Audio 15 knob search

Hi all,
The right hand knob on my 2014 audio 15 head unit fell off and disappeared.
I emailed my dealer and he says he can't get it as an individual part.

It is the knob that controls the navigation/menus Located on the lower right hand side.

Anybody know a part number or source or have one they'd like to sell?

I'd go to a dealer, but we live in BFE and the closest one is 300 miles away.

Thanks.

Edit: photo didn't attach, but it is the smaller knob surrounded by the arrows.

Are you talking about the small conical know in the center of the 4 circular tabs? What is the shaft diameter that it mounts to? Strikes me as the one knob you might be able to find independently.

Just went outside and pulled mine off; it's just a friction fit. Here's some pics, including one with dimensions measured with a digital caliper. My suggestion-- if you haven't already done so, look all over-- it's a small knob and could (still) be hiding somewhere inside the truck.

If you do find a press-on knob that fits the shaft, note that it can't be much more than 1/2" max outside diameter, as it has to fit inside the "hole" so it can be pushed in when necessary. Good luck!

PS-- If you know anyone who's heavily into aircraft modeling, I bet they could make you an exact replica out of rock maple or something like that. Applied with a tiny drop of medium-viscosity super glue, you'd be home "free"!

Thank you so much for the detailed response.
I have gone over the entire van, but will do so again.
I have one dealer sort of working on tracing one down.
We used to own an Audi and because it was an Audi, it spend tons of time at the dealer getting warranty work done, they used to replace the entire head unit for stuck CDs, so I wonder if a MB dealer has a dead one they'd spare the know from?

I am not opposed to making one as well, that is a good idea.

Thanks for measuring it too.

FWIW. When irvingJ posted the measurements I looked online at my favorite electronics suppliers web sites and found zero knobs that would correctly fit that shaft. I looks like any universal "replacement" knob would need to be honed from a slightly smaller shaft size and likely as not still look out of place (not much in the way of plain black available). Given the amount of work needed to make a commercial knob fit (not to mention make it look right), going the hobby crafter route to make one from hardwood seems like a reasonable approach.

Well, the immediate, relatively easy fix would be hardwood… or, if you know someone with a machine shop, they could probably make one out of aluminum.

I had a small piece made like that for my favorite graphite one-piece fishing rod a number of years ago; the reel-holder --a threaded section w/thumbscrew-- had stripped out. Still working after 30 years! Seriously, a small mom & pop (or, in this case, father & son) machine shop is a great resource to find!

I know this is a super old thread, but I have the same challenge with my '14. Can't locate a replacement anywhere, so I guess I'll use the provided measurements (thanks @irvingj !) and roll my own from aluminum stock. Seems silly and since this came up I realized that the knobs on the entire family fleet (C63, E350, C43, E430 and Sprinter) are all slightly different. What a pain in the ... knob.

Good luck, and please post a pic when yer done!

Forum members who sell parts from their stacks of dead Sprinters:
millionmilesprinter and kansascitysprinters (and there are other, but those names stick in my head)
Dennis (lindenengineering) does too (often for charitable donation to a hospital ship)

--dick

Well my attempts to "roll" my own failed. The wood dowel just split when pressed on and the aluminum was way too finicky. So, while watching Formula One racing, I came up with about the least elegant solution possible. I grabbed a black wire nut, trimmed the length down, removed the inside "nut" portion (the spiral wire), pressed it on and it worked pretty darn well. Made me feel like an idiot for wasting an hour on the other options when this took all of five minutes, but that's life

Very nice! (And simple!) I do that too -- make things more complicated than they need to be. Congrats on a quick --and not bad looking-- fix.

Went round & round looking for a way to shield a linear actuator on my snowblower -- it kept getting water in it, which then froze, of course. Shock boots looked like the best route, but trying to get a tight fit between an odd-shaped base and the round rod... Fiddled with that for years, always looking for a solution, until a tractor forum member suggested the obvious: a section of inner tube from a kid's bike tire. Boom. Quick. Simple. Works.

The potential uses for old inner tubes is endless! As a mountain biker, I always have some lying around (though my bikes are tubeless ) and put them to use almost monthly. Most recently as protection for my grille guard when mounting the LED bar.