Automatic Shift Boot/Knob switch?

[fcp4life]

Has anyone ever changed their tiptronic A4 shift boot and knob to something else... instead of it being like this




and changing it to give it a nice leather boot manual look... i know most modern cars have these

[Zingo_310]

Never thought of this, my girls jetta has the leather boot. It would be tough to do though because of the led lettering P N D S Plus the TIP side. You could more than likely do it, just not have the lettering telling you what gear you are in, at least not by the shifter

[Kittrell]

I toyed with the idea and mapped out how I would do it. I just never pulled the trigger, and now I don't have the trim piece anymore.

[Audifiend]

Would like to know more about this myself. Any products out there?

[bronx car guy]

there is a japanese company named LeVoc that made decent shift knobs for automatics. They were simple to use instead of pressing the thumb button you pushed down on the shifter to disengage from park. they had wood real carbon and aluminum versions, for about 100 each

[Kittrell]

Would like to know more about this myself. Any products out there?

No, there is nothing off the shelf to convert this.

[matt@oCarbon]

Never thought of this, my girls jetta has the leather boot. It would be tough to do though because of the led lettering P N D S Plus the TIP side. You could more than likely do it, just not have the lettering telling you what gear you are in, at least not by the shifter

Bingo.

The shift plates would be interchangeable, as the clips are in the same spot. You'd need a manual shift plate because of the mounting hardware on the bottom for the boot to attach to. If you could figure out a way to get an auto shift knob on the manual boot (which I'm sure isn't that difficult) and were okay with losing the lettering, it should be doable.

[meistah]

Do it, I've wanted to do this for awhile. Having something similar to the B8 auto shifters would be awesome, updates the interior look a lot.

[Audifiend]

Would like to see this done. Auto shifter is kind of a bore

[Kittrell]

The manual trim plate does not fit over the tip selector. Not even with the chrome housing removed, I tried it.

[Zingo_310]

The manual trim plate does not fit over the tip selector. Not even with the chrome housing removed, I tried it.

Well damn, there goes that idea. Did you toy around with it and see if it could be trimmed or something to get it to work? (I'm sure you did)

because this would be a pretty legit idea if you could do this, plus this http://nickscarblog.com/cars/shift-k...-transmissions (third option down) Its a kit like posted above that removes the button and you use basically any aftermarket shift knob (manaul) that you want. Now that would be a legit set up

[Zingo_310]

Bingo.

The shift plates would be interchangeable, as the clips are in the same spot. You'd need a manual shift plate because of the mounting hardware on the bottom for the boot to attach to. If you could figure out a way to get an auto shift knob on the manual boot (which I'm sure isn't that difficult) and were okay with losing the lettering, it should be doable.

Matt, you have any beat up shift surrounds for a b6/b7 maunal shift laying around you would like to donate? LOL I nice fishscale one would do great

Maybe there is something we could do to get it to fit

[matt@oCarbon]

The manual trim plate does not fit over the tip selector. Not even with the chrome housing removed, I tried it.

Width or depth?

[Kittrell]

Both, but more contact on depth.

[matt@oCarbon]

Depth

If one were to be adventurous, there is about 4mm of plastic that could be ground off from the bottom of the manual hardware. Removing this would also increase the width as well, so there would be no issues there.

I wish I had some extra manual shift plates, I'd ship one out to let someone have a go at it.

[Kittrell]

If one were to be adventurous, there is about 4mm of plastic that could be ground off from the bottom of the manual hardware. Removing this would also increase the width as well, so there would be no issues there.

That was my initial thought. I had a brushed aluminum piece to work with though. And I didn't want to risk turning it into a useless paperweight if it did not work out. If I had a cheap soft touch piece I'd be all for it.

[matt@oCarbon]

That was my initial thought. I had a brushed aluminum piece to work with though. And I didn't want to risk turning it into a useless paperweight if it did not work out. If I had a cheap soft touch piece I'd be all for it.

How hard it is to remove the chrome bit?

Someone go take off their auto shifter plate and the chrome plate and take some pictures to see how much room we've got to work with.

