I've had this since day 1. There is a very high-frequency vibration in the shifter ( stock ) on my 03 P5. This vibration has a very small amplitude, so you can't really see it, only feel it when you touch or use the stick. Happens both in gear and neutral.

It doesn't seem to affect anything, but I've never seen this before ( comparing with a Fiat 124, Merc Topaz, a Celica and various Mitsubishis ).

A friend of mine has a 3rd gen sedan with the same engine - same issue.

Is there something loose, that is bound to get worse with time, or is this part of the "driver feedback connection to the road" thingy?

I have about 11K km on the car.

Thanks

 

the vibration gets worse with the kartboy ss and bushing combo. you can see the thing vibrate but im guessing its normal.

 

which means yours vibrated even in stock, before the mods...

 

Ya this is normal, because the pro has a hydraulic clutch rather than a cable driven system.... direct connection to the tranny....

Is that about right... pro gods??

 

which would be considered the better clutch system, and what r the differences?

 

The Protege has a rod shift linkage rather than a cable linkage. The cable linkages have a less direct connection to the transmission because the cables will be slack when not being pulled from one gear to the next. This is why the shifter vibrates in the Proteges. Is one better than the other? I think this is a personal preference. If you like a more direct feel, more 'feedback' from the shifter and transmission, then you will like the rod linkage better I suppose.

 

The hydraulic clutch is not what is causing the vibration in the shifter...the hydraulic clutch is the reason none of us are complaining about pedal binding and gear grinding...The "rod" shift linkage, like Dalek said, is why it vibrates...rod linkages usually offer the best feel as far as the gates and shift engagement, with more vibration although a lot of cable shifters still vibrate a good bit....as far as cable shift linkages, some car-makers do it wrong (Nissan, I am not even going to start on this) and some do it right (Honda, I think the RSX-Type S has a cable shifter...and it is simply the best FWD manual gearbox I have ever used)

 

I beg to differ! The Honda Prelude has shifter action so slick, so smooth and precise, it's probably unparalleled in it's class (Miata better. ). I found the RSX-S gearbox to be notchy in an unHonda like way.

The rod-shifter in the S2000 is heaven.

But when it boils down to what I prefer, the prize goes to rod-shifters. I rather like the 350Z/G35C shift action, although it's not as slick as the S2000.

 

Also, keep in mind it's a FWD/RWD difference. A FWD shift linkage is 3-4 times longer than a RWD linkage, and it has to make a 90 degree turn, so they're never quite as precise.