What do you think is causing your car to make odd sounds such as squealing and bumping. There may be a lot of possible reasons for such sounds one of which is the breaking of the gear shift lever. In addition to such odd noises, you will also be noticing difficulties in shifting gear. This can cause a lot of damage to your car if not treated properly.
In this article, you will read about what causes your gear shift lever to break and what you can do to fix this issue.
Table of Contents
What Is A Gear Shift?
If your car has an automatic transmission, the gearshift is located either on the steering column or on the console between the front seats. The gearshift is used to move a vehicle forward, in reverse, or remain neutral. On cars with a manual transmission, the gearshift is actually a stick shift. You must learn to synchronize your gear shifting by pushing the clutch pedal.
Symptoms Of Broken Gear Shift
Symptoms that show your gear shift is broken or damaged are mentioned below:
1. You hear weird noises coming from your car such as squealing noises, bumping noises, etc.
If your car is lacking sufficient oil in your transmission then you will be hearing a lot of noises such as squealing noise bumping noise etc. The presence of metal shavings or small particles in the oil, if it is overused, may also lead to weird noises coming out of the system. You have to make sure your transmission system is running on enough oil that is clean and fresh.
2. The transmission jumps out of gear in neutral frequently.
If your gear falls out in neutral gear then it means your gear shifter is worn out, stretched, or maladjusted shift linkage. It can be also a consequence of a weak or damaged spring in the shift rail. Worn out pilot bearing or synchronizer can also cause the gear to fall out of the neutral frequently.
3. You are facing difficulties in shifting gears or your car gets stuck in some gear.
If your linkages are loose and shift cables or bearings are worn out, it will be difficult for you to shift the gears. But potential causes of gear shifter to be stuck in a gear can be :
- Insufficient oil in your transmission oil.
- Broken shift assembly.
- Worn out or broken gear teeth.
- Misaligned gear shifter.
- A stuck synchronizer sleeve.
4. If your car is unable to engage the gear.
Your damaged clutch may be causing this problem. But you can also think of the shift linkage as the culprit. Inspect the shift linkage for adjustment, looseness, or damage. These can be responsible if your car is unable to engage the gear.
5. Your car is leaking transmission oil.
Worn-out seals or gaskets are the main culprits of this issue, but this can also be caused if any component of your system or case is damaged. If some bolts are loose in your transmission system then your car may be leaking the transmission oil.
How To Fix Your Gear Shift Lever?
When a gear shifter is losing it becomes difficult to fix it. The lower gear shifter bushing would need to be removed to remove the gear shifter looseness.
Step 1. Diagnosis of troublesome source:
The problem that caused the gear shift to broke must be diagnosed you can troubleshoot the problem after recognizing the source of the issue, you can do so by inspecting the signs shown by your car. So in order to fix it your first need to know what the root is.
Step 2. Remove nuts and bolts:
If there is some problem in the casing or some component is damaged in your car then you must first remove the nuts and bolts of that component in order to replace it. Remove the bolts one by one, then got to the next stage to connect them. With a 1/4-inch drive ratchet, a metric socket, and head screwdriver, remove the bolts and nuts which secure the center console around the gear shifter. This would open the boot to leather. To allow space for the rubber boot to be pulled over the gear shifter, remove any carpet as required.
Step 3. Using Thread Locker:
Now that the bolts have been extracted, add a thread locker. This should keep the bolt close and stable given the enduring vibrations. Under this, the bolts will gradually become loose again.
Step 4. Turn the gear shifter knob:
To detach the gear shifter from the top switch the gear shifter knob counterclockwise After that pull the plastic boot over the gear shifter and drop it on the board.
Step 5. Remove the gear shifter retaining ring:
The left-off ring of the gear shifter is replaced with pliers, the ring must be cut and the lever can now be pushed into the console door. If the bushing at the lower end of the gear shifter lever on the pivoting section is affected using a plier eliminate all the affected bushing from the bottom.
Replace the retaining ring of the gear shifter with pliers. When the retaining ring is cut, the gear shifter lever can now be pushed straight up into the console door. Inspect the bushing at the lower end of the gear shifter lever on the pivoting section. Eliminate all the affected bushing with the pliers from the bottom of the gear shifter handle.
Step 6. Put back the Bolts:
Using a torque screwdriver secure the bolt tightly and inspect that the casing or the component is secured enough and not wiggling at all.
Average Cost Of Repairing By A Mechanic
If you are not comfortable repairing the gear shifter on your own then you can ask an experienced mechanic to do that for you. It will cost you around $115 to $500 to repair the gear shift.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if the gear shift lever broke it will be making some obvious symptoms that can be recognized and you can treat the gear shifter on your own too. But if you are not comfortable in treating your car on your own you can call a mechanic and he will do this task for you, costing some penny.
If you are still facing some problems regarding the topic, comment your query down below, we will try to answer you asap.