GWM Steed Pricing and Specs

Sometimes, all it takes to inject a bit of gearshift movement into a car is a slightly worn gear-selector linkage. Wear in one of the many joints can translate as movement or vibration, along with a rattling noise as company. Is it possible the ticking noise is this rattle? If this is the case, then the linkages can be replaced usually quite easily without touching anything else on the transmission.

Another possibility would be a worn engine or transmission mount that is allowing the entire transmission to flail about under the car (particularly when the driveline moves from loaded to unloaded - ie; when the driver is on and off the throttle) when it should be held firmly by the mount. Again, this is not a huge problem to fix in most cases.

If you’re unlucky, the problem might be something actually inside the transmission, at which point the repair gets a lot more complex and usually involves removing the transmission for a mechanic to check inside. The fact that both fifth and sixth gear are the problems, suggests you may have internal gearbox wear on those two gears or the shaft that carries them, but a check up at a transmission specialist should be your next move.

It’s possible that all these faults happened at the same time from different causes. But you’d have to agree, it’s much more likely that there’s a single cause for all this stuff happening at once. In which case, suspicions are always drawn to the car’s body computer. This controls a huge range of functions including the lights, climate control, dashboard, entertainment, central locking and much more.

Like any computer, they can be faulty from new or sometimes just need a reboot to put them right. I’d start by disconnecting the battery overnight to see if the car comes good after you’ve reconnected it. But even if it does, a trip to the dealer is in order, to log the problem for future warranty claims.