a8gd

Engine runs great but car stuck in neutral no matter the Shifter position, is this normal with a fried ecu?
Tried Vag com and it went to every block nothing..
Took apart ecu and it is fried smoked.
Will an new Ecu get me back to good ?
Thanks and Happy New year!

hillpc

As far as I know, the trans should run mechanically if the shifter cable and the manual valve it's hooked to inside the trans are OK.

a8gd

OK Thanks!
What about if the trans computer is fried as well? I did not check that yet, but.. Where there is smoke..

a8gd

hmm the tow guy actually said he put it in neutral, even thou he had the key, he just automatically does it(i think he was training someone).. He said he did something on the right or left of the shifter? both plates are off from around the top of the shifter. I looked at youtube all I saw was the cable trick..any other ways to get it into neutral I should be aware of?

hillpc

See if the cable is broke or unhooked. Check to see if the trans end of the cable, hooked over a trans lever with a little ball on it (drivers side of the trans), moves when the shifter handle is moved inside the car. You have to get under the car to see it.

a8gd

will do thx!

bobrosco

they unlock the shifter to put it in neutral. There is a button or a pin you need to push or pull and then you can put it in neutral even with the ignition off and without pressing the brake like you would normally have to. That is why they remove the cover around the shifter.

As for a fried trans ecu, mine has a death ecu and it still drives. German cars are build so that even with no ecu they are allways stuck in second or 3th gear. And in case of my 95 a8 im sure it is stuck in 3th gear. And my ecu has no communication, pulled it out and it has clear signs of water damage wich seems pretty common on these. So i know for sure that the ecu wont work.

But since you have problems with the trans ecu you can probably tell me from experience. Is your rev counter still working? Mine is not, and i tought it might be caused by the dead transmission ecu, but if your transmission ecu is dead and yours still work i might have to look somewhere else.

a8gd

Yes the rev's still work! So trans ecu must be good, but got no vag communication to the controller, I will look for the pin, he said he uses the Free snapon mini screw drivers they give out for most all his "surgery" lol wish he would have stiched me back up! Crazy stuff, glad to know this trick anyways! Thanks for the info!
Found this on it still runs:
Audi Shift Lock Override Instructions
by Andrew Rothmund Most cars equipped with an automatic transmission have a feature commonly known as "shift lock," which prevents the driver from shifting out of park when the car is off, when the foot brake isn't applied or when the car's computer senses damage to the engine or transmission. Whatever the situation, sometimes the driver has to override a locked transmission in order to move the car.
Apply pressure to the foot brake, and turn the engine on.Attempt to shift from park. Sometimes the car rolls backwards during parking, causing the shifter to be slightly stuck, not "locked." If it doesn't budge, it's probably the shift lock.
Turn off the engine.
Search "shift lock" in the index of your Audi's manual. Over the years, Audi has used different types of shift locks, two of the most common being an actual button near the shifter, and the other requiring the removal of the plastic panel surrounding the shifter.
Depress the shift-lock override button. If the button or mechanism is under the panel that surrounds the shifter, follow your manual's instructions to remove the panel.
Shift the car into neutral while still holding or pressing the shift lock override and with pressure still applied to the brake.
Turn on the engine while the car is in neutral, and shift into drive or reverse.
each model is different. Even when the car won't allow you to drive, you should still be able to put it into neutral to manually push the car. There are many other problems, including electrical fuse and brake issues that can cause your car's shifter to be locked.
AND this from your mechanic

• Locked shifter: A shifter will sometimes get locked in park. This is one problem that you can usually fix yourself because automakers have put in a quick and easy way to manually release a shifter:

Put the emergency brake on. Find the shifter lock override slot, which is usually located on the shifter console close to the shift lever. The slot will be plugged with a plastic cap. Remove the cap and push down on the button with a nail file or other pointed object. As you are pushing the button down, step on the brake pedal, move the shifter into neutral, and start the car.