My shifter has been fine up until a couple of weeks ago. When I first start the car its ok. When my shifter is in neutral, I can move it all the way left or all the way right and it will return to the central neutral position. When I've been driving my car for a while the problems arise. When in the neutral postion, I move it left or right it doesn't go back to the central neutral position but just stays more to the left or right. Shifting is fine and it doesn't grind gears nor is shifting harder.
Anyone know what the issue might be? Also does the shifter trim ring with the leather boot pry off or do I have to take the whole center console to look at it? The shifter is stock and so are the bushings.

 

I know there is a "scissor" like spring that holds the side of the shifter. Thats what brings it back to center. When I put in a new shifter I had put it together wrong and it would do what you explaining. Like it just felt dead, there wasn't the restiance of it trying to go back to center. Maybe yours some how came loose or something. Just take apart your console and check it. I know there are how-tos on it and you could even look at one to see the pics of what I am talking about. Good luck.

 

I was thinking of that spring. However, it works fine when its cold. It springs right back to center when I first start up the car. This only happens when i've been driving for a while.

 

have the same problem, go and spray the underhood shifter cable bushings with wd-40 or something and it will cure it temporarily. i spray them every two months.

i tried to fix this by changing them, with kartboy underhood bushing set, but wasent too happy with the feel so i put the stock back on, i just spray them every two months.

 

Weird since the tranny is cable actuated, it has to be the spring or something else in the mechnism. Pull it apart and have a look.

 

its never a bad idea too take a look at all the componets and make sure they all look normal.

in my case i did take everything apart and everything looked normal, then someone on this forum gave me the idea of the shifter bushing somehow locking up and recomened to clean and lube and it fixed my problem.

maybe before this person starts taking apart his console he should try this, its a 3 second possible fix.

 

i didnt even see this post, thats exactly what my shifter was doing.

 

Thanks for your help guys. Unfortunately that did not work for me. I finally got a chance to bring it to my mechanic. It turns out the shifter cables were worn and had to be replaced. He greased the new ones at the bushings really well so it won't happen again. Now the shifter feels brand new again.