Advice about a knob

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 13 Mar 2006, 09:38

With the tropical sun out here turning the interiors of cars to dust almost as you watch them, I had the misfortune the other day in a heatwave to have to leave the car 94/95 Xantia VSX 2.0i 5 speed manual out in the direct sun for about 3 or 4 hours.
When I started and put the car into gear, the gearknob simply fell apart in my hand. It was like the insides of an orange with the way the sections fell apart.
I've been too busy to take a real close look, but from a quick glance it seems that below the actual knob, the lower section splays out to accomodate the smaller tied on section of the gear stick gaitor and it seems at first glance to be forced on.
Has anyone ever had to replace one and if so, what's the go? Angle grinder off and SuperGlue to fit the new one or is there something a bit more sophisticated and at a pinch, can a different non genuine one be fitted?

Alan S

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 13 Mar 2006, 10:31

People have posted about other Peugeot / Citroen cars and their gearknobs. It was the case with the older knobs that they screwed onto the shaft, but they were extremely tight, i.e. there was friction between the plastic and the shaft not just being screwed on tight. The recommended method was to grip the (fully intact

) knob with locking pliers(vice grips / molegrips) and simply screw it off.

No doubt somebody who knows what they're doing will be along soon.

wilkobob · Post by **wilkobob** » 14 Mar 2006, 18:57

In my old ZX the gear knob was just kind of held to the metal bit by "ribs" on the metal. So it just pulled off. This was one of the similar shaped knobs that the xantia has, so my guess is it just pulls off.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 14 Mar 2006, 20:57

Must be a reason why any car accessory shop have a colossal selection of leather/gold/alu/bluelight/your mood gear knobs

oscarloco · Post by **oscarloco** » 14 Mar 2006, 21:09

wilkobob wrote:In my old ZX the gear knob was just kind of held to the metal bit by "ribs" on the metal. So it just pulled off. This was one of the similar shaped knobs that the xantia has, so my guess is it just pulls off.

That`s right. Same happended to me. Got it at the Citroen Dealership and cost me around US$15.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 14 Mar 2006, 21:38

Thanks for all this.
At present I seem to be running 24 hours a day so don't have time to do things when I'd like to, but the reason for my concern is that the gear lever on my car will lift upwards about an inch or more and I find anyone not used to driving it can accidentally lift it and get into "no mans land" and I was a bit concerned that this damage may have been done when the previous owner tried to possibly change it and may have damaged something somewhere along the mechanism of the gearlever.
When you say there are usually heaps of knobs the same shape, does this include the belled out underpart of the knob that the leather gaitor fits on to also?

Alan S

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 14 Mar 2006, 21:44

Any gearknob from your backyard selection of spare cars would go straight on - as long as its not a knob with a threaded steel insert.
Me dont thinks you have time to visit a car accessory shop - they've got too many nice car items to fall in love with - and before you know it - you've spent a couple of hours looking at their blooming shelves