I need help! I have a 1990 240dl sedan. It has about 90000 miles on it. It is an automatic and whenever I shift it into reverse, the gear shift becomes extremely shaky. This came on very suddenly, which makes me think something is wrong. Countless things have gone wrong with car, I can't keep putting money into it. If this has happened to you, or if you know what is wrong, can you please give me an idea if it is safe to continue driving it without putting another few thousand into it?

Thanks!

 

Not sure what you mean by shakey in reverse. Is the shifter moving around? Also, does it shake when the car is moving or standing still while in reverse?

If it moves around as you accelerate in reverse, it could be your transmission mount. Not a too difficult item to replace.

If the problem is that the shifter is sloppy, it could be just your shift linkage bushings. These are little plastic things that fit at each end of the linkage that connects the shifter to the transmission. A pair of replacement bushings are cheap and also relatively easy to install.

 

It is the shifter that is moving around. It moves no matter what the motion of the car is, as long as the gear is in reverse. Thank you for your help. I'm really worried about this, I can't afford to keep working on this car :'( I love it so dearly.