As I wrote these instructions it became evident that there are way too many words, however your patience will be rewarded if this interests you at all. This is not a difficult DIY, but it can be tedious. Once you read the entire DIY I think you’ll realize the actual work part isn’t bad and there’s just a lot of info to communicate to help you avoid pitfalls and/or find an easier path. It took some trial and error to find a good path to final install. You may find that there are several paths, so please share if you can improve on what’s presented.
This is purely an aesthetic upgrade IMO. There is NO improvement over existing OEM hardware to be gained. If you’ve been following this thread, you know I have spent time wrapping the shift knob in black or carbon fiber vinyl. Vinyl wrapping looks decent but the edges peel over time and wrapping around the trim edge results in fitment issues. About a year and a half ago I found one poster in the classified selling his E70 who had replaced his E70 shift knob with a DCT shift knob, but after asking he claimed he’d post info but didn’t. Then recently I found another poster in the classifieds who was selling his E70 and he had an F-series shifter installed. He was happy to share the one critical detail needed to identify the applicable gear selectors in an ocean of bmw gear selector options. So HUGE thanks to
dlucas589 for his effort and expense with trial and error to find the key to selecting the right gear selector for our E70s.
Final install of Carbon Fiber F-Series Shift Knob into E70 X5M:
Attachment 2812078
SUMMARY:
-Purchase a used F06, F12, or F13 Gear Selector with appropriate shifter ribbon cable.
-Remove F-Series shift knob components from gear selector. Clean components and thoroughly condition leather boot.
-Modify leather boot plastic stem and trim away excess leather.
-Remove E70 gear selector from vehicle (negative battery cable disconnected prior)
-Remove E70 Shift knob and components from E70 gear selector.
-[Optional] Wrap E70 EDC trim in matte black (or preferred color) vinyl wrap of your choice.
-Cut leather boot plastic stem to exact size or glue F-Series leather boot to F-Series shift knob
-Install F-Series shift knob and leather boot onto E70 gear selector, reassemble trim components, and install back into vehicle.
INSTALLATION NOTES:
-Once this MOD is installed, it is completely reversible and you can restore your E70 OEM shift knob at any time, without removal of the entire gear selector from the vehicle.
-Unless you purchase the expensive OEM Carbon Fiber Shifter Trim (61-31-2-250-703) you may not have the m-logo on the RND glass display. The glass display is also compatible with aluminum and ceramic shifter trims. This kit requires use of a T9 torx driver for installation. I did come across third party R-N-D displays with M-logo on eBay (search ‘bmw console gear stick selector’).
-The existing E70 ribbon cable is compatible with the F-Series shift knob.
-Unless you damage the ribbon cable upon disassembly, no major gear selector disassembly is required.
-Due to the subjective nature of portions of this mod, it is required that you read instructions entirely prior to proceeding with the DIY.
-There is a handy link below that details how to disassemble and repair gear selectors.
TOOLS RECOMMENDED:
Torx Driver T6, T9, T20
Torx Socket/Wrench T25, T30
Nylon Pry Tools
Hacksaw or equivalent
Painter’s Tape
Sharp Scissors
Heat Gun
Sandpaper, Fine
Clamp, C-Type
Adhesive (IE: 3M Gasket Adhesive, #08008)
Silver Marker (to mark leather if needed)
PURCHASE GEAR SELECTOR:
-DISCLAIMER: Trial and error was required to find the appropriate gear selector, but by no means is every gear selector configuration understood. Please know there is some risk involved in purchasing a gear selector. However, I reduced this risk by selecting a 6-series gear selector that I knew was successfully being used by Dlucas589 in his E70. The gear selector I chose was from a 2012 F12 650i, P/N: 61-31-9-251-191. If you find other models that work, please post. Theoretically one could buy a brand new gear selector (~$900), however most of the applicable gear selectors have been superseded by gear selectors with new part numbers and it’s uncertain to know if you’ll get the one with the correct feature upon order.
Attachment 2812057
-When you remove your E70 shift knob circuit board you’ll see a ribbon cable with a unique-looking connector. The goal is to find an F-Series shift knob whose internal circuit board uses the same ribbon cable/connector as that found in our E70 gear selector. Below is an image of the F-Series ribbon cable and circuit board. The connector and ribbon cable look the same in the E70.
