Replacing horn and gear stick insert

[richardmarin]

I've had a 54 CC Dci for a few months now and love it. Just two problems though - can anyone please advise?
1. The horn sounds like Brum or a toy car for those that haven't heard of brum - not cool! I've had a look underneath and under the bonnet and with all that plastic in the way could not find the horn. I guess that Renault would charge a fortune to change but has anyone else changed the horn?
2. The insert on the gear stick looks really shabby as the previous owner has somehow worn off the numbers? Any ideas where I might get a replacement one from. The car has 6 speeds?

[davelowe]

Never changed the horn, but you can access it on mine by removing the bumper. About 5 10mm bolts underneath, remove all the plastic under the bonnet, unclip at the top (two places), disconnect fog lamps.

The gear stick knob is a challenge. Read other posts. Most people seem to resort to sawing it off and fitting something else. Apparently it can be pulled off, but from memory the guy who posted it nearly knocked his bollocks off straddling the thing and tugging!

[ChrisM]

I have read somewhere the horn can be accessed from the front grill, you need a flat blade screwdriver and a cloth to protect the bumper paint from damage apparantly you can prise out the grill and get in at the horn, bit tight but doable so they say, need to do mine actually, as it is so pathetic now you can hardly hear it, I belive the horn is aluminium and the alloy corodes in the damp weather so you get that powder type deposit in side the hornm it needs taking out and tapping on the floor to clear all the "crap" out of the trumpet, then they say it is fine again.
Now the gear stick, I know what you mean mine is not to bad, but I looked at quite a few cars before I bought this one and most had no numbers left, seems a regular problem they look like they are just painted on, I don't think you can remove the plate, which is a another silly renault idea, I think you need to buy a new knob, VW do a plate for the top of the knob as it will obviously ware, Renault don't, however whilst searching web for a rear window regulator I am sure I came across someone selling caps for them that you stick over the origonal one, quite possibly Ebay, I think a knob from Renault (to coin a prase) is around £50

[mr. megane]

The gear stick knob is a challenge. Read other posts. Most people seem to resort to sawing it off and fitting something else. Apparently it can be pulled off, but from memory the guy who posted it nearly knocked his bollocks off straddling the thing and tugging!

You don't have to remove the whole gear knob to replace the insert. Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry out the old gear knob insert and replace with a new one. Very easy!
They appear on Ebay regularly but unfortunately in small numbers.

[ChrisM]

Use a small flathead screwdriver to pry out the old gear knob insert and replace with a new one.

Aaaa so you can get them off, but are they easy, the guy selling the discs that I saw was telling you to glue them over the top of the old one because the old one is so well stuck you end up damaging the leather around it.
As I say though it was something I didn't pay that much attention to as it didn't concern me at the time and still doesn't as of yet, as mine is still ok but no doubt I will have to "have it off" as they say in the future when it wears all its numbers off and looks tacky, so bit more interesting stored knowledge for that "just in case" folder.

[mr. megane]

I suppose there is a chance of damaging the leather but as the gear knob in my car is rubber it wasn't a problem.

[comicbookguy]

hey guys! this is my first post! just bought a 55plate 1.6vvt dynamique which was mint except for the usual very worn gear knob centre. i am looking for a replacement at the moment, but i've managed a temporary fix if you dont mind not having the shift pattern printed on the gear knob

the gear knob centre is NOT stick on! it is a recessed plastic moulding about 7mm deep with barb clips on each of the 2 long sides.
to remove it, i pushed a blunt (cutlery type) knife straight down the left hand side of the insert to release one of the clips and gently levered it out. (i was hoping to find a vertical screw or bolt down the middle of the gearstick to release the OEM gearknob, but no luck there)
after removal, i roughed up the surface with a green scourer and applied 2 coats of silver plasticote spray (which i had hanging around).

after letting the paint dry overnight i simply pushed the insert back into place.

the paint i used is a slightly different silver to the gaiter surround ring, but a better match to the honecomb pattern dashboard plate fitted to my car, so if this fix becomes permanent i will probably spray the gaiter ring to match

[lee00069]

hi everyone,
i own 2 2005 megane 1.6 cc's.
Both had the problem with the gear knob numbers fading away so i went to a yard where there are some wrecked renaults, i pulled the gear knob centre off a scenic (because mine is 5 speed and the scenics have the silver insert the 1.6 megane hatch and sedan is black ). was very easy to remove without damaging the leather. all you need is a small screw driver. Just a warning, dont lift it up where the stitching is rather do it on the sides because you may ruin the stitching, like i did on the scenic.

good luck