Radio knob removal

[mthreecpe]

I'm missing something on my radio volume knob, but I can't figure out what. When I pull on the current knob I can't get it off. If I pull harder will it come off and I just pop on a new $20 knob from the dealer?

[8k_v8]

Ever figure this one out? I'm having the same issue

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by 8k_v8

Ever figure this one out? I'm having the same issue

Ha! I can answer this one for you since I just went through this. You're missing the lil black/chrome cap. I was trying to remove my volume knob to replace it with a new one as my new to me M3 had a sticky one. Was a pain in the butt to remove, people said just PULL, but was NOT that simple. First the cap you're missing would just pop off repeatedly, and i eventually was able to remove the volume knob/what's left of it, that you see in yours/and original poster's pic above. It just took a darn tiny lil set of pliers I bought on amazon, plus a lot of force and leverage.

Finally got it off and found out I bought the wrong replacement knob. Still works though, so I'm just running with it. If you want any more details, let me know, to potentially spare you/save you.

[tjames975]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

If you want any more details, let me know, to potentially spare you/save you.

Did you ever find the correct knob? RealOEM gives me the one in your picture but it doesn't seem to match the one in my 11/2008 LCI E90 M3. The sides are more cylindrical instead of the slight cone shape, and there's more rubber down the sides.

The rubber is tacky and I'd like to replace it with a new part. If this part looks factory when installed then I can use that too, no big deal.

Do I need to pop off the cap with a plastic pry tool or does the whole knob come out?

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by tjames975

Did you ever find the correct knob? RealOEM gives me the one in your picture but it doesn't seem to match the one in my 11/2008 LCI E90 M3. The sides are more cylindrical instead of the slight cone shape, and there's more rubber down the sides.

The rubber is tacky and I'd like to replace it with a new part. If this part looks factory when installed then I can use that too, no big deal.

Do I need to pop off the cap with a plastic pry tool or does the whole knob come out?

Ultimately, I think the correct knob in my situation - LCI + Nav would have been the one pictured above, which is part #65129114289

I bought part #65129231059 which I'll attach a picture of, and it ended up going on working just fine.

I wanted to replace mine for the same reason as you, it was tacky and nasty and was bothering me. You could try getting some isopropyl alcohol 90% or more first and trying that as that may remove much/all of the stickiness on the knob and may solve your problem. However, if you don't have that or that doesn't work, in theory you should just be able to pull on the knob and it should pop off (either to clean it or replace it). Mine just wouldn't come off for the life of me and I was using small pliers and forget whether that ultimately was what worked or the pry tool getting under it, though I was worried about damaging any of the trim under it, so used a microfiber towel and cut a lil slit in like I was performing an operation, so the knob slid through that hole and then i was gently prying against the towel. It eventually popped off, put new one one, and voila.

It's nuts how many different knobs there are and ECS gave me bad info and confirmed I got the right one, but it was clear it was not as the shape of the metal rod wasn't quite the same, but again, it worked and looks fine/good. Hope that helps. You'd think these were ferraris with the sticky buttons and trim pieces. I'm sure if you end up getting one that doesn't work from an fcp euro or ecs, they'll take it back, too. Let me know how it works out.