Attachment 2812058
-Many gear selectors look identical, but the internals vary. The correct gear selector has the little door located as shown in the image below. The E70 gear selector has the same door feature. There is a ribbon cable that goes from the circuit board in the shift knob to a circuit board located behind that plastic door. If the F-Series gear selector has this door, then it is very likely that it also has a similar ribbon cable and connector as the E70.
Attachment 2812059
-You do not need to swap ribbon cables. However, the E70 ribbon cable is much longer and you will have to creatively fold the ribbon cable carefully such as to avoid creasing it. Keep the F-series gear selector ribbon cable as a spare. Also, take caution when removing the shift knob. If you pull up with a lot force, upon disengagement, the connector could catch on the shift knob resulting in damage or breakage of the ribbon cable. At which point you’ll need to disassemble the F-series gear selector and the E-series gear selector to swap ribbon cables. Below I explain how I removed the shift knob with little force required to avoid damage.
-You’ll want to find a gear selector with a shift knob and boot that are best condition possible. This is not so easy as the images provided on ebay don’t provide the necessary detail. For instance, the one I selected looked to be in excellent condition based on the pix, however upon arrival it was a little less so. The knob itself had a few hard-to-see scuffs, general wear, and the leather needed conditioning.
-If you want a shift knob with ceramic trim you will want to buy a gear selector with this trim already included. Buying separately could get pricey unless you find a rare deal. You can get an applicable F06, F12, F13 gear selector for as little as $150USD with aluminum shift knob trim. Expect to pay more for cleaner, better quality shift knobs. There are third party CF trim layovers and replacements for reasonable prices (IE: AutoTechnic). There is an OEM CF trim replacement (P/N: 61-31-2-250-703) for an unreasonable $250. However, the RND m-logo glass and park button are compatible with any trim (aluminum, ceramic, carbon fiber). Unfortunately, without purchasing the CF trim you won’t have an m-logo on the new shifter. The actual important part is the shift knob shell b/c at the year models we’re looking at they can easily be beat up.
-Pay attention not to buy the wrong drive-side gear selector, LHD v. RHD, both types are out there on eBay.
DISCUSSION - OTHER BMW MODEL GEAR SELECTORS:
- There are three types of F-Series gear selectors that I know: the shift knob style installed in this DIY, the shift knob that looks very similar to the E-Series shift knob, and DCT shift knob
-As I mentioned above at least one E70 poster was able to install a DCT version, but I have no information other than what’s posted herein.
-I strongly considered the E-style looking F-Series Shift Knob because there are carbon fiber cover options (OEM and aftermarket) available. However, the oem CF version seemed to be harder to find and more expensive. Despite looking a lot like the E-Series shift knob, they are different. Without actually doing it, I believe it too can be installed if preferred and probably a bit easier since there is no leather boot to accommodate.
-These links were invaluable when doing research, so big thanks to M.Ovidiu on youtube. The first link is Gear Selector Repair and the second link shows the Differences Between F-Series and E-Series Shift Knobs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=kr9ol8cGZIw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=76jfjqFVJYY
-I discovered an OEM dry carbon fiber F-Series shift knob trim (61-31-2-250-698) that I thought would go very nicely with the leather carbon trim option in the E70 X5M. However, according to realoem, the part number doesn’t match the shift knob in the F06/F12/F13 series. They are VERY similar, but I don’t think they are compatible. It appears from images that the dry CF shift trim has an internal feature that is slightly different and possibly the overall proportions are different. I stopped there as I didn’t want to spend time and effort on it. However, it turns out this trim is compatible with some F25 (X3) and F26 (X4) gear selectors. I also found that some of the F25/F26 gear selector have the small door. However, I only had budget for one gear selector and stuck to the low-risk route of the 6-series gear selector.
- You’ll also find that some F10 5-Series gear selectors have gear selectors with the small door. I have no idea if they are compatible, but they pass the first test by having the small door.
- There are likely other models that are possibly applicable. Please post if anyone tries other variations of gear selectors that work.
REMOVE F-SERIES SHIFT KNOB:
- At upper left corner of R-N-D glass pry upwards to remove. It is only held in place by adhesive/friction.
-Remove single T6 bolt.
-Remove black LED diffuser block from shift knob.
