I have a '97 Audi a4 quattro 2.8l and when ever drive a short distance (say 3-5 miles) my gear shifter gets stuck in drive and it will not allow me to shift into any other gear, leaving me to have to put my e. brake on so i can park. Since i can't put my car in park i have to turn the car off and leave my key in the ignition, but after a hour of so the problem clears up enough so i can put the car in park and start the car. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated, and thank you.
Hi there and thanks for using just answer. I am AutoGuy99 and will help you with your question.
It sounds like your shifter lock is getting stuck. The shifter lock solenoid does not let you change gears with out having your foot on the brake. There is a switch on the brake pedal that lets the system know your foot is on the brakes. A lot of the times this switch can have issues.
The actual shifter lock solenoid can go bad to. It can get stuck. Your car should have a shift lock override near the shifter. Check your owners manual for where and how to override it. I think on your A4 it is located under the plastic shifter cover.
I hope this information helps. Please leave a positive rating. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
we've tried the solenoid and we changed the break sensor and neither of them seemed to work.
That is strange then. Not sure what could be going on without actually testing things when it is happening. Something in the transmission or cable could be sticking.
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