Sorry, maybe should have made a two threads...

1. Anyway, had a shocker of a day today. Went to install an airhorn with the help of a friend in my TL. Was all going good until i got to the gear knob (manual). I've taken it off a couple times before with no dramas, but it wouldn't come off at all today. From memory it comes off anti-clockwise? but we tried both directions and no luck. It was going 2cm either way to begin with and now it wont budge at all. We even used a shifter and managed to turn it a few times but it didnt seem to be going up or down and we are just damaging the leather. We also tried WD40 and no luck. HOW THE HELL DO WE GET IT OFF? Our guess is that the actual leather part had disconnected from the thread of the knob as its now a bit out of shape. When i put it back on last time i only did it hand tight (and not even that tight). Spent a good our trying to get it off :( I am willing to destroy it and buy a new one if need be....

2. Secondly, it started pouring later in the day while i was driving. Turned on the windscreen wipers and it was making a scratching noise. Turns out the metal part on the left wiper had slipped off and scratched the glass. The scratch isnt that deep at all (thinner then a finger nail), but its very obvious from the inside of the car. Is there any way i can fix this (ie. buff it out ? :P) The glass is factory tinted. If not, how much is a new tinted windscreen/is it worth replacing?

Sorry for all the reading, but its been a **** day :(

With the gear knob is there any chance it was cross threaded when it was put on last time? That can cause hell come the next time you try to remove it.
Not sure if it will be any good for the glass on the windscreen but I was put onto PlastX from meguiars(its like a cut and polish for clear plastic) by a member for my parras and it worked a treat.
Hope it helps a bit, I hate days like this.

Luke

Gear knob - Use a rag and a big set of multigrips. Thats what i did to mine to get it off it turns anti clockwise for sure.

I very much doubt you will have any success in polishing your windscreen. Putting any sort of wax or polish on your windscreen is also not the best idea, it can smear/haze and lower your visibility in sunny conditions. I have also seen galss that has been professionally buffed that has been left with 'buffing trails' or swirls/holograms - whatever you like to call them, which is also very dangerous, especially on a windscreen in direct sunlight.

Best bet would be a replacement screen - for a Magna (quite a standard screen) I wouldn't pay any more than $250 for one and thats fitted too..

$250?? gees last one i replaced was $160 fitted, dropped it off came back 2hrs later

if your going to end up replacing it anyway, no harm in trying to repair it IMO, seeing as your just gonna chuck it.

Well, I haven't had a windscreen replaced for a few years.. When I had the Ralliart (in 2005) I had the windscreen replaced and the going rate then seemed to be around $180-$220, so I allowed for a little inflation lol

Windscreen - when you do decide to replace the windscreen, make sure you ditch those wipers and get yourself the Bosch or Flexi-blade type that are all plastic and rubber, not more scratching....and they work better too!

Thanks for all the suggestions! Yeh I have already tried the multi grips and rag, only turned it 720 degrees (and that was a bloody effort in itself), but didn't seem to be moving on the thread...Ill try again tomorrow tho...It definitely wasn't cross threaded when i put it on (i barely used any pressure apart from the last turn or two). If the leather is just turning and the knob itself isn't, then i guess my only option is to cut into it, remove the leather, unscrew it, and go buy a new one.


Yeah, i didn't think id be able to fix the windscreen. Ill give it a clean tomorrow with a product, but don't fancy my chances. Can you buy the window tinted? or is that something that gets done after the window has been replaced?

I assume you're referring to your front windscreen yeah? If so, then it is illegal to have it tinted (except for the sun stip at the very top which is usually opaque-blue). Do you mean is it Laminated? If so, replacement screens should most definatley already be Laminated..

oh, well im pretty sure its stock, so it maybe its not tinted then...I just assumed since the rest was then windscreen was too :P

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9060/tomhg.th.jpg (http://img4.imageshack.us/i/tomhg.jpg/)
friend using the multigrips :P