How to Remove Shift Knob in W204?
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From: Chino Hills, CA
Mercedes C300 Sport, BMW 745Li, VW Mk6 Golf TDI
Sport. They only come in leather now. Alcantara was discontinued. You'll have to look to part-outs to get one of those now, but most I've seen are all worn out now and worn Alcantara looks like crap.
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From: London, UK
MB W204, VW Polo, Audi R8 V10 - SOLD.
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Mercedes C300 Sport, BMW 745Li, VW Mk6 Golf TDI
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From: Columbia, SC
W204 2010 C300 Sport/6M
I can't see spending that much for a shift knob unless it was solid titanium. I don't care if Brabus made it or not. I'm researching a short shifter through TWM. http://www.twmperformance.com/ I had one in a previous car and it was the best shifter I have ever had my hand on.
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MB W204/W212, BMW E66, Porsche 958, VW MK6 TDI, Maserati Ghibli SQ4
I can't see spending that much for a shift knob unless it was solid titanium. I don't care if Brabus made it or not. I'm researching a short shifter through TWM. http://www.twmperformance.com/ I had one in a previous car and it was the best shifter I have ever had my hand on.
Either way, the stock one sucks and feels cheap, so nearly anything is an upgrade, but there's no doubting the Brabus one is quality once you get your hands on it. It's not just some piece they slapped a "B" on. Feels like cast and gives good weight behind throws. And it illuminates 
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2009 C300S 6mt
I'm researching a short shifter through TWM. http://www.twmperformance.com/ I had one in a previous car and it was the best shifter I have ever had my hand on.
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From: Columbia, SC
W204 2010 C300 Sport/6M
That's true but I'm sure if we tried to put up some sort of poll to see how many people would buy one we might get more response from them. The desert eagle shift knob they have is almost a pound and a half of stainless for less than two hundred with an engraved shift patern.
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Another round of ICE
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That's true but I'm sure if we tried to put up some sort of poll to see how many people would buy one we might get more response from them. The desert eagle shift knob they have is almost a pound and a half of stainless for less than two hundred with an engraved shift patern.
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MB W204/W212, BMW E66, Porsche 958, VW MK6 TDI, Maserati Ghibli SQ4
The Brabus one works for 6-speed as well. It includes multiple top caps you can put on. For automatic, you can have the illuminated B. For 6 speed, there's an illuminated gear layout you can swap in.
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From: Doha, Qatar
W205 C63S E.1
Done and Done
Thanx man for this thread ... I used it to install this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SLS-STYLE-CA...#ht_2715wt_922
and I did install it and it looks amazing.
cheers
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SLS-STYLE-CA...#ht_2715wt_922
and I did install it and it looks amazing.
cheers
Finally, I figure it out. The following is how I did it. Please be careful with the individual steps. Some of the parts are quite fragile. Do not hold me responsible for any damage to your car, ie. do it at your own risk.
This is how it can be done:-
1. The base of the leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame. Slip the leather boot from the console just by slightly pushing the base of the leather boot in(ie. the rectangular frame) towards the shift rod. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console.
2. By turning the leather boot inside out, a plastic collar will be exposed. This first collar can be loosened and drop to the bottom of the shift rod by doing an eighth turn clockwise(ie. if you are looking at the shift rod from the top). Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This is the tricky part. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the whole contraption, shift knob,the second collar and the shift boot out of the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the four flanges and the second collar. By pushing the 4 flanges in, you should be able to disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob and free the boot.
5. With whatever aftermarket knob you have acquired, now you can installed the new knob without any problem.
I got a Birds-eye-maple/chrome knob from ForMyMercedes and it is an exact match to the factory trims.
This is how it can be done:-
1. The base of the leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame. Slip the leather boot from the console just by slightly pushing the base of the leather boot in(ie. the rectangular frame) towards the shift rod. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console.
2. By turning the leather boot inside out, a plastic collar will be exposed. This first collar can be loosened and drop to the bottom of the shift rod by doing an eighth turn clockwise(ie. if you are looking at the shift rod from the top). Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This is the tricky part. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the whole contraption, shift knob,the second collar and the shift boot out of the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the four flanges and the second collar. By pushing the 4 flanges in, you should be able to disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob and free the boot.
