Automatic Gearknob.... how much?!

[StuartD]

Has anyone else with an automatic Superb had a problem with the selector knob on the right hand side of the gearshift? Normally you just squeeze it in and then slide the selector forwards or back (to engage drive, reverse, park etc!) A fortnight ago the squeezeable bit seemed a bit loose and felt as though probably a bit of plastic inside had worked free or snapped. Anyway, engaging Park became a bit of a nightmare (sometimes taking several minutes to engage), though everything else was OK to select.

Took it to my local dealer and the cost of diagnosis (broken plastic bit inside!), fitting and a replacement Edition 100 knob.... just over £250!

[Supurbia]

Has anyone else with an automatic Superb had a problem with the selector knob on the right hand side of the gearshift? Normally you just squeeze it in and then slide the selector forwards or back (to engage drive, reverse, park etc!) A fortnight ago the squeezeable bit seemed a bit loose and felt as though probably a bit of plastic inside had worked free or snapped. Anyway, engaging Park became a bit of a nightmare (sometimes taking several minutes to engage), though everything else was OK to select.

Took it to my local dealer and the cost of diagnosis (broken plastic bit inside!), fitting and a replacement Edition 100 knob.... just over £250!

Standard one is £53 from WMC Winchester Motor Company, Sparshatts ask arond £60 for one.

I had the same issue myself, I didn't fix it in the end as it still worked ok.

To fit it I did a How2 in the Superb Tech section, you must not remove the red tab until the knob is fully on btw, or you won't be able to fit it at all.

[oh_superb]

On this subject, what do people think of the MOMO AUTOMATICO gear level? I think it would look quite cool on the Superb. I have been contemplating getting one of these as a replacement for my "wonky" gear level. The wooden insert has a crack across it too. I think someone must have been playing with it or had some issues before.

MOMO have this in both leather and all-aluminium too. About £45.

Momo Automatico

[VRSPhil]

Has anybody had to change this on an elegance spec car? My button went floppy today, which is never good. I'm guessing it's going to cost more, having the wood insert... unless they all have that?

[Supurbia]

Has anybody had to change this on an elegance spec car? My button went floppy today, which is never good. I'm guessing it's going to cost more, having the wood insert... unless they all have that?

You should be able to re-use the insert, it slides upwards and off.

The how 2 to replace the stick is in the usual section Phil, and remember, DO NOT remove the holding clip on it until the new one is on the shaft.

[VRSPhil]

Many thanks for that, Superbia. I used your guide to remove mine today.

The bad news (for me) is that the Elegance (and I suspect edition 100) knobs are a single piece, complete with wood insert and cost £140ish inc vat!

I have just taken my old knob apart and will try to explain what goes wrong, for those who don't know.

Basically the button has two long, flat plastic guides which slide into snug holes in the body of the knob. The idea is that you can press the button at any position and it will slide in flat (rather than rocking about). The actual mechanical link for the release mechanism sits between these two guides. The down side to the design, in my view, is that the sliders are too central, meaning that if you press towards the front of the button, it puts a lot of stress on them and they eventually fracture. Once one breaks then the second will follow quickly and then eventually the mechanical link ill come apart and you're up poo-creek.

I don't think a DIY repair is viable as re-assembly once the guide pins are glued back on would be near impossible, and I suspect they would break again very quickly.

So two bits of advice I would offer are firstly try to press the button in the middle or slightly towards the rear, this will ensure you are pressing directly over the guides and this reduces the sideways forces which cause them to fail

Secondly, if you have a wobbly button, keep an eye on it because it WILL eventually fail.

Thanks again to Superbia for his guide. I can confirm that the same technique for removal applies to the Elegance knob, with the exception that you miss the first stage (lifting out the insert)

Cheers

[VRSPhil]

On this subject, what do people think of the MOMO AUTOMATICO gear level? I think it would look quite cool on the Superb. I have been contemplating getting one of these as a replacement for my "wonky" gear level. The wooden insert has a crack across it too. I think someone must have been playing with it or had some issues before.

MOMO have this in both leather and all-aluminium too. About £45.

Momo Automatico

The website isn't overly clear, but I don't think it's compatible with the superb. When you press the button on the side of the knob, it lifts a plastic selector inside the shaft, which I don't think the MOMO item would do. I think it's more suited to automatics which have jagged gates.

[Supurbia]

It won't repair Phil, I tried it myself, as you say the plastic just snaps off, and when you glue them back they break again just trying to get the button back on the knob.

If you don't want to spend that sort of cash, the normal trim one is a lot less WMC quoted me best at £53, you could then either use a black cover, or it may still be possible to get the wood one off, and then glue it back on the new knob, you have to be careful with who you buy it from, my mate paid £180 for one for his Elegance, yet the WMC quote was a third of that, the cover itself is held by a locator on the back of it, and two guide slots on the top of it, I suspect you have to break the top clip to be able to get it off anyway, as mine used to slide up and down, and when I did the coolant temp sensor I noticed crayon on the gearbox saying which box it was, so I suspect mine had had gearbox work before I got it, and they had to break the cover to remove the gear knob, and typical Skoda instead of putting a new one on, simply slotted the old one back on, the black ones de-laminate after a while anyway the coating comes off like the door card stuff does.

[tottenham.1960]

Has anybody had to change this on an elegance spec car? My button went floppy today, which is never good. I'm guessing it's going to cost more, having the wood insert... unless they all have that?

[tottenham.1960]

I had the same problem, total cost of parts & Labour £170, Which took the dealer about one Hour

[tottenham.1960]

I had the same problem, total cost of parts & Labour £170, Which took the dealer about one Hour

[kkbc]

HI, my button has decided to work it's way loose. CAn anyone advise where i can get replacement parts West Midlands area? It's for Edition 100 model.

 

Thanks in advance

[adrian5401]

Hi Guys, just to let you know, the auto gear knob from the Passat B5.5 is a direct replacement for this superb mk1  It is not as good looking but it is a good sturdy replacement for the Superb 1.

ps. easy way to fit it is just put a piece of tape around the piece of the chrome button that is sticking out and pinch the tape, you can then use the tape as a hand grip to ease the button out as you slide the knob into position.