For me, if something can't be cleaned and detailed to like-new condition, I need to replace it or I will obsess over the defect until I do.

I am wondering 1) if any one else is having wear in this same spot on the automatic gear selector described and pictured below. 2) Could I go about replacing this part myself? And possibly 3) If I do, how many parts around it will I also have to replace in the process?

The piece in question is above the chrome, but below the bulbous hand portion, of the gear selector in automatics. The piece has a rubber coating, similar to a plasti-dip process, but the coating is peeling away in random spots. Which is especially weird, because this part of the interior is almost never touched. But now that I know it's there, when my fingers grazes over it, it drives me crazy. I want to replace this.

I've included a photo, but for some reason my iPhone uploaded this image to Dropbox upside down. I apologize for all the factors (low light, cell phone, weird orientation, awful focus) that made this an awful image, but the damage is visible:



Update: It looks like the JPEG was just encoded weird. Some browsers are showing it right-side-up. Whatever, I think you all can tell the difference.

 

After some Googling, it looks like the part is this entire thing:



But I can't find one in just normal black. All I can find are the red, beige and brown ones: http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/G2.../InvDetail.cfm

Anyone know where I can find a black one?

 

Had same issue. All you have to do is rub off the film with your finger. What you are seeing is the ruberized paint flaking off the plastic. This is normal wear and tear due to friction from your hand and lack of a chemical bond between the film and plastic substrate. It took me about 5-10 minutes to rub all of it off. The plastic under that film is a little shinier, but will look stock once all of the paint is removed. I am super picky and was also debating getting a new selector, but once i cleaned off all the remaining paint, it looked fine. Cheers

 

I don't think I am going to rub it off. At least not until it gets a lot worse. But it's nice to know that the plastic underneath is quality enough to look good without the coating. Thanks for the info.

Still looking for that replacement part in black though. All I can find are different colors.

I am having the same problem finding the e-brake handle in the standard silver/black combo. All I can find are colorful, or chrome, replacements. I can't find just the standard issue.

 

2008 just started doing the same thing.