Not sure how to explain this question because I don't know the terminology of these parts. I'll try my best.

If I pry up the plastic piece that the gear selector/auto shifter pokes up through (the part that has the P D R N OD D 2 1 on it) and look underneath where all the mechanism is, I see these three rod linkages towards the front.

On mine the rod/linkage in the middle of those three is not connected...it snaps onto a ball closest to the gear selector...it is just lying there, unconnected. What is this for?

I connected it back and then the gear selector/ auto shifter gets stuck and wont move.

If I unconnect it, everything works fine. Or seems to...I have to push the button to get out of park...it will then go back to OD and stop..it will go to R and stop...

I guess if it isn't broken don't fix it..but it's got me wondering if it is broken and has been rigged somehow...

I don't even know where to start to look for any problem here...it's just one of those things you find after the sale.

 

I bet you mean the BTSI (Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock). The black thing in the middle of this pic?

Is the electrical connector to it actually connected? If not, plug it in and see what it does. The BTSI is there so you have to put your foot on the brake to take the shifter out of park when the key is ON. I bet you don't have to do that now. Someone else probably disabled it.

 

That's what it is alright...the electrical connection was still made...just the linkage was disconnected...now I have to hold the brake in to get it out of park(with the key on).

I'll have to get back to you on if it gets stuck in a gear next time I drive it (raining now), it's been a couple weeks since I messed with that linkage and I can't recall exactly what it was doing , but it was sticking in reverse or something after I reconnected that linkage....I think it was sticking , I was half asleep maybe?!
thanks for the help it's good to know what that thing is and that it's really nothing to worry about.

 

Hey shoebox maybe you can help here, although it is not a real big issue because it works fine unconnected. I connected that linkage back last night and it worked fine but it was pouring dogs and chickens so I didnt take it out.

I cranked the car and pulled it out of the garage so my girlfriend could get in the passenger side...then I went out back for a minute while the car warmed up a little. Then when I get back in the car and put my foot on the brake it wont come out of park, the button on top of the shifter is like a rock and it wont budge.

So I disconnect that linkage and it all works fine again.

any idea of what it might be? anything to worry about? I have been reading horror stories about these A4's yet since I have had two surgeries on my left knee an M6 or any manual is out of the question for me.


thanks

 

Maybe just a bad solenoid on the BTSI and why someone else had disconnected it already. Unplugging the electrical connector should disable it as well.