I am not sure if this is what it is called....I am talking about the plastic rings that the automatic shifter rests in on my e36. My girlfreind lost a piece of her jewelry in their and I am trying to take it off. Can anyone tell me how to remove this panel so i can get at it? I have read somewhere that it involves removing the hazard light. Thanks!!
Shift Boot Removal
- Thread starter FootballCheese
- Start date
Transmission shifter and boot problem: I tried to remove shifter knob and boot on my 325i m36 and broke the knob off, smasedh my knuckles and
still no movement. HOw tough can it be??? Manual says"pull upward" ....didnt work for me. My shifter has a hole in it ...does this control the removal of the shifter and
the boothttp://www.bmwboard.com/forum/newreply.php#
still no movement. HOw tough can it be??? Manual says"pull upward" ....didnt work for me. My shifter has a hole in it ...does this control the removal of the shifter and
the boothttp://www.bmwboard.com/forum/newreply.php#
If it is the original shifter, you just pull up. If you're left-handed you may have better luck sitting in the passenger side and doing it. Use two-hands and steady pressure while wriggling it a bit. It really shouldn't be that hard. If you still have problems, try putting it in 4th gear, getting in the back seat and use the weight of your body to pry it off.
Good luck! And welcome to the board!
Sean
Good luck! And welcome to the board!
Sean
![[B)]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_blackeye.gif "Black Eye [B)]"){kind=icon}
M36 325i 1992 shifter boot and knob removal: Many thanks Selavia....Im going out now into freezing Utah temps. to yank my shifter again. I cant imagine that its so very tough to do. Im 300 lbs and I couldnt pull it off. I have ordered a new knob but even looking at the old broken pieces, I cant figure out if it screws on or not. You didnt mention that my shaft has a hole in it that doesnt appear in the manual photos. Can this be a
new or after market type? Does the shaft hole have a purpose in restraining the shifter or knob??
new or after market type? Does the shaft hole have a purpose in restraining the shifter or knob??
No problem! Glad to help!
No screws, nothing, except a clip at the bottom of the gear knob. The hole was either put there by the previous owner for an aftermarket set up or exists there without my knowledge.
But based on your problem, I have hypothesized what happened.
See, normally, those knobs are not that difficult to remove because it only has a minimalistic clip at the bottom of the shaft of the knob. COnsequently, that clip wears out and the knob just sits loosely. When I bought my e36, the shifter knob jsut kind of sat there with no grip to the actual shaft; you could take it off with one finger, hell sometimes it would come off while shifting. Very dangerous.
In your case, the previous owner had probably installed an aftermarket, hence he had to drill a hole in the shaft to secure it. But he didn't want to sell it to you with the after market, so he put on the old one, and instead of doing the honorable thing and telling you it needs to be replaced, he used some sort of adhesive. When I bought mine, the dealer offered to put adhesive. I told him no thanks I'll buy a new knob. I got one for under $50 shipped off of the internet (but that was for a leather one that was a direct replacement; the plastic BMW ones are only $25ish shipped) Just figure out which one you have and get a direct replacement.
I don't recommend after market, but others will tell you otherwise. It's your choice. To be honest, you pay the same thing for aftermarket, so why not go with original? Unless you're going for some look or something; but that's personal preference. Good luck!
Sean
No screws, nothing, except a clip at the bottom of the gear knob. The hole was either put there by the previous owner for an aftermarket set up or exists there without my knowledge.
But based on your problem, I have hypothesized what happened.
See, normally, those knobs are not that difficult to remove because it only has a minimalistic clip at the bottom of the shaft of the knob. COnsequently, that clip wears out and the knob just sits loosely. When I bought my e36, the shifter knob jsut kind of sat there with no grip to the actual shaft; you could take it off with one finger, hell sometimes it would come off while shifting. Very dangerous.
In your case, the previous owner had probably installed an aftermarket, hence he had to drill a hole in the shaft to secure it. But he didn't want to sell it to you with the after market, so he put on the old one, and instead of doing the honorable thing and telling you it needs to be replaced, he used some sort of adhesive. When I bought mine, the dealer offered to put adhesive. I told him no thanks I'll buy a new knob. I got one for under $50 shipped off of the internet (but that was for a leather one that was a direct replacement; the plastic BMW ones are only $25ish shipped) Just figure out which one you have and get a direct replacement.
I don't recommend after market, but others will tell you otherwise. It's your choice. To be honest, you pay the same thing for aftermarket, so why not go with original? Unless you're going for some look or something; but that's personal preference. Good luck!
Sean