406oc.co.uk

My gearstick has just started to shake when it's in 4th. The shaking is present independent of torque and engine speed, but only in 4th. If I apply very light pressure I can pull the gearstick slightly and all vibrations disappear completely. There's no odd noise.

I first noticed it after having some issues shifting out of that gear this weekend while towing. Again it didn't appear to depend on speed (e.g. at one point I was almost standing still at an intersection), and the clutch was fully pressed. I have no issues with any of the other gears, and the clutch does not appear to be 'sticking' or slipping.

I have quite a bit of play in the gearstick; sideways there is noticeable movement where I can't feel it when holding the linkages on the gearbox itself. Back/forth it appears to be able to move into the gears and then slightly further with a spongy feel to it.

The car is a 150k miles V6 ES9J4 saloon.


Could use some help correctly diagnosing the issue - anyone else experienced this?

I don't know what your problem is, but I would suggest checking your engine mounts, (particularly the bottom one) and the gearbox mount.

A gearbox oil change often seems to work wonders on 406's

I had my gearbox oil replaced earlier this year, so I don't believe it's at fault - or will help much.

The engine does not appear to move much when starting or when starting to roll, but I had a look at the mounts I could get to. I can't see anything wrong with #14, but #2 is worn out. #18 looks OK. I can't seem to get to the others without disassembling a lot.

The stick shaking appears to be directly linked to the gear stick position. As I mentioned before it won't shake if I push it "back into place". When I release the clutch with the engine running the stick nudges slightly towards neutral, and starts to shake. If it is kept in the right position until I start to give it a healthy amount of throttle the torque appears to keep it in place (e.g. 70+% throttle from 1500-2000rpm to 3000rpm).

Any advice on how to proceed?