[Kittrell]

Four tabs, it's fairly easy. I should have snapped some pictures when I played with it. I sold off the manual piece, which in hindsight I should have kept. Now I just have a gaping hole there because I cannot find a matching tip piece and I don't want to give Audi $145 for it.

The automatic gear selector is quite bulky, it's packed in there pretty good.

[Zingo_310]

Oh Kittrel I hate you... LOL I just went through the whole process

what if we could attach the leather boot to the auto shift surround?

[Kittrell]

Now I feel like a dumbass. Looking at the pictures I took, I realized that the whole white roller door assembly comes off. It looks like there is plenty of room now and I sold the damn trim piece!

[Zingo_310]

So you dont need that whole top piece??

[matt@oCarbon]

So you dont need that whole top piece??

Not if you're putting a boot over all of that.

[Zingo_310]

Thats what I thought

Well someone take this idea and run with it

[matt@oCarbon]

If someone wants to give it a go, I'd donate an extra manual shifter next time I come across one as long as the following conditions are met:

1) You'd have to supply your own manual shift boot
2) You'd have do full documentation of how you did it: pictures and step by step instructions so that others may easily follow in your footsteps.
3) If it works, you'd send me your auto shift plate. If it doesn't work, you'd send me back my manual shift plate.

[Kittrell]

Everyone convince the guy I just sold my trim piece to, to sell it back, and I'll do it.

The top piece serves two functions. It houses the roller door that moves with the shifter, which also functions with the LED panel to light your way. I found out with everything removed, it works almost great. No CEL or anything, though it might produce a code with the panel disconnected. If you pop it over into manual mode, you lose your cluster indicator. It just blocks the whole thing out.



You can shift through everything else fine, but as soon as you pop it over, it's done. Then it stays that way until you turn everything off and start over again. If you plug the LED panel back in, this does not happen.



So if the blocked out indicator does not bother you, then you can remove it all. If it does bother you, as it does me, you will leave that part in there. I will drive around with everything disconnected this week to test it out, but I do not foresee any issues.

[Zingo_310]

If someone wants to give it a go, I'd donate an extra manual shifter next time I come across one as long as the following conditions are met:

1) You'd have to supply your own manual shift boot
2) You'd have do full documentation of how you did it: pictures and step by step instructions so that others may easily follow in your footsteps.
3) If it works, you'd send me your auto shift plate. If it doesn't work, you'd send me back my manual shift plate.

I would be game for that, unless Kittrell wants to give it a go

Everyone convince the guy I just sold my trim piece to, to sell it back, and I'll do it.

The top piece serves two functions. It houses the roller door that moves with the shifter, which also functions with the LED panel to light your way. I found out with everything removed, it works almost great. No CEL or anything, though it might produce a code with the panel disconnected. If you pop it over into manual mode, you lose your cluster indicator. It just blocks the whole thing out.



You can shift through everything else fine, but as soon as you pop it over, it's done. Then it stays that way until you turn everything off and start over again. If you plug the LED panel back in, this does not happen.



So if the blocked out indicator does not bother you, then you can remove it all. If it does bother you, as it does me, you will leave that part in there. I will drive around with everything disconnected this week to test it out, but I do not foresee any issues.

So as long as we leave it plugged in there should be no issues, how well does the led tray stay connected without the clear/white slider portion?

[matt@oCarbon]

Everyone convince the guy I just sold my trim piece to, to sell it back, and I'll do it.

I think the guy that bought your piece traded his wood set to me for an aluminum set, but he had a manual and my aluminum set was an auto. He probably needs it.

[Kittrell]

The connection is secure, the tray only serves to hold it in place and function with the holes in the top plate. You could notch the foam so the harness could sit lower and then the panel would more than likely sit flush.

[Kittrell]

I think the guy that bought your piece traded his wood set to me for an aluminum set, but he had a manual and my aluminum set was an auto. He probably needs it.

Yes, he is doing a DIY brushed on a fish scale set. There is probably no way I will get it back. And I'm not going to plop down the change for a new one at over $100, especially since I sold it for $50.