-Pull off Aluminum/Ceramic/CF shift knob trim and P-button.
-Pull up and remove white part under P-button.
-Lift off rubber circuit board cover.
-Pull up and remove UNLOCK button assembly. Note that there is only one neon yellow damper puck.
-Gently lift up circuit board, but only lift as far up as needed to access the ribbon cable connector on back of circuit board.
-Using your fingers, disconnect ribbon cable connector from circuit board.
-Thoroughly clean all components.
Attachment 2812060
- Remove single T20 Screw fixing the shift knob shell to gear selector metal shaft.
- **CAUTION! Risk of burn and/or injury!** This step only explains how I used a heat gun to remove the shift knob and is not intended as instruction. *Reference Only*
-My first step was to try removing the shift knob without using a heat gun. -I did not grab the shift knob and just pull up with excessive force as this would have likely caught on the ribbon cable connector and caused irreparable damage. However, after applying as much force with my thumbs as I could, it didn’t budge. Then I decided to use the heat gun.
- I held the shift knob with my left hand placed my thumb over the ribbon cable at the base where it comes out with the metal shaft, as to protect the cable.
-Using a heat gun on a medium-low setting [FWIW - my heat gun has a switch for high and low settings and an adjustable dial from (-) to (+). I used low switch setting with dial turned to ¾ max], I applied heat to the area where the metal shaft and plastic shift knob interface. This is an area below my thumb position. The area I concentrated was where the single T20 screw was removed. If my thumb got hot, I knew the ribbon cable was getting heated as well. I would then move the heat gun away to ensure I did not melt or damage the ribbon cable. I heated the area for less than 10 seconds.
-Holding the gear selector against my body, I positioned my hands so that I could use both of my thumbs to press against the lower shift knob away from the gear selector. This method was intended to ensure that the shift knob only moved the length of my thumb displacement. However, you can also send it flying. SO, I positioned the shift knob an inch from a wall to ensure it did not shoot off (and damage ribbon cable) from the pressure I applied. It came off much easier than expected and required only medium to low force with my thumbs.
- Remove shift knob being careful to thread ribbon cable through shift knob thru-hole.
- Once the shift knob is removed the first time, it gets easier and easier to remove requiring little effort.
PREPARE F-SERIES LEATHER BOOT:
- On F-Series gear selector, pry four (4) tabs around rectangular leather boot surround trim and separate boot assembly from gear selector. [Image shown with leather boot already removed from trim]
Attachment 2812061
- Detach glued leather from F-series gear selector trim frame. It is lightly glued to surface so use a flat nylon pry tool to start removal, then use fingers to lift all around for remainder.
-Underneath the leather boot is a plastic stem piece that has a large dome featured disk. Cut the disk off at its base, so that the longest possible plastic stem remains. A thin blade would be best, I used a hacksaw and sandpaper. I’ve since purchased a Suizan 5” Japanese Style Pull Saw for finer cuts. NOTE: this is not the final length of the plastic stem.
Attachment 2812062
-The leather boot had minor water stains and it can be sometimes hard to capture in pictures. See before image below, the white areas are stains not reflection. Condition leather as needed with Leatherique or equivalent. I can’t recommend Leatherique enough for this step. It is a serious conditioner and works really well on this particular piece of leather. I applied Leatherique rejuvenator on the top and back of the leather and let it sit a couple days wrapped in Saran Wrap. Then I used pristine clean to remove the rejuvenator which by this point had pushed all the dirt to the surface.
Attachment 2812063
E70 GEAR SELECTOR REMOVAL:
- While the leather conditioner sits, it’s time to remove the E70 shifter assembly from the vehicle.
- Disconnect the negative battery cable.
- Starting at the front left corner of the shifter surround trim, pry up the corner using a pry tool until you hear the clip disengage. Continue around the trim piece prying up clips. These clips are particularly sturdy and it requires some good effort to unclip. Be careful not to damage your interior trim when prying…place some cardboard between the pry tool and the trim.
- Use a T30 socket and drive to remove the four long screws at the corners.
Attachment 2812064
- Lift the gear selector up and disconnect the e-brake and gear selector connectors.
- Using a T-20 driver to remove four screws and lift off the aluminum trim piece that holds the e-brake module.
