The same thing happened to the F150 I had about 20 years ago. I started it up on a foggy morning and the electrical system went haywire. I was able to drive it to the nearest dealership. They said they had to replace a faulty relay as well as the battery which was somehow destroyed.
The tabs are tapered at the bottom, being thinner toward the outside. That should allow the top of the knob to push them outward. I don't want to try to remove mine either. I tend to break things when I do that.
Mine looks like it snaps in from the bottom. I'm guessing that when they installed yours they didn't press it in far enough to engage the clips into the groove.
Barry from Indiana here. Yesterday (July 31) I purchased my silver STX FX4 after driving a 2001 Tacoma TRD Off Road for 18 years and 200,000 miles. This is my 3rd Ranger. My dealer struggled to get it as trade from another dealer in time to qualify for the $1500 in rebates for July. Sadly, the...