Squeaky Shifter

Rob En Cognito · May 3, 2009

This is more annoying than anything but it just started about a week ago. I have a 1990 LS400 with about 127K miles on it. The shifter was replaced about 6-8 months ago (for cosmetic reasons) and I have had no problems before or since then. Now, when I am driving in town at residential speeds and have any kind of road that is not perfectly smooth a high pitched squeaking noise appears. It will go away if I get on a smooth road, or am on a highway at highway speeds, or if I pull straight up on the shifter while I drive it goes away.

The noise is very high pitch and sounds like plastic is rubbing against something.

Any ideas on what it is or how to fix it. I haven't had the time to try anything at all, even something like trying to armerall the black plastic part (might lube the part that is rubbing?) but I figured I would post and see if anyone had any ideas or had confronted this before. Don't want to reinvent the wheel if I don't have to.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Rob