DIY: Shift Knob Removal (Installation of Rieger SHift Knob)

[TheRealFeeny]

This DIY covers the removal of the OEM shift knob and then the installation of a new one. I installed one from Rieger that I bought from TMtuning (TMTUNING.COM).

My old knob was in bad condition. The shift pattern was MIA and the boot had seen better days.
[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/Desktop/Shifter/IMG_0362.jpg[/IMG]


(I forgot to take a pic of it on before everything, I was just too excited and forgot)

The OEM boot has elastic on the bottom that is pulled around the trim in the center console. Just pull on the boot and it will come off. Pull it inside out and it will look like this.



(The plastic trim laying at the bottom it the piece that the elastic on the boot was around, it just pops out.)



Next there is a piece of metal (I have heard this is different for different models and years, this is a 2002 1.8t gls). On this car it was crimped on, I just took a screw driver and wiggled it loose. You can also just cut it off with a pair of dikes or the like. Now it does not have to come off, just loose. Now pull, REALLY HARD!! Don't try to twist it, it wont twist. Just straight up! Took my a while to yank it off. But once off your left with this.



Now if you are just putting on a new knob you can stop here and use the instructions for the knob. Basically what I just said in reverse. Most new knobs come with screws to tighten it down and not a crimped piece of metal. I wanted some flair in the car and went with a lighted shift knob I know fancy.

So to make life easier on my self for the wiring I removed the trim piece around the shifter. There are 5 torx screws. One in the cigarette lighter and two on each side. One up by your feet and one covered by the small cap right before the shifter. It will pull off and leave the box that holds the cigarette lighter attached by a wire harness.



Now unplug the wires from the box and you will have 3 wires. A Blue, Red and Brown. The Blue is positive, Red is negative and Brown is ground. (Check them with a volt meter by turning the lights on and off just to be sure you have the correct ones.) There is a wrapping on the wires that you may need to cut back to show more wire. I did to make it a little easier to work with.



The shifter I have had a Red and Brown wire. So Red to Blue and Brown to Brown. I striped about a 1/4 inch section and wrapped about an inch of wire around that then soldered it in place.



I wrapped each splice in electrical tape and then the whole bundle in tape too. There was a lot of wire left over and i bundled it and put a little tape around it and placed it on the right side of the shifter.



In that pic you can also see the new shifter is on. All it took was sliding it all the way on and tightening 3 screws.

Replacing the trim is a little tricky but have patience and just work it in. And remember all 5 torx screws. Now the new boot was much longer than the OEM one so what I did was take the plastic trim the OEM one used and put it inside the boot. And then snapped it in place. SO that it was holding the fabric around it, aka so you can not see the plastic trim. And this is what the finished product looks like.




This is my first DIY, any comments both positive and negative criticism is welcome. Sorry about the lack of pics, I meant to take a bunch but got so cought up in the mod that I forgot . I also hope every one can understand my explanations, if there are problems I apologize and would love to explain any thing. Thanks.

Oh P.S. I will post pics later tonight or tomorrow of it at night what it is light up. It is OEM blue.

[Gargamelmk2]

it is a good DIY but you may want to proof read it or spell check it..a few sentences are garbled...but in all a well made DIY

[TheRealFeeny]

ha oops! was in a hurry to finish it on my way out. Ill go over it and check it again. Thanks!

[Vixen]

Good write up.

[Tommy G]

this is a really good DIY. i was wondering about how to put the boot back on cause mine came off and you helped me out.
cant wait to see how it looks lit

[Boost Addicted]

Looks good man, that shift knob looks proper in your car.

[992LWolf]

what i dont get is i would need a new boot with the shift knob? cause on my mk3 i cant get my OEM boot to come apart from the knob.

[TheRealFeeny]

Ok, Wolf in these jettas the boots are made a part of the knob. Yea the boot will not come off the OEM knob with out umm some ingenuity on your own. If you getting a new one weither OEM or aftermarket it will come with the boot attached.

Thanks Tommy and Boost for the comments on the DIY.

[992LWolf]

alright thanks for tip

[amrrlz]

props

[Derek589]

cool write up, It helped me out a lot in doing this in my own car. Thanks!

[SC2.0]

Hey man, love the look of the new knob. I want one! haha only part im a little confused on is how you did the boot, like how it was longer and you did something with the plastic part, i dunno haha. ill just have to re-read it again probably. Looks good though!!

P.S. Lets see some night pics!

[TheRealFeeny]

Ah! I completely forgot to put um the night pics! Thanks for reminding me man!

And if you have any questions just pm me, I usually check up here a few time a day and can get back to you quickly.