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Short Shift Knob Install

Rick Hunter

Lifer
Jet City
Woo hoo!! Guess what I got in today!
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Since scouring the net for some useful info on the install, I figured I'd try my hand at my own DIY post. Obviously, there are some steps that I probably didn't need to take, but I thought it was best to do it (just because I'm a cautious kinda guy, and because the Ms have a wiring harness underneath that the non-Ms don't). BTW, as with any DIY, I'm not responsible for any mess-ups you might incur while doing this... so do it at your own risk!

Original Knob (pardon the dust):
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Pull up on the shift boot at one of 4 corners to release the boot:
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This will expose the wiring for the original ///M lighted knob (note, non-Ms don't have the wires). Disconnect the harness (I used a couple of needle-nosed pliers):
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Now, put it in gear (your choice of 2nd or 6th) and pull up on the knob. You'll need to use great effort, and be careful not to aim towards your mouth / eyes. It took me ~3-4 good tries to finally yank the sucker off (no injury either!)

Bare nekkid:
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Here are the shifters side-by-side:
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From here on, everything goes in reverse. Snap your shift-boot back into the console, then push in the new shifter. I was looking for a "snap" noise to ensure that the new knob was in, but it doesn't do that. Once I got her in, I just gave it a good smack down and then tried to pull up. It stayed in place.

End result:
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Comparison with the original knob:
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Excellent. Just what I needed as I still need to replace my knob with the Storm one which I had on my previous Z.

Thanks for the pics, great help to see what is underneath.
 
Does the short one light up? Rick, if you're ever in the Atlanta area stop by so I can clean your interior. My OCD is kicking in looking at your pics. :wink: :poke: :wink:
 
Veruca said:
Does the short one light up? Rick, if you're ever in the Atlanta area stop by so I can clean your interior. My OCD is kicking in looking at your pics. :wink: :poke: :wink:
No the ZHP knob doesn't light up.
I don't miss it, as I never look at it while driving anyway.
It's a great mod, makes a big difference in shifting.
 
Agreed. A driver would never see it - a passenger might. Mine is coming off this weekend :D
 
Veruca said:
Does the short one light up? Rick, if you're ever in the Atlanta area stop by so I can clean your interior. My OCD is kicking in looking at your pics. :wink: :poke: :wink:
LOL :lol: I'd love for you to clean my interior :oops: . I know I know... I actually DID clean the interior after the install. Shall I post updated pics? :)

Nope... I don't miss the lighted part of the knob. I thought it was a gimmick anyways. The ambient light above actually shines onto the knob at night, so you'll still be able to see the shifter. And the difference in shifting was well worth the cost. Lemme know if you're thinking about getting it... the cheapest I've found it online is ~$48.
 
Since my 2.5i doesn't have a lighted shift knob, do I even need to remove the boot? Or can I just yank off the long one and put on the short one? Has anyone tried this to confirm before I start pulling my long knob really hard.

...sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity to say that :rofl:
 
Hi there, odd first post I guess but here goes.

I noticed that the bmw online configurator is showing a different knob for the Z4MC now. Looks like the short shifter from the 335i msport models but has no chrome ring.
Guess it could be part number 25110418225 but since the Ms are already wired for the led illumination then I am holding out hope that it is a different illuminated model that can be retrofitted.

Anyone have any ideas? I am assuming the configurator is accurate.

Thanks
 
masterbm, welcome!! Yep, the configurator is usually pretty good, so maybe it' a change after all. What have you got?
 
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