The plastic or rubber boot (actually a flexible sheet that resides below the gear shift cover with the p, r, n, d on it)appears to have broken. I can see the shifter linkage inches below the console. Parts of that boot sometimes prevent the shifter from getting into the manual shifter position. Just discovered this situation on a mountain road last weekend. It's my wife's car.

I can move the boot with my fingers to enable the shifter to get to the manual setting, but that is cumbersome and inconvenient. The manual shifter seems to work pretty well when the boot is not in the way.

Can I cut or rip what is left of the boot out, or will that screw up something? Do I need to take it to a Volvo dealer (they always seem to have boat payments due) to fix it? If this is something that I could remove and replace myself, are there tricks to removing the console cover? What is the proper name for the part that has broken?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

Michael
05 v50 T5 geartronic with 120K (no it's not the best Volvo I've owned--that title resides in the bronze 88 740 turbo 5spd wagon, even though it went through two turbos in its brief 180k life)