Bad gearbox and input bearings safety

[JazzDavid]

Hello,

I recently bought a manual 2005 1.3L Jazz. I was advised to look for this vehicle and thought I found a pearl. The problem is that during the test drive I did not pay enough attention (and have absolutely 0 knowledge) and didn’t notice the grinding/whirring sound that’s very prevalent in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear. After reading a bunch and testing, I assume that it’s the input shaft bearing that’s making the noise.

But another problem is that while in 4th gear my shift lever is moving around quite a bit, maybe 1–2 cm back and forth during acceleration/deceleration.

Since we are on a very tight budget, I’m mostly wondering if this car is safe to drive or if my front wheels might lock up and cause a crash. The repair cost here in Sweden is not really feasible at the moment.

[RichardA]

I can't comment on the shift lever movement, but the input shaft bearing noise is just that and not terminal.

If the car was bought recently from a dealer would it not be covered by a warranty, depending on what your laws are in Sweden?

[Lord Voltermore]

I dont know the Jazz specifically  but excessive movement of the gear lever under acceleration/deceleration can be due to  worn/ perished  engine/gearbox mounts. These typically contain rubber blocks/ bushes that allow some movement of the engine, to insulate  vibrations.   But if the rubber is in poor condition  it can allow the engine/gearbox to twist too much in its mounts.  I'm not sure whether this could also cause the grinding /whirring.    Excessive movement might have caused the input shaft to wear out prematurely. 

If you need to have work done on the gearbox  its probably a good idea  to have the mounts checked at the same time as it may be cheaper  doing both jobs at the same time rather than needing to do them separately. 

You could  try a further check yourself, at nil cost.    Lift the bonnet, and  someone stands safely at the side  of the car watching how much the engine moves in the engine bay  as a driver attempts to drive off (maybe with the handbrake still applied so the engine is under some stress .)  Its normal for there to be a small amount of  movement and  twisting of the engine in its mounts but if  movement seems excessive to the untrained eye maybe get a second opinion from someone with mechanical experience. 
. 
 Badly perished /worn  engine mounts can fail the UK  MOT test  (technical inspection) and the same may be true in Sweden.   

But replacing the mounts alone may not cure the grinding/whirring.

[JazzDavid]

Thank you for your responses, lovely forum!

I got a video of it today maybe someone can give an opinion on if this movement is excessive or not. I also noticed that is happens not only in fourth but is also noticeable in both 3rd and 5th as well just way more discreetly.

I really appriciate any input!


Link to the video https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/1n6lfwh/is_this_normal_gear_lever_movement/

[Lord Voltermore]

I'm not an expert  but the movement seems to be confined to the gear stick.  I cant see any movement  in the surrounding ribbed plastic area, which I would expect to also move if there was a worn engine/gearbox mount.

Sorry to say I think the jerking movement  is excessive and originates from a fault within the gearbox. :'( 
But get an expert opinion before spending money.     

[JazzDavid]

Hello,

So a small update. I went to a mechanic. They agreed on the bearing being noisy, but had no guess for the gear lever.

The diagnosis gave me nothing and they essentially told me to come back if it started slipping out of gear.

Since the visit I have also noticed that the gear lever only moves during engine-braking. If shift up with a high enough rpm the gear lever is still. Same with downshifting. Only when letting of the gas does it move.

[fashionphotography]

i bought my 07 1.4 Gdi about four and a half years ago
it had a slight whine back then at 63.000 miles its now done 97.000 miles got a bit louder so got it booked in end of october to have the bearing done. so take it easy and it should last. most of my miles are motorway so its  barely noticable. also noticed its better when hot although that dont make sense lol

[TnTkr]

A worn input shaft Water Pump bearing and bad gearbox in your Jazz will usually make whirring or grinding noises and cause shifter movement under load, but while it’s not ideal and will get worse over time, it’s unlikely to suddenly lock your front wheels and cause a crash — bearing failures typically progress with more noise, rough shifting, or eventual loss of drive rather than sudden seizure. That said, driving with failing ceramic ball bearings does risk further gearbox damage and higher repair costs, so if you must keep using it on a tight budget, drive gently, keep the gearbox oil topped up, and plan for a rebuild or replacement before it deteriorates to the point where the car becomes undriveable.

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