I'll be up front and say I'm not the most mechanically inclined, so if this question sounds dumb, bear with me. I pulled my car out of the garage Sunday and there was a very small stain on the floor. I looked under the car and there was a cable hitting the h-pipe. It had melted the cable to a flat spot and there was reddish fluid on the cable. First, is that the speedo cable and second is there fluid in it(I'm assuming it's some sort of lube)? The location of the cable is on the drivers side where the front panel meets the drivers door right above the h-pipe. If I drive it in the meantime until I fix it, will it mess anything up. Any suggestions?

 

If the cable is grey, its is a speedo, if it is black then shifter cable. I would say it is safe for a little while, you will start noticing it to bounce probably, menaing you will need to get another REAL soon. but it would not do any damage as far as I know.

 

It must be the shifter cable because it's black and it seems to be real bouncy as you described. Appreciate the info, is that a pretty simple job, what's involved with it.

 

Is the car an AOD or T5? If its an AOD, then you will need to drop the H pipe, and crossmember to get to the top of the linkage to replace. Is the speedometer bouncing around, if it is, and it is grey the it is the speedometer cable, other wise, its the shifter cable or clutch cable.

 

It's a T5 and it is a black cable about the same thickness as a pencil. I looked up under there again today and it had a red fluid drop that was hanging from the cable about to hit the floor. You can also see where the fluid has dripped on the h-pipe, it's not alot but there is fluid. I'm going to have to jack the car up this weekend and see where the cable goes and where it comes from.

 

It has to be the speedo as fluid does not travel through the shift cable.