HELP..
I was checking my fuse(s) for a blown tail light when my brother decided to then pull all fuses and reinsert them because a couple where upside down. The end result is a transmission in either fail-safe or backup mode. I own a 1999 A4 2.8 Quattro Sedan with Tiptronic transmission. How do I get this fixed? Does it require a visit to the dealer? The syptoms are the display on the dash, and the Tiptronic won't work. The owner's manual described this as an electronic failure resulting in the fail-safe or backup mode.
Thanks

 

Check your owners manual for battery replacement procedure. Make sure you have the radio code.

 

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The EXACT same thing happened to me and I was wondering how you finally fixed that? I don't even want to bother with Priceton Audi, as I'm sure they'll try to rob me by telling me I need a new trans! THANKS SO MUCH!!!

 

hmm well he hasnt really posted since then, i would re-check all the fuses for starters.. maybe when the fuses were removed (im guessing you removed some because you said the "Exact Same Thing" happened) The computer tripped out.. not sure what to do on it exactly.. post up the year and all the other details about your car, then maybe some of the other members will be able to chime in with some good responses.. Welcome to the forum!!

 

thanks! ...yeah all the fuses are still fine, and i'm assuming that somehow tripped up the computer... it's a 2002 A4 3.0 Quattro 5-speed auto trans

 

it's in safe mode (like the radio)

u have to take it to a dealer or if u have vag com i think u can fix it

 

The transmission was stuck in 4th gear (called fail-safe or "limp" mode) and the indicator on the dashboard to tell you what gear you're in (park, reverse, neutral, drive, or sport) is just GONE/BLANK, but now after resetting the computer (battery un-plugged for 45 minutes) it's 3rd gear instead of 4th, but the indicator is still blank ...weird! When I had hooked it up to vag-com (prior to doing the battery reset) i get a TCU communications error, and when I removed it on vag-com it comes back IMMEDIATELY.

FORGET PRINCETON AUDI!!! They've never correctly diagnosed a problem (just sold me expensive items that didn't need replacing), and it's a 2 week wait for the pleasure of an appointment! I have to travel for business on short notice, so that 2 week thing never works for me anyway.

It seems that the problem started when I checked all the fuses and my front axle and velocity joint wore out... I'm not sure which triggered the trans to go into safe-mode because both those events were at the same time the problem started. Since the inital poster had the same problem when he messed with the fuses, I assume that also triggered the problem for me.

The radio is ok except for some horizontal "dead" lines, which i cannot get rid of and may or may not be related to my transmission problem (which i assume is computer related) ...the other day when i turned the radio off it while driving (i rarely do that), it would not go back on and the stack would remain lit after the car was off and locked, but re-setting the computer fixed that problem.

 

Check to see that the fuse for the TCU, if there is one is correctly seated and inserted, and hasn't blown.

If someone messed under the car recently, make sure that the electrical connections to the tansmission are OK.

Post which TCU code you pull.

 

wow this is a crazy one.

this is why its good to have audi techs in here