Attachment 2812065
-The assembly that is left is actually made of two pieces, one is the gear selector and the other is a frame. Remove the three (3) T25 screws to separate the frame from the gear selector. One screw is front center and the other two are rear left, down in a pocket. Without this step you won’t be able to remove the EDC trim.
Attachment 2812066
- From the EDC button you can follow a cable to underneath the gear selector. Disconnect this cable so that the EDC Trim can be full separated from the gear selector upon removal.
- Using a T-20 Driver, remove the three (3) screws that mount the EDC Trim to gear selector.
Attachment 2812068
-Consider wrapping the E70 EDC trim piece in 3M 2080 M22 Matte Deep Black vinyl wrap or a color of your preference. I’ve been running mine in matte black for a while b/c it just seemed to break up the bright aluminum in the center console. I recommend doing so in black because it won’t immediately draw your eye to the leather boot stuffed in the EDC trim, FWIW.
Attachment 2812069
- Installation of E70 gear selector is reverse of removal.
PROPERLY SIZE F-SERIES LEATHER BOOT FOR INSTALL:
-When I disassembled the shift knob from the F-Series gear selector I found out the leather assembly was not fixed to the shift knob. Maybe it was supposed to be connected, I don’t know. As I understand, the F-Series leather boot, when installed fully, fits snugly against the bottom of the shift knob because the plastic stem and dome feature are properly sized such that the leather boot is clamped between the F-series gear selector and F-Series shift knob.
-For this DIY, we need to mimic this assembly so that the leather boot doesn’t sag or misalign with shift knob. This can be accomplished with the options below. I begin with Option 1, cut too much off the stem, and then out of need decided to go the Option 2 route.
-OPTION 1 - Properly cut the remaining plastic stem (without disk feature) to a length that will result in resembling the clamping of the OEM installation. IE: the leather boot will be clamped between the F-Series shift knob and E70 gear selector upon final assembly. There may be better methods than what I post below.
-Note that the F-Series shift knob is fully seated on the gear selector metal shaft when: 1) the T-20 bolt thru hole on the shift knob aligns with the thread hole on the metal shaft and 2) the metal shaft sits approx. .071” below being flush with shift knob socket.
-Assemble the F-Series leather boot and shift knob onto the E70 gear selector. The first time you do this (assuming steps above followed) the boot plastic stem will bottom out on a gear selector feature and the shift knob will not be able to be fully installed. Measure the depth the metal shaft sits below shift knob socket, subtract 0.71” and the resultant is how much to cut off the plastic stem. Account for blade thickness.
-Repeat as necessary until the exact length is found and the F-Series shift knob can be full installed such that the boot is sufficiently clamped between the E70 gear selector and F-Series Shift Knob.
- IF you’ve cut too much off the plastic stem or the boot is not clamped sufficiently, don’t worry, it’s hard to get this exact. Go to OPTION 2.
-OPTION 2 - Use adhesive to glue the leather boot to the shift knob. Perform this step only after the boot leather has been trimmed to float. This step should ideally be the last step performed before final assembly of the F-Series shift knob onto the E70 gear selector.
-Before proceeding with this step, complete ‘TRIMMING BOOT LEATHER TO FLOAT’ in the section below.
-If not already done so from OPTION 1, ensure enough of the plastic stem is removed such that the F-Series shift knob can be installed fully seated onto the E70 gear selector metal shaft.
-Use 3M Gasket Adhesive #08008 and a C-Clamp to glue the shift knob and leather boot together. Clamp for about 12 hours at room temperature. Note there may be better adhesive options out there.
-The glued F-Series boot and shift knob are now ready for FINAL ASSEMBLY.
Attachment 2812070
TRIMMING BOOT LEATHER TO FLOAT:
-The objective here is to identify and cut the exact area of leather to remove so that the leather boot “floats” freely within the EDC trim and allows the F-Series shift knob to be freely actuated in all directions. Cutting too much, then the leather edges can be easily seen or pop out of the EDC trim thru-hole. Cutting too little will result in the leather being clamped in place by the fastened EDC trim. If the leather is clamped, this will result in 1) prevention of the EDC trim from sitting flush with the aluminum e-brake trim and 2) tension that the shift knob will fight against during normal operation.
