the old shifter cables. To get the old ones out, I pulled the side from inside the cabin out first. Then I pulled the side from the engine bay down, while making sure nothing was caught. Here are pictures of the old broken ones and the new shifter cables:
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/6479/32847740.jpg
http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/8320/86265826.jpg
10. To get the new cables in, I went in from the engine bay. This way turned out to be easier because one of the mounts goes around a sensor wire, and it would have been hard to get it in from under the car. Reassemble everything in reverse order and you're set!
Partial credit to EyCivicDriver
