mbonikow

I just got this baby. 96 Audi 2.8 Automatic. The car was parked and battery drained for a couple of months. I got the car started with new battery, but the car DOES NOT engage gears.

In Park position it stays in park, but when I change the lever to ANY gear position it does not engage. It STAYS IN NEUTRAL. I can roll the car in any gear forward except for PARK position. The gear selector on dashboard does show the gear it's in. It's the non tipronic regular auto tranny.

The girl who sold me the car said it drove before she parked it for two months, but that the lever operated heavier. When I first tried to move it to drive it did offer heavier resistance and then it felt quite ease to move. I did not hear anything snap though.

Is there linkage that could go? or cable? Could it be in some limp mode? ANY HELP MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
Don't want to put money in if tranny shot.

4Driver4

Pull and post engine and trans codes.
Check trans fluid level.

turbo510

When you shift through the gears, does the gear indicator on the dash show all positions being selected (PRND432)? If so, check fluid level. If not, jack the car up on the driver's side, place a safety stand under the car, the watch the linkage as a helper moves the shift lever. Maybe the cable buckled.

mbonikow

Thanks for the answers guys!


turbo510,
yes the gear indicator on the dash does change according to gears selected. Does that eliminate linkage as a problem?
Or is it just electronic sensor that tells the dashboard and the linkage could still be busted?

turbo510

This does eliminate the linkage in my opinion. The "multi-function switch", called F125 on the schematics, is where the gear-position signals come from, and its right on the side of the transmission, worked by the shift cable.

4Driver4's response makes sense. There are sure to be '96 cars that never had the trans fluid checked; maybe yours is one of them. If adding fluid makes it work again, plan on getting a trans filter kit and changing the fluid.