- NOTE: This step assumes the plastic stem in the leather boot is either 1) not the full length of stem resulting from disk removal earlier and/or 2) cut to the exact length via Option1 and/or 3) cut to sufficiently shorter length so as not to impede F-Series shift knob from fully being installed onto E70 gear selector.
-Stuff the leather from the leather boot into the EDC trim and loosely position the EDC trim and boot into its place on the E70 gear selector.
-Fully install the F-Series shift knob onto E70 gear selector metal shaft. If it does not fully seat then likely the boot plastic stem has not yet been cut down or is too long.
-Ensure the boot is properly oriented with respect to shift knob. Using blue painter’s tape or equivalent, secure the leather boot to the shift knob. Note the notch on the boot to accommodate the shift knob trim piece.
-Pull leather slack through EDC trim such that leather just under shift knob looks relaxed.
-Bolt EDC trim in place. If necessary, cut off excess leather outside footprint of EDC trim to allow EDC trim to be bolted in place. Let sit overnight. Note, only tighten the EDC trim bolts, do not torque down fully. This step serves only to clamp the leather in place so that a clamping mark remains, thus indicating where to cut excess leather. Torquing fully will strain the EDC trim and could cause damage.
Attachment 2812071
-After some time, remove the tape from the leather boot and shift knob. Remove the shift knob. Unfasten the EDC trim and separate the leather boot from the EDC trim piece and gear selector. You will see a compressed ring mark on the leather where it was clamped in place.
Attachment 2812072
-Using sharp scissors, cut along the outside of the ring to remove excess leather. Maybe an 1/8”-1/4” outside the ring is sufficient, but you will need to test yourself. If you cut too far outside of the ring mark, you’ll have too much excess leather and 1) once tucked in could bulge out or 2) it could get clamped by the EDC trim and impede shift knob actuation. Know that you may have to tuck the leather into the EDC trim hole after the EDC trim is bolted in place to avoid clamping any of the leather boot. If you cut too far inside of the ring, you won’t have enough leather. I don’t recommend cutting inside of the ring mark. If you do, then you risk the leather edges popping out of the EDC trim piece when actuating the shift knob during normal operation. My cut recommendations are based on trial and error after I proceeded with the leather clamped in place. Doing so resulted in the shift knob being in tension each time I tried to select a gear. Note in the images my final cut is not completely circular but only because of previous trial and error activities.
-NOTES: In the boot images below: 1) my cut is not completely circular due to previous trial and error activities and 2) my original cut was just inside the ring mark which resulted in trimming too much. So again, cut some amount outside the ring mark and I think you will be good. I completely defer to your own trial and error measurements when cutting the boot.
- OPTIONAL: On the back side of the leather, consider using adhesive on the stitching/seam to keep it from unraveling over time.
-Install the boot after the EDC trim is bolted in place.
Attachment 2812073
Attachment 2812074
FINAL ASSEMBLY:
-From here it goes quickly, you already did the hard part.
-Install the EDC Trim to the E70 gear selector loosely.
-Route the EDC button connector down the side of the gear selector and mate the connector.
-Install the frame back onto the gear selector using the three (3) T25 bolts.
-Install the glued F-Series shift knob and boot onto the E70 Gear Selector metal shaft.
-Fasten shift knob to shaft with the single T20 bolt.
-Push the boot leather into the EDC Trim thru-hole and mount the EDC trim using the three T20 bolts.
Attachment 2812075
-Install the four (4) T-20 bolts to secure the aluminum shifter surround trim.
-On the shift knob, install the UNLOCK button assembly carefully routing around ribbon cable.
-Connect ribbon cable to circuit board noting that the connector is keyed.
-Simultaneously position circuit board and ensure ribbon cable is folded and not creased. The excess length of the ribbon cable should sit double folded and require a bit of attention to get right. See image showing folding of ribbon cable as described.
Attachment 2812076
-Install rubber cover over circuit board.
-Install white part under P-Button
-Install P-button on shift knob trim cover. Consider using blue painter’s tape to hold P-button upon install of shift knob trim cover.
-Install shift knob trim cover onto shift knob.
-Install black LED diffuser block into trim cover.
-Fasten T-6 screw.
-Install RND top cover. Apply adhesive if needed.
-Install E70 gear selector back into vehicle in reverse order of disassembly.
Attachment 2812077
Attachment 2812079
Attachment 2812089
-END.