If it does not work I would guess that, even though the cable (actually it is a tube) does not appear to be cut, the gas that is supposed to be inside has nevertheless escaped at some point. I believe someone reported here that there is a way to have it repaired, but am not sure about that. Doing the repairs yourself would seem out of the question to me, given that there is some exotic kind of gas involved.
Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic