I just got my car today and The shifter struck me as odd. It has 6 small clear circles on the top of it that looks just like LEDs same size and everything. I was wondering if anyone know anything about Ractive Shift nobs The logo had strange swishes on each side. They could be letters but didn't seam like it. the name in the middle is Ractive. Here are some pics of the nob. The black piece on the midle seams to be a button, more reason to think this is an LED shifter. Now the only problem is I have no idea how to get this sucker off. It doesn't want to twist and I can't find pins. If anyone could help me with Identification of this nob or removal/wiring instructions please chime in (I haven't been able to turn them off if that's what they are)

Anyway, Pic time!

that bottom piece that says ractive unscrews, and slides down then revels 3-4 hex screws. ive got a ractive knob (not like that horrid thing) and thats how it works.

it should be led's.
press the circle in the middle and see if it depresses or makes a click sensation.

you can also just try to unscrew it.

yeah the bottom portin unscrews and theres 3 pins that you need an allen key to take off... i had one but once i installed the short shifter the height of the knob made it just as high as oen so it defeated the purpose... and the circles are led's and it can go in 3 different patterns as you press the button in the center..


You Know How It Is

well the LEDs don't work I've pressed the button, and held the button with no success. It looks like the nob can be opened in the middle so I'm wondering if it has a battery that needs to be replaced.. if so, how do get it open like that? Also Thanks

Yeah there's a battery inside, 2 of the actually

when u take it apart, it will just be this little circular IC board underneath. It's not glued on or anything so be careful so u don't knock it over. Batteries just slide out. Go to the local store and buy 2 more.

THe common problem with these knobs are that acfter a while the connections and contacts for the LEDS get loose, so they don't work probably.


My HONEST suggestion, since I used to have this knob, is to BUY ANOTHER ONE. Get a Razo or Momo knob. They work better. More expensive, but better products.

well right now I'm broke so I'll have to put up with this one. How does the nob it's self come appart so you can get to the barreries? Since I'm stuck with it I might as well have it light up! Thanks for your help. As soon as I have the money I'm get a better nob, but that may be a bit. First things on my list are Body kit and paint. (Please don't say My car will be rice or criticize doing the body kit I don't care. I want a car that looks good, not goes fast. and I like the body kit I'm looking at)

unscrew the top portion of the knob.. you ca see the line on it that suggests that it's not just 1 piece.. just grab above that and twist it..


You Know How It Is

Seriously man, can you help yourself AT all? If the fuc*in thing looks like it comes apart, doesnt it come across your mind to try to unscrew it. Isnt that obvious. And when you asked how to take the knob off, you can clearly tell by looking at it that the bottom is a separate piece and it will unscrew. And like 99% of aftermarket knobs are attached by set screws, dont you think that is how it is attached? Try helping yourself sometime before you come on here asking no brainer questions that are annoying to most members, you may get great satisfaction. I am sorry for the harshness but seriously man. When you asked the first question about how it was attached to the shaft, I thought it was obvious but let it slide, then you ask about how the top comes apart, especially since the bottom screwed off, dont you think they would do the same for the top? These are some simple questions you have to ask yourself while working on a car.

Well Thank you. I'm 16 and have never really thought to study about how to get off after-market Shift nobs. I was told for a stock 00 Cavalier now you have to ether cut it or rip it out. I've never done this so I didn't know if this one would be the same. As for the top part, I tried unscrewing it. I figured I'd ask you all about it before I break it trying to unscrew it. I'm just a noob, alright? Sorry I'm annoying you with wanting to keep my car's parts intact, and, ya know, trying to educate myself on the matter.

Fst Cavy wrote:Seriously man, can you help yourself AT all? If the fuc*in thing looks like it comes apart, doesnt it come across your mind to try to unscrew it. Isnt that obvious. And when you asked how to take the knob off, you can clearly tell by looking at it that the bottom is a separate piece and it will unscrew. And like 99% of aftermarket knobs are attached by set screws, dont you think that is how it is attached? Try helping yourself sometime before you come on here asking no brainer questions that are annoying to most members, you may get great satisfaction. I am sorry for the harshness but seriously man. When you asked the first question about how it was attached to the shaft, I thought it was obvious but let it slide, then you ask about how the top comes apart, especially since the bottom screwed off, dont you think they would do the same for the top? These are some simple questions you have to ask yourself while working on a car.

Normally... I don't respond to stuff like this... but... I'm going to.

<rant>

Cut the kid a break, it's his first car. Not everyone has this tremendous wealth of knowledge about cars at 16. Hell when I got my first Sunfire (and I was 20 at the time) I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get the darn headlights out to change the bulb (any car I owned before that you could just reach behind them and unscrew where the bulb was and just take it out) That's when I REALLY started learning about cars, and was directed to this site so I could learn more about my vehicle.

It may sound like a "stupid" question to you... but how many "newbs"/"n00bs/whatever come on this site and don't even take the time to ASK the proper way to do something... they just wing it, mess something up... and then when they can't figure anything else out THEN come on here... and people flame them for not asking the right way to do it to begin with. He wants to make sure he doesn't mess anything up... what's wrong with that??

If you've never had an aftermarket shifter knob before, it might not just pop into your head what to do with it. Had I not put on my first aftermarket knob in my Sunfire (may she rest in peace wherever she is now) myself, I probably wouldn't have thought to unscrew the bottom...

If you're learning about cars, the best way to learn is to ask people that know more about them than you do. That doesn't stop people who DO NOT know what they're talking about from responding (I see this a lot in the exterior forum... gets on my nerves... if you don't know the answer don't respond! lol... I'm getting off topic there).

He did the right thing by asking before attempting... I can't even count how many posts I've seen in my 5 1/2 years on here where people attempt things, screw them up, then come on here for help and people bitch at them for not asking the right way to do things first. What may be "obvious" to you may not be "obvious" to someone else, just as what's "obvious" to someone else might not be "obvious" to you.

I get a ton of what some people may call "stupid questions" asked to me all the time about body work. Some answers seem obvious or self explanatory to me, but unless it's a REALLY dumb question asked by someone who won't listen to advice... I'll take the time to answer it because I'd rather have the person know the RIGHT answer, than try to work with something on their own, mess it up, then come back later and ask how to get themselves out of a jam... when they've ended up screwing it up more than it originally to begin with. There's a person in the exterior forum I don't think I'm going to bother answering questions for anymore because they don't listen to begin with.

Jaser's asked me questions about body stuff already, and unlike a lot of people on here he's actually listened to the advice I gave. If he was given false or bad information, he'd ask about it, and I'd explain why it's bad advice and explain the right way... no arguments, just wants to learn... and there's nothing wrong with wanting to learn things the right way.

Sure... I get tired sometimes of seeing the same questions 1000000 times over and over after 5 1/2 years... but I stop, and remember that there was a time when I didn't know jack shiz about cars myself and had to learn. I'm still learning myself. I'm pretty well off when it comes to exterior related issues, but I'm still learning about engine related things (especially since I have an import now) and researching forced induction... it's a process... and if you don't like seeing the same questions and arn't going to help out someone who wants to learn things the right way... be it as complicated as a motor rebuild or as simple as a shifter knob... don't read the post... and don't answer.

</rant>

sorry for the rant... it just bugs me that people on here bitch about someone just winging it and doing things the wrong way and asking for help later... and yet if they ask for help in the beginning they get bitched at too. It's his first car... he's excited about it and wants to learn... sheesh...

oh Jaser... don't take the "kid" comment in a bad way... I have 10 years on ya so it just comes out that way LOL

I wasnt yelling at him. I obviously could tell he wasnt experienced, but some people just need an eye opener. All he had to do was make an effort, and by those two questions, there was no effort, and if he wants to get any better with automobiles, hes going to have to take things in his own hands at some point. I am sorry if you were offended.

Jaser, if u want to take the knob off:

at the bottom of the shift knob, that little ring, where the Ractive logo's on?? that should be a metal ring u can twist off. Sometimes it can be tough. Under that ring should be screws, 3 or 4 that u can unscrew using a hex alan key. Just go buy one of those sets that come on a rotating handle. It should be good.

If u REALLY have problems, depending on where u live, take it to your local Canadian Tire/Pep Boys/Lordco/Parts store. Ractive's a pretty broad brand. They shouild all know how to take it off 'cuz for aftermarket knobs, that's pretty much the only way to put them on.

There should be a line, separating ur knob RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, imagine it as the line that splits the spherical part of the knob in 2. Grab the top half, and grab the bottom half, make sure your hands don't grip that line, and twist with all your might. That should get it undone.

Good luck. PM me if u need further details.

Fst Cavy wrote:I wasnt yelling at him. I obviously could tell he wasnt experienced, but some people just need an eye opener. All he had to do was make an effort, and by those two questions, there was no effort, and if he wants to get any better with automobiles, hes going to have to take things in his own hands at some point. I am sorry if you were offended.

I was simply stating that there's too many "JBO vets" jump on people for not asking first... but then people get jumped on for asking first anyway. I'd rather have someone ask a question they're uncertain of to make sure they don't mess something up to begin with, than not ask, screw something up, THEN ask after they've made it more difficult than it could have been to begin with.

i agree with angel, cut the kid some slack, even if he hasnt changed his username yet....

jase you know you can hit me up anytime, i think ive been helpful thus far

I agree with Fallen Angel, this comes down to common sense, and a shiftknob is pretty important, he already said he couldn't twist it off and he couldn't find the screws, and now hes stuck, so if you think its a pointless post THEN DONT REPLY

This is Jaser. I changed my name and am going to see how I like it.

Thanks for defending me. I admit that I should have figured out that the center of the nob (For the LEDS) unscrewed, but the bottom looked like pure decoration to me. I finally got the top of the nob undone. It came lose, but it was very hard. I need to find time to get to walmart for a battery

(In other news, I just got my bumper, crush-guard, muffler, and trunk tension bars for $95)

if u get the time take off the knob and cut right under were the knob ends and then put the knob back on.. its a cheap way to make ur car look better instead of paying the money for a short shifter... that has nothing to do with ur problem but i did it and it looked good in my last cavy

Matt Lynch wrote:I agree with Fallen Angel, this comes down to common sense, and a shiftknob is pretty important, he already said he couldn't twist it off and he couldn't find the screws, and now hes stuck, so if you think its a pointless post THEN DONT REPLY

Excuse me? Yes since the shift knob is sooooooooo important, you cant drive without it, and if you put in some effort and scratch it a bilt trying to figure it out, the car will be totalled, wow, this thread is full of sensative grandmas.

Fst Cavy wrote:

Matt Lynch wrote:I agree with Fallen Angel, this comes down to common sense, and a shiftknob is pretty important, he already said he couldn't twist it off and he couldn't find the screws, and now hes stuck, so if you think its a pointless post THEN DONT REPLY

Excuse me? Yes since the shift knob is sooooooooo important, you cant drive without it, and if you put in some effort and scratch it a bilt trying to figure it out, the car will be totalled, wow, this thread is full of sensative grandmas.

Who said anything about being sensitive? I only pointed out that you slammed the guy for asking a question... when a lot of the time vets are "slamming" people for not asking FIRST and then messing something up later. Talk about sensitive, look in the mirror.

Let see how fast you can drive a five speed with a 1/2 inch peice of metal, DUH

[quote=Fallen Angel
Who said anything about being sensitive? I only pointed out that you slammed the guy for asking a question... when a lot of the time vets are "slamming" people for not asking FIRST and then messing something up later. Talk about sensitive, look in the mirror.

Me, sensative? The only person in this thread getting on the guy about trying a bit? I dont call that sensative, I call sensative, the people that get on another person about being too "harsh", and I wasnt even being harsh, I was steering him in the right direction, no spoon feeding him here. I think if you asked anybody, they would rather have somebody try first, not just looking at it for 10 seconds and giving up either, actually touching the thing, looking where the splice lines are, wiggling it, seeing if it unscrews, that kind of trying. I am sorry, I dont see removing an aftermarket shiftknob a question that needs to be asked, I am sorry. And if it is, then....I think he shouldnt be working on a car, to be blunt, but I would be willing to bet, that if he really tried, he wouldnt have asked the question. I am done with this now.

kyle pascarella wrote:if u get the time take off the knob and cut right under were the knob ends and then put the knob back on.. its a cheap way to make ur car look better instead of paying the money for a short shifter... that has nothing to do with ur problem but i did it and it looked good in my last cavy

no thats just tacky. if you cut the stock down your not doing anything of performance value just the looks department. buy a short shifter and kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

had to chime in and let Fst Cavy know how big of a dumbass he is..... i hate people like him!! They think that everyone should be smart and know everything already.....do you ever think about how you keep things going? Yea by teaching us "noobs", the next generation of car enthusiasts! and good rant Fallen Angel lol

i am also in Jaser's boat, im 17 and just bought my first nice new car. My 2000 Cav z24 and its a learning experience every day. But i want to learn and i dont want to get @!#$ on every time i have a small question about something just to make sure im doing it the right way and not half assing it

im sure he feels the same way as me

well, u guys can ask me. I'm prety ok with certain cavi things =D