Illuminated shift knob options

[HDdave]

Hey yall!

Nice to be back, big thanks to yall! I remember in the past discussing an illuminated shift knob. The f10 m5 one was talked about.. But I remember someone posting a ZCP style illuminated one you can buy knob only (only thing I can find on ECS right now comes with the boot).. I would prefer to retain my alcantara boot and just swap out to this illuminated ZCP style knob. Does anyone know where to find this?

Thanks in advance!

[Bostonbruck]

To my knowledge the part was never available with illuminization (without the boot).... it must have been a custom piece. A guy on eBay called “leatherz_LLC” custom makes these and could make you one. He currently has 5 speed knobs in stock but not 6 speed. Just go on eBay an type in “zhp illuminated knob” and you’ll find it. It’ll end up costing you $80-100 more than the non illuminated knob. Cheers.


Link to the 5 speed version: https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Illumi...oAAOSwA3dYDiS3

edit: he does have a 6 speed in stock but it’s it doesn’t look OEM (has an m stripe).... I’d message him and ask for a custom one.

[old///MFanatic]

LeatherZ is a company been a round a while. Mostly Z3/Z4 stuff. He just takes a zhp knob and puts a LED in it with wires to splice into factory connector.
Think a member named DeadlySyns (?) use to make them for people doing same thing if you suppled knob.

But Op you might be right on even a later model after the F10 M5 that has something like this but knob only. (or maybe I'm mixing up stuff up sorry)

[cdnabroad]

The F10 M5 shifter is a zhp illuminated BUT you have to remove it from the shroud, which will not fit an E46 and attach it to your stock shroud, there is a DIY for that on youtube. As another poster mentioned you can have leatherz do this for you but it will cost you around $200 or so, I can't remember the price, but its somewhere in that range. If you are good with a Dremel, there is a DIY on E46 fanatics (or there used to be) that demonstrates how to take the illumination from the OEM broom stick and retrofit it onto a ZHP short shift knob.

[Syfon]

F10 M5 illuminated shift knob. I cut the stock shift knob from the leather boot and attached it the F10 M5 knob. Also cut and crimped the illumination wires. Took me about 30mins and I have a beautiful oem shift knob

[M9Seth]

I have a illuminated ZHP knob from leather Z for sale its plug and play for the E46 M3, pm me if interested

[HDdave]

10-4 I appreciate it! I will shoot you a PM as soon as I figure out how to..

[old///MFanatic]

I had my old M3 lighted knob around and a pretty new zhp-stubby knob around from before my F10 M5 knob-boot retrofit. So being bored I finally got around to doing the lighted emblem retrofit. It's not to hard with a dremel but you really have to remove a lot of plastic so the lighting ring can fit and not be too high. Under that zhp emblem the knob is solid plastic and under that first section it is solid metal. Drilling the metal to feed the wires was the hardest part for me. Getting the layer of plastic down deep enough takes time and patience.
Also I used painters tape to protect the leather from any errant dremel slips, which I did not see in the DIY. Nor metion to use a small pick (preferably at the seam indents) to get the emblem off safely. I noticed in the DIY you can see where they made an indentation in the leather top side removing the emblem.

[terra]

F10 M5 or F8x M3/4 knob is the way to go

[old///MFanatic]

F10 M5 or F8x M3/4 knob is the way to go

I'm seeing a steady $55-$70 higher price between the two. Newer release is more expensive. Is there a reason to pick the M4 one over the M5 one?

[terra]

I'm seeing a steady $55-$70 higher price between the two. Newer release is more expensive. Is there a reason to pick the M4 one over the M5 one?

Not really. Pretty sure the knob itself is the same. Maybe the F8x boot fits a little better to the E46 support ring judging by the shape. But I mainly mentioned it because both cars being old enough that it might not be too difficult to fine one or the other on the used market.

[Titaniu//M]

I made this DIY a while ago, this is an option if you don't want to open the knob itself up.

https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...zhp-shift-knob

[old///MFanatic]

I made this DIY a while ago, this is an option if you don't want to open the knob itself up.
https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...zhp-shift-knob

Oh that's good info on how it disconnects from the boot, thanks. My current M5 knob is showing some wear so will use my zhp knob that has my stock M3 light retrofitted to it as a replacement. I'll probably get the M5 knob custom re-wrapped after it's out.

[Sharocks]

Bro it's really easy. Once you get the F10 M5 shift knob, if you flip the boot over the knob you can see how it attaches to the boot. You'll be left with some "barbs". Take a file, then work your way up in sand paper. Should take an hour tops. Then it's an illuminated ZHP knob that a tad taller than a ZHP knob.

[dl.m3]

I'm seeing a steady $55-$70 higher price between the two. Newer release is more expensive. Is there a reason to pick the M4 one over the M5 one?

You can scavenge the F8x forums and snag one up used for a fair price. A lot of them upgrade to aftermarket and ditch the stock one.