I was just wondering, does the shift knob for any year TL/RL fit our car? I have a leather wrapped stock one, and its wearing out. I just want something classy/a litte nicer looking. Also, I think I've seen a post where ppl have taken paint thinner to the plate around the shifter and that brings out chrome...is this true? If so, I need to do it, now.

 

Not sure but I replaced my shift knob with a Eichbahn one. Chrome it looks really cool and classy.

 

yea im pretty sure an rl or tl shift knob will fit most people have gotten the wooden shiftknob from acura to match the trim

 

Any RL, TL, CL or MDX knob will fit.

 

i know the wood knob from the RL won't fit the 2nd gen TL's.

 

I'm going to have to look into that then. thanks guys! Anyone have any advice on the chrome plate at all?

 

its easy just take out the plate and stip the paint off. its chrome under it. just know that it scratches and smudges easy

 

Cool, I will be careful. Thanks for the info!!

 

its the easiest mod i ever did in the world... just take off the plate and put it into a container and spray it w/ graffitti remover... let it sit and it will wipe off and just clean w/ water...

and btw... that shift knob is a second gen that i had to custom fit...

 

Thats awesome. Thanks KaMLuNg!

 

How hard is it to remove the shift plate? Do you pry it off?

 

Its easy yet tough. I'll explain.

Put your seats all the way back. Take out the ashtry, remove screws. Remove screws to the sides of the center console (where the seats would normally be in the way).

Open up the center console (both levels) Take out the felt bottom, pry open (gently) the lid. Remove screws.


Now you can take apart the center console. You'll notice the shift plate pops up from beneath.

 

Don't even have to do that, you can pry off the plastic trim arount the shift plate by hand carefully and then pop out the shift plate. You can either do as everyone says and use the graffiti remover or you can spend $17 and oreder a shift plate from an '04 RL, fits perfect and is already chrome, that's what I did. Looks really nice! As for the shifter itself, most honda/acura ones should fit, or an aftermarket one. They usuall work with set-screws, so the aftermarket ones will fit a wider range of shift levers.

 

Thats good to know

I already had the center console apart at the time (was cleaning the carpets)

 

I gotta do that too...think I'll be taking a day off work this week to spend on the car. Since I can't get any time on the weekends ever...G/F always has SOMETHING planned....

 

lol, well since I ordered the wrong part, i'm going to try graffetti remover first and see how that goes, but I have a feeling I'll order a new shiftgate down the road. I just wish I had a place where I could order them in town, and most websites wont order just that. As far as the shift knobs are concerned, when they have set screws, the new know will just basically screw or bite into the lever right?

 

Yup. They will have a bunch of different sized plastic inserts. Find the one that makes the tightest fit to the shift lever and then the set screws will bite into the lever itself. Word of advise, may not be so bad on an automatic as you are not pulling it all the time or power shifting or anything, but I always put thread lock in the set screws on my 'Teg cause the shifter would always come loose...came off in my hand on a 2-3 power shift on the spray one time during a race...smashed my hand into the stereo!!! LOL Laffin now, but wasn't so funny at the time!!!

 

LOL, damn man, that would not be cool at all, i could totally see myself doing the same thing. thanks for the advice man, I'll make sure to watch for that.

 

How in the world do I pop the shift plate off?? I pryed out the plastic surrounding the shift plate but I was stuck once I was there. It seems like it's very snug fit. Please help me out!!!

 

Same thing happened to me...its actually held on each of the four corners...but I started at the front and just pryed at the side with a small knife, and just tried to pop it off. It was a littler harder than I wanted it to be too...but I didnt break mine...just be really careful.

 

I just went to the Acura dealership to get some stuff. I also tossed in there an 04 RL shift plate.

Actually the guy and I didn't know exactly what we were talking about so we looked at the diagram and ordered a "Shift cover, Escutche" Is that the correct part?

 

Yes it is



Number 22 is what you ordered

 

Yes!

No returns on special order parts...

I was close to getting 26 but that seemed too removed from the cover part.

 

ahh, i hate the word pry, just be smart and undo it all, it will save you in the long run

 

I finally did it today!!! Since I had to take the center console out anyway because I was hardwiring my redar detector so I "pried" the plate off, which, IMO, cannot be accomplished without taking the center console out. Ran some paint stripper I found in the automotive department at Wally World and voila! Chromed shift plate. It's really nice!! The interior, IMO, looks a lot more luxurious. Thanks very much for this idea, guys!!!

 

does anyone else here actually like the black shifter?

i love it

 

I like it but mines fading... don't know why... it is an automatic and should only be used about 3 times in 1 drive... 1 to shift from park to reverse... 1 to shift to drive... and 1 to shift back to park... why mine is wearing out... might be the fact that i rest my hand on it like if it was a MT... wood shifter sounds nice...

 

I like the black shifter too. But I did do the 04 RL chrome "mod."

 

I have the stock black leather shifter knob. I like it. I think it looks better with chrome shift plate than wood, looks a lot more classy. IMO, that's way too much wood if I put a wood shift knob.

 

HOw much is the wood knob and the chrome shift plate if you were to buy it from the dealer? any estimate? Thanks

 

Shift plate was 22 and some change for me.

 

Here's a pic of mine with the black leather knob. When I get some money, I'll think about changing it to a wood knob.

 

Nice! Looks just like mine!

 

I paid $18 CDN for the RL shiftgate.

 

I don't understand why you guys would go buy one from an RL for $22 or whatever the dealer charges. You can just go to Wal-Mart and get some paint stripper for $4 then spend about 20 minutes of your time taking the paint off. IMO, it's a lot more economical than buying a brand new plate.

I'm not trying to start a fight here, but again, it's just my 2 cents.

 

I agree, except that I tried to strip it with my hugh speed buffer and actually stripped the CHROME off in some spots as well!! (Plastic heats up a little TOO quick with that thing!) SO instead of buying a TL gate to strip again, I just bught the RL one. If I hadn't have been so lazy and had jumped in my car to go to Crappy tire to buy the stripper, I would have saved $10.

 

Shift plate can DEFINATELY be removed w/o removing the console. just have to be careful and have the right tools.