My '98 SE 5spd. has endured three winters on salty roads and now the shift mechanism does not move freely from side to side. My mechanic sprayed penetrating oil on it from underneath but it didn't help. My next step is to take the interior trim apart to spray in WD-40. Any tips on taking the trim around the shifter apart would be appreciated (the faq's don't have anything on this). Another mechanic told me this is a common problem in snowy Syracuse. Thanks, SyrMax

 

the reason it moves from side to to side normally is because of the SPRING that pulls it in the middle when the stickshift is moved to the sides, take the heatshield out and see if the spring is either rusted or broke and just replace it, that should solve all your problems (I hope )