HELP PLEASE!!How to change a gear knob on a MK 1 Seat Leon?

[Stuart1986]

Hi everyone! I've just bought a MK1 Seat Leon 1.6 SE 16V today. It's all lovely and spanking clean after some TLC with me and Mr Autoglym. Unfortunately I've noticed a tear in the gear knob leather I can get a replacement from Seat for £42 inc VAT. But they want approx two hours of labour to fit it!!!!!!!!!!

Is there anyone that could please help in telling me what I would need to do to remove the old one and replace it????

Any help would be really appreciated.

Many thanks, Stuart.

[GreenV8S]

Usually I'd have hoped to find a concealed grub screw under the gaiter, or just unscrew it from the lever. For two hours labour I'd guess there's a lot more to it than that, perhaps the lever itself has to come out for some reason?

[Stuart1986]

I've tried popping the top cap of the gear knob off and seeing if there was a screw. No such luck. I haven't tried looking under the gaiter yet. Next try there then. Cheers for the reply.

Stu

[Matt_N]

Id guess that the gear knob is that same as a Mk4 Golf, in which case its held on by a small collar that is pinched onto the gear stick shaft. Mine was a bit loose when I bought it, I simply pulled the gaitor up from the surround and used some grips to re tighten the collar.

To removed the gear knob, just use a screw driver to loosen the collar or snip it off and replace with a jubilee clip when you re-fit, then fit your new gaitor. £42 is a lot though, loads of places will do a genuine leather replacement for less than half that. Try ebay.

[jcborden]

Not done it myself, but here is a rough guide:

Feel through the flappy rubber at the bottom towards the dash for two clips, pull them up and slide the gaitor and plastic assembly forward and lift up. Pull it all the way up like you would do a t-shirt to a kid and you'll see how the knob is secured to the lever with a clip. Pull the clip off with pliers (Cannot then be reused) and pull free ... the new one goes on and back together the same way, though can be fixed back on with a jubilee clip.

[Stuart1986]

Thanks everyone, I will have a look at the weekend and search ebay and elsewhere for the part. Will let you know how I get on