soilsampledave

I'm going to try and thoroughly describe the situation in the hopes that someone has seen this behavior before. This is my daughter's car, it's been sitting since she left for school. I started it up a week or so ago to move it into the driveway. I remember thinking it was really struggling to make it up the little slope of the driveway. When I went to put it in Park, the shifter would not go forward to Park. I released and re-applied the brake, tried again and still no luck. So I turned the car off, and then I could put it in park. A week later I go to start the car and the battery is dead. I jump start the car and take it for a drive. Again, the car seems very weak on acceleration. It suddenly dawns on me that the transmission is locked in a high gear and it is not shifting up or down. For what it's worth, it is turning about 2000RPM at 40MPH steady state, I'm sure someone has an idea of what gear that is. While driving, I try moving the shifter through all the drive postions as well as the up-down gate and nothing changes. When I park it, I am able to place it in Park with the engine running, but I do see that the little "foot on the brake" symbol on the shifter is flickering off and on randomly. I am hoping that the shifter communicates electrically to the transmission and that it isn't a mechanical issue. Maybe the interface between the brake sensor and the shifter sensors?
TIA

georgeb944

Any CEL lights? Any other lights on the dash? Does the PRND432 display do anything weird? Do you have a VAGCOM or VCDS?

Report your answers back and there might be a diagnosis available.

soilsampledave

On the dash, the ABS light, the check engine light, and the traction control light are all on. I had to leave town basically right after this happened so I can't check the manual for the light. Working from memory, the PRND432 display was normal excpet for the flickering foot on the brake symbol. I do not have a VAGCOM or VCDS.
Thanks

soilsampledave

I thought I had it figured out. I found a thread here Brake Switch - Faulty - Page 3 - AudiForums.com
that exactly explained my problem. Well, I replaced the brake switch as recommended and it didn't solve the problem. I am thinking the next step is to limp it over to auto zone and see if I can get any useful codes.

georgeb944

Do yourself a favor and get the generic VAGCOM cable and software from ebay for about $10. It will allow you to pull the information on the transmission that autozone does not have access to.

soilsampledave

Thanks; I hadn't had the chance to research that comment from a previous post and see exactly what he was talking about. Just ordered one! I may still run it down to autozone while I am waiting on the cable. One of the ABS sensors at the wheel seem like likely culprits as well, and I think those would show up.

soilsampledave

I have an error code of 1626 - transmission control module. So, I did a little internet research and discovered that the likely culprit was water in the passenger footwell soaking the module. Well, that's what I found. No wonder it wasn't working properly. I am wondering if I need to try and pry open the aluminum case in which the TCM resides, or if the water intrusion was limited to the big quick connect harness, which I sprayed liberally with CRC 2-26 to dry it out. I have cleaned out the drains under the battery tray and will get the A/C evaporator drain next. Just kind of in hold mode while I am drying out the carpet. Bummer.