Kneale Brownson

I'd bet your "slammed" position is causing the shifter problems.

You could do what YKallroad has done: eliminate the air suspension completely with a coilover setup. That puts your car at Level II permanently with no air springs, no compressor, no ride height adjustment.

I'd save the $50 and have the indy do the suspension transplant. Top of their page: https://www.arnottindustries.com/par...17_pid124.html

YKallroad

The Arnott kit is $1400, you might be interested.

dotrenrew

Would that have anything to do with the brake lights? My brake lights work, but when I press the brake pedal, I don't hear that little click anymore. The click that told me I could move the shift lever.

GTA_Driver

Scanning the car for EVERYTHING is exactly where you should begin.

Let us know what the dealer discovers. Converting to coilovers from Arnott or Blau may be a very cost-effective option for you.

dotrenrew

I have left three messages with my dealership and still no word. This is exactly why I stopped taking my car to them.

I did find, after a little more tinkering, that the whole climate control system does not work.

So,
no climate control
no adjustable suspension
no ability to move shift lever
no retractable mirrors

I think it's all connected.

dotrenrew

I just got word back from my local stealership. They are telling me that my problem is a short in the shift mechanism that is causing the 40 amp fuse under the dash to blow. Which in turn kills my climate control and air ride systems among other things. They say they want to put in a brand new shift mechanism for $810 plus $600 labor. Apparently, they have to drop the exhaust and tranny to get to the part.

Can anybody tell me if they have had similar issues and what they did to fix it? I really don't want to put another $1400 into this pile of s**t.

G0to60

Ouch. That's a steep bill. Personally, I would go to an indy mechanic and see what they say (I bet they could cut that bill in half over the dealer) or give it a go yourself if you feel confident. You could also find a used shift mechanism for much cheaper as you don't hear about these failing very often at all.

If you do decide to do the fix and drop the transmission it might be worth looking at what needs to be freshened up while it's out. IE torque converter, mounts, gut the pre-cats, etc. At least you would save on the labor to pull the transmission.

dotrenrew

This bill would be nothing compared to other repairs I have had done. Many were by independent shops.

I just want to get this issue fixed and park the P.O.S. until I can sell it.

P4Ring

If you cannot diagnose it yourself, find an Independent mechanic that is also an electronic technician. A lot of mechanics don't know jack about electronics and simply waste your time. For example, they buy new electrical parts when the problem is only a cracked solder joint. I have seen relay or flasher switch that didn't work, and simply pop them open to reveal a loose terminal that was soldered poorly. Solder the joint and it is good as new.

Get a second opinion, dealers are about one thing..."make big money"

There are two switch in question. One is the Tiptronic switch (F189) and the Multi-Function transmission range switch (F125) (same thing others called neutral start switch...prevents the car from staring in drive etc. and tell the range position R, D, P, etc.)

Non of these switch required the transmission the be removed. The tiptronic switch is accessible from inside the car by removing the center console and the TR switch from underneath...car must be up high...preferably on a lift for the TR switch, but can be done with big jack stands on all four corners.

I did not follow the post from the beginning so I did not know the year and engine type. The following info is for the 2002 allroad 2.7t

Positive power goes from the fuse box directly to the shift lock solenoid (N110) and also the Multi-Function transmission range TR switch (F125). It is the transmission control module (J217) that actually switch the solenoid and warning light for selector lever position (K142) to on. It works by sending the other terminal of the solenoid and warning light to low/negative/body ground.

The fuse that controls the solenoid is fuse 31 in the fuse box (15A) blue color and the fuse that control the shift warning light is fuse number 5 (10A) red color.

The climate control also uses fuse 5 so that can be related. The level control system is not related. Check compressor overheating etc.

Also check that water is not leaking into car. The TCM is located on the passenger side (US) and should be in protective plastic bag.

To clarify, a solenoid is a electric-to-mechanical device than move in or out when energized. In your case when power is applied it retracts and allow the shift lever to move.

As far as testing go. You would need to know which wire is positive and which wire is ground/negative. If the fuse is good and the wiring is ok then the positive should already be connected when the ignition is on. Simply apply ground to the other terminal to see if it is functioning or not...If that's the problem, the car should start once the lever is moved to park or drive.

Good luck.

dotrenrew

Thanks P4. I took the car to my Indie tech and gave him a print out of what you wrote. he is looking into it now. I hope he finds something a lot cheaper than $1,400.

Once it gets fixed, it will be going up for sale. I'm done with used Audis.