[walky_talky20]

I don't think it's just a "blocked out indicator". I'm going to bet with that thing unplugged, the "Tiptronic" function (+/- gear selection) does not work at all. The magnets which trigger the switch into the Tiptronic position, as well as the + and - positions are inbuilt to the plastic slide beauty cover piece. Without this in place, manual control of the gears in Tiptronic mode, even with the steering wheel controls will not be possible.

Not to be a buzz-kill or anything. I think you guys should get creative and figure out a way to make it happen.

Here's what I mean:

[Kittrell]

The blocked out lighting only happens with the LED panel unplugged. It does not occur with the panel plugged in, yet without the magnets. Like I said, I am going to drive around this week and see if I run into any issues.

[AudiA4Turbo22]

I plan on doing this, I already have an alcantara covered manual shift surround that matches my recaros.

I'm just working on trying to get the LEDs to work.

[walky_talky20]

The blocked out lighting only happens with the LED panel unplugged. It does not occur with the panel plugged in, yet without the magnets. Like I said, I am going to drive around this week and see if I run into any issues.

Correct. With the panel unplugged, it notices the shifter fault right away and gives the funky position display. With it plugged in, it just won't ever know that you flipped it into Tip mode, so that mode will simply be inoperable. But certainly try it out and see what you get.

[widgget]

walky is right, the part part you removed has the magnet in it, without it the + and _ tip functions wont' work.

my thought was just to attach a boot the the silver part somehow and make a new trim around the boot.

[AudiA4Turbo22]

If you dremel the 4 tabs you can directly fit a manual shift surround and call it a day

[Kittrell]

If you dremel the 4 tabs you can directly fit a manual shift surround and call it a day

That is what my initial thought was, but I wasn't 100% and did not want to risk destroying a piece that could be useful otherwise. And what has been said is correct, the manual control is lost without the magnet, so it looks like you need the white block if you wish to retain that functionality.

[matt@oCarbon]

That is what my initial thought was, but I wasn't 100% and did not want to risk destroying a piece that could be useful otherwise. And what has been said is correct, the manual control is lost without the magnet, so it looks like you need the white block if you wish to retain that functionality.

Measure that part, I'll measure a manual shifter and see if I can make it work here.

[Kittrell]

It is 3" wide and about 4.75" deep on the top.

[matt@oCarbon]

I don't know if its going to work without attaching the boot somewhere else besides the original OE hardware.

Looking at this picture, if you remove all the tabs that jut out around the bottom edge, the hole opening would be bigger than auto shifter:



Close up of the tabs, grinding them off should not effect fit of the part:



However, looking at Kittrell's photos, I believe the top and the bottom of the mounting hardware is going to be a problem, since it hugs the bottom of the shifter:





I think the sides will still fit okay, as long as the tabs are ground out.

I'm pretty sure there is a plastic ring around the bottom of the shift boot. If this is the case, you might be able to cut off the top and the bottom of the mounting hardware, and still attach the boot ring to the side hardware and have everything still fit okay, it would just be a little loose on the top and the bottom.

[Kittrell]

Okay, small amount of progress. Finally found a trim piece cheap enough to not worry about cutting up.

Fully assembled



Less chrome bezel



Less roller door (flush)



You can see that the more you take apart the easier this is. With everything removed it fits in there, it is still tight and you have to give it some love for these tabs to clear, but it fits. The boot looks like it would clear here. I have one, just did not want to squeeze it past those clips more than once. You would have to notch the boot frame at those clips, one each side, but it would fit. Now obviously here you lose manual functionality.



With the bezel on there I think you would have to trim almost too much to make this feasible. So I believe the best route is to trim to fit with the roller door. You need those magnets for the manual mode to work. The chrome bezel is just a finishing piece, it serves no real purpose other than to house the board and LEDs. My Dremel of 10 years finally gave up the ghost, so I need to pick up a new one. Also school starts back on Monday which I attend full time, as well as 20 hours a week as a design engineer. So it is going to get real busy, real quick around here. Do not expect many updates, if any at all, until December.