5. With whatever aftermarket knob you have acquired, now you can installed the new knob without any problem.
I got a Birds-eye-maple/chrome knob from ForMyMercedes and it is an exact match to the factory trims.
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my wife bananas! :D
the 4th step for me is a real PITA... i can push the 4 flanges in but it still doesnt seem to be small enough to slip through the 2nd ring. ahh
edit* figured out an easy way to do this. There are small indents on the 2nd ring. you can use a small plier to leverage it while you push in the 4 flanges. Makes it alot easier
edit* figured out an easy way to do this. There are small indents on the 2nd ring. you can use a small plier to leverage it while you push in the 4 flanges. Makes it alot easier
Last edited by Fung63; Jun 2, 2012 at 03:30 PM.
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From: Gdynia, Poland
'08 C63 Estate
Here are instructions and a couple videos we made for shift knob replacement on automatic:
1. The leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame that slides into the console’s rectangular trim. Remove the boot at the console by slightly pushing in on the leather on the driver’s side approximately 1 inch from the top and bottom. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console. (See You Tube video below.)
2. Turn the leather boot inside out. Loosen the first collar by turning counter-clockwise ¼ turn. (Looking at the shift knob from the top with your hand under the boot) Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob, away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the shift knob, second collar and the shift boot from the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the four flanges and the second collar. By pushing the 4 flanges in, you disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob, and free the boot.
5. To install the Schaetz shift knob. Unscrew the chrome dome shaped fitting from the base of the shift knob. Place five parts onto the shaft in this order: First put the knurled ring on the shaft, then the nylon ring flat side down, then the leather boot, then the chrome domed fitting, then install the shift knob itself onto the shaft.
Make sure the shift knob is fully seated on the shaft and facing the right direction. Next screw on the chrome dome shaped fitting to the base of the shift knob, which holds the shift knob firmly in place. Next, push the leather boot against the underside of the chrome dome shaped fitting. Bring up the nylon ring against the leather boot. Make sure that the boot is straight and not twisted. Hold boot into position by screwing the knurled ring against the nylon ring. Lastly, re-insert the base of the leather boot into the console’s rectangular trim.
Please take a look at the videos linked below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKxcmY8knrs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTHyk...eature=related
1. The leather boot is stapled to a rectangular plastic frame that slides into the console’s rectangular trim. Remove the boot at the console by slightly pushing in on the leather on the driver’s side approximately 1 inch from the top and bottom. The leather boot will easily slip out of the console. (See You Tube video below.)
2. Turn the leather boot inside out. Loosen the first collar by turning counter-clockwise ¼ turn. (Looking at the shift knob from the top with your hand under the boot) Underneath is a second plastic collar which secures four flanges against a groove around the shift rod. These four flanges form the base of the shift knob.
3. This second collar has to be pushed up against the shift knob, away from the flanges in order to loosen the flanges from the groove around the rod. By now you should be able to pull the shift knob, second collar and the shift boot from the shift rod.
4. You still have the shift boot between the base of the shift knob with the four flanges and the second collar. By pushing the 4 flanges in, you disengage the collar from the base of the shift knob, and free the boot.
5. To install the Schaetz shift knob. Unscrew the chrome dome shaped fitting from the base of the shift knob. Place five parts onto the shaft in this order: First put the knurled ring on the shaft, then the nylon ring flat side down, then the leather boot, then the chrome domed fitting, then install the shift knob itself onto the shaft.
Make sure the shift knob is fully seated on the shaft and facing the right direction. Next screw on the chrome dome shaped fitting to the base of the shift knob, which holds the shift knob firmly in place. Next, push the leather boot against the underside of the chrome dome shaped fitting. Bring up the nylon ring against the leather boot. Make sure that the boot is straight and not twisted. Hold boot into position by screwing the knurled ring against the nylon ring. Lastly, re-insert the base of the leather boot into the console’s rectangular trim.
Please take a look at the videos linked below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKxcmY8knrs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTHyk...eature=related
Can anyone tell me how to do do this without breaking the flanges?
Thanks,
Matt
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Joined: Jun 2013
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2010 C300 4Matic Sport
So I just did this with these instructions and had a real PITA with step 4. However I found an easy way to do this hopefully for the next person. I tried all the ways suggested here and wasn't making progress until I grabbed a 1/2" combo wrench and used the box end to engage all 4 flanges at the same time and the bottom boot popped right off.
