Loose shift boot!

[Daniel Hussey <GY3WSX@UNIVSCVM.CSD.SCAROLINA.EDU>]

      Hey guys,

         I have a 5000CSTQ and the shift boot has been loose on it for about a
year now and it's really starting to drive me nuts!  Almost everytime I shift d
own into 1st the the plastic retainer for the boot (inside the boot, and clips
onto the center console) pops up, and I have to push the back end of it back do
wn after I change gears again.  Very annoying.  It also makes a lot of noise ba
sically everytime I change a gear....is more or less a squeaking noise, from th
e loose base of the shift boot twisting, etc.  I have been in several of these
cars that the boot fit perfectly and made silent shifts!  Boy, I envy them!

         But, I have also been in one or two of these cars with the same proble
m, so I tend to thing it's a common little thing that goes wrong.  I also remem
ber an Automobile Magazine from 1988 that had a report (Four Seasons) on the ho
ld up of the car over the last year.  The car at the end of one year had 49K mi
les on it...that's a lot of driving!  They also said that this was thier favori
te 4 Seasons test car to do date and the most popular one with the staffers.  T
hey loved it!  But they also found a few annoying problems that surfaced over t
he year as well.  One of them was the shift boot kept comming loose!  The reaso
n I remember is because they took a picture of the shift boot "poped up" and ou
t of position.  Anyways, I think the boot is supposed to be loose enough to be
able to pop it out of the console and clean underneath it, etc, but it's not su
pposed to move around like that.  The only other real problem they found with t
hier test car was that it had uncomfortable seats for long drives....I agree!
My but and legs start going numb after about 3 and 1/2 hours straight in the ca
r.  I think the sport seats would be better.  Oh well.

        Anyways, back to the shift boot problem.  I have investigated buying a
new one and the dealer wants $180 for a new one.  Then, I investigated a used o
ne.  Shokan wants $65 for a used one in "like new" condition.  This is pretty e
xpensive, and I am still unsure if the boot it the problem, although I'm pretty
confident it is.  I am afraid to buy a used one from any other source but Shoka
n since if it is a beat up or not a "like new" part, I may have the same proble
m with it.  My questions are, has anyone had this problem, and how did you, or
how would you reccomend me solving this annoying problem?  I can't stand it any
more.  Thanks in advance.

                                                      Later,
                                                      Dan