Loose gear nob

F

ferrelscent

Active member
 South East London
I've heard this is a common problem but couldn't find a thread with a solution.

The gear knob of my Z4 has come off a few times when I've been struggling to find a gear. When it happens it's pretty unnerving and can leave me in neutral in traffic. It's a fairly rare occurence, but I'm always on edge that it might happen again, and this is reducing my enjoyment of the car.

Has anyone else had the same issue and come up with a solution,...new gear knob ?...fill it pull of glue and stick it on ??

I'm not sure that a new gear knob is the answer as they just seem to just slip on,..they dont screw in ...so to me anything that can slip on can just as easily slip off. If then I glue it on will this cause me problems later ?...could there be any circumstance when I would actually need to be able to take the knob off ?

Bit of a ramble I know but this is vexing me now !
 
I wouldnt glue it on as this would make it very diffiult to remove if required. What gear knob is fitted currently?
 
srhutch said:
I wouldnt glue it on as this would make it very diffiult to remove if required. What gear knob is fitted currently?
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Hard to describe,..I'd have to go take a photo some time. I know its a replacement as the previous owner had one stolen when the hood was down. But, as I say,..how can any gear nob fit on securely if they just 'slip' on and off ?
 
OK..but what does OEM stand for ?

And, with one of these ZHP's does it slip on sort of snuggly giving the feeling that it wont come back off without a fight...or so they actually 'click' into place or something ?..that's what I need to get me out of this constant state of paranoia !
 
ferrelscent said:
OK..but what does OEM stand for ?

And, with one of these ZHP's does it slip on sort of snuggly giving the feeling that it wont come back off without a fight...or so they actually 'click' into place or something ?..that's what I need to get me out of this constant state of paranoia !
Click to expand...


OEM - Original Equipment Manufacture, the stuff fitted by BMW as original parts. Don't glue the current one as as others have said it may cause problems in the future if you want to change. If you want to keep the current one then use 'Blue Tack' or similar. Will secure the gear knob in place but allow for removal if required.
 
Hate to admit it, but when I first fitted my ZHP knob, I hadn't forced it down far or hard enough and it would occasionally come off during spirited driving... I never realised how much force it took to get it to "click" into place.. Maybe give your current one a really firm whack!! :) :)
 
JimmyPop said:
The thought of whacking my knob down has just brought a tear to my eye.....
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ditto ........... I couldn't believe the bit where some w**nker knicked the original when the top was down ...... I'd be fit to kill if that happened to me
 
OK this is bonkers. I took a close look at the metal stick that the gear knob goes on, and there is absolutely nothing to secure it. I can't see anything on the knob itself or the gear stick that would 'click'

So I'm super gluing it on.

Is there anything else that might come off when I'm driving ...steeing wheel for e.g. ? :?
 
Whoah whoah whaoh,
hopefully you haven't already glued it on.....My gear nob was loose when i bought the car. The stick that the nob sits on has a sort of flat head mahined into it which is an interference fit with a grove inside the nob (or it might be the other way round i can't remember). On my OEM one the slot inside the nob (appears to be some sort of epoxy) had broken, possibly by the owner before me "whacking the nob" down onto the stick. I bought a zhb nob and after "whacking it on carefully" its now fine, hasn't come off since (touch wood). The shorter weightier zhp nob also feels much nicer for spirrited driving
 
Had the same problem with my gearknob being loose.Bought a new one from the stealers.
Fitted it on and it's fine. Needs a good push down to get it on but you feel it 'click' into place.
Wouldn't think it needed glue/adhesive at all as it would be a problem getting it off in the future.
Even though mine was loose it needed a good 'tug' to get it off. :thumbsup:
 
bjorno said:
Whoah whoah whaoh,
hopefully you haven't already glued it on.....My gear nob was loose when i bought the car. The stick that the nob sits on has a sort of flat head mahined into it which is an interference fit with a grove inside the nob (or it might be the other way round i can't remember). On my OEM one the slot inside the nob (appears to be some sort of epoxy) had broken, possibly by the owner before me "whacking the nob" down onto the stick. I bought a zhb nob and after "whacking it on carefully" its now fine, hasn't come off since (touch wood). The shorter weightier zhp nob also feels much nicer for spirrited driving
Click to expand...


You explained the inners of the gear nob and the stick it goes on better than I could have. Congratulations !

But I still don't get what it is that is supposed the 'click'. I think the flat head you talk about is simply there to stop the gear knob being able to spin round on the horizontal axis..and that works fine with mine,..the knob does not twist. But there is nothing to prevent it slipping vertically off..and thats what happens, very easily.

Maybe on my particular gear knob there's just too much space bored out so its not as snug as it needs to be. But I can't spedn £35 quid on a new one just to find out.

Either way,..and I know 5 people have told me not to...I'm going to glue it, otherwise I'm not going to enjoy driving this car...it's like being ona knife edge all the time waiting for it to come off again and leave me coasting along in the fast lane in neutral !
 
Yes, the knob jokes were always sure to be on near the surface on this thread.

Perhaps I could resolve the problem by grasping the end less firmly when I am all revved up.

etc
 
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