So I've got a 2001 Nissan Maxima SE 20th, 5 speed manual. I was breaking in preparation for a turn, in doing so I heard something bouncing/clinging/dinging under the car. When it came time to shift, I noticed the shifter felt really, really loose all of a sudden.

So now when I go to different gears, the shifter doesn't feel like it's "guided" into the gear I want anymore. It's almost as if this imaginary grid that used to align the different gears in place suddenly went missing, as I am able to move the shifter left/right freely as I get closer to the gear.

Wondering if what sounded like something falling off my car is related to my sudden symptoms or it it's just a coincidence. Maybe it's always felt that way and now I'm just paranoid or something?

If it wasn't for the fact that I was on the Interstate when this happened, about to hit an exit ramp I would have stopped when I heard that noise. It sounded metalish whatever it was.

Any ideas before I jack the car up in during the daylight tomorrow. What should I be looking for or inspecting for problems? Should I be looking under the car or taking the boot/center console part to look around from the top?

 

does the shifter not return to center while in neutral? sounds to me it could be the shifter spring.

 

The shifter does return to center while in neutral, but it doesn't seem to do it as ... what's the word? Easily as it used to I guess you could say. Not sure if that makes sense, but it's almost as if it's just going back to center just because. It doesn't seem to have the "force" to bring it back to center like it used to. It could be a spring missing. The shifting feels very squishy when I go into the gears. Sometimes, especially 2nd, it will pop back out of gear and I have to actually hold the shifter in second gear for a second or it wont stay; but not always.

Couple times it's not wanted to go into 3rd gear either, feels like a rubber ball or something is in the way when I try to push it in but I'm thinking it's just the space between 1st and 3rd that I'm pushing it in. Because if I back off then go back it usually goes in.

It's weird.

 

Little late on this. However I did discover the issue. Turns out one of the bolts holding the one of the shift linkages to the transmission came loose (the one bolting to the side) causing everything to feel sloppy/loose. I simply tightened that bolt up and all is well now. I've got firm shifts.

When the weather warms back up I intend to take that bolt off, give it some locktite and put it back on so it doesn't loosen up again. Probably do that at the beginning of Spring.

 

maybe one of the bolts holding the shifter cables attached to the linkage i think it's called came loose and all you really need to do it tighten it or replace it if it broke. Don't drive your car like that, and it does require probably taking apart your transmission and interior, but don't drive it or you might do some worse damage.