[TunedIn]

Yeah, I know, it's a strange question, but here's the deal: I've owned my 2012 535i with M-Sport package for 8 months now, and I love it. Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, I let my younger brother drive it, and he thought it was fantastic, EXCEPT he hated how the shift knob could be rotated about 45 degrees both clockwise and counterclockwise. I had NEVER noticed this, and can't imagine why he or anyone would decide to rotate the knob, but it certainly does rotate. He asked my BMW dealer (San Diego BMW), who confirmed that it should not rotate. My brother currently owns a nice collection of older, manual transmission cars, including a 1978 Ferrari 308, Porsche 914, Porsche 911, 1971 Corvette, and even a stick shift DeLorean (!), and he swears that none of those cars' shift knobs rotate. So before I bring this up with my Service Adviser when I'm in for a visit, I thought I'd check on 5Post. So, if you own an F10 5-series with a manual transmission, can you please check to see if the shift knob rotates and report back ? THANKS !

[ryyster]

I've had my car for almost a year and it does not rotate at all.

[Rbembas_M3]

I have a 2011 535i and no problems with my knob rotating

[mdobin]

No rotation here. My car has been mine for 13 months.

[Bucaro]

No rotation here...

[copello]

No rotation here either....

[sj_carr]

No, mine does not rotate

[Keyser Soze]

Mine either

[alextremo]

Never tried.

[TunedIn]

Thanks for all the responses. Sounds like my brother was correct, my shift knob should NOT rotate. I think I'll stop by San Diego BMW after work tomorrow and have them take a quick look. Hopefully it's an easy fix that I can wait for. If they don't agree that there's a problem, I'm gonna show 'em this thread ! Thanks again.

[ibimmer346]

If they give you trouble, go to Encinitas. That's my "home" dealership. And it's probably closer to you in Del Mar anyway. And, no, my 6MT shift knob doesn't rotate. If you'd like to see it, we can get together sometime. I work in the Del Mar area.

[TunedIn]

Originally Posted by ibimmer346

If they give you trouble, go to Encinitas. That's my "home" dealership. And it's probably closer to you in Del Mar anyway. And, no, my 6MT shift knob doesn't rotate. If you'd like to see it, we can get together sometime. I work in the Del Mar area.

Thanks. I took my 2001 740i in to Encinitas BMW for service a few times and the service department did a fine job. Although they're a little closer to Del Mar, I work in the Miramar area so it's easier to drop my car off at San Diego BMW in the morning. Also, my service advisers at SD BMW are exceptional, esp. Brad Lawn and Glen Widdop, both of whom I've worked with for many years.

[TunedIn]

I brought my 535i in this morning to BMW San Diego, and my service adviser fixed the loose gearshift knob as I waited. Turns out that either during manufacture or sometime after I had taken delivery the shift knob had simply popped out of the "socket" which the post coming out from the transmission is pressure fitted to. He had a new part to show me what the socket looked like in the shift knob, which you can see when you turn the knob upside down. He applied some manual force to the knob and seated it firmly onto the transmission post, where it snapped into the socket. So, problem solved, and the knob is now on solidly and doesn't rotate at all. My brother will be pleased.