newbie question
 

I just purchased a 2002 a8 with 57,000 miles. The other morning went out and Warmed up the car. when i went to leave i put the car in drive and the instrument panel had all the gears lit up. and when i put it in drive it didnt go anywhere, had to shut it off and restart. then it was fine. any ideas thank you

That is "limp mode"...can be caused by trans problem (or tcm, wiring, etc)...and sometimes other components that are tied indirectly to info fed to TCM. I would get codes read immediately with Vagcom or dealer diagnostic...a simple code reader may not show a stored code that lead to this.

wow that would really dissapoint me with audi's if the transmission was bad after 58,000 miles.

thank you for your quick reply

Not as likely the trans, as something "triggering" limp mode. Even a failing (or dirty) MAF can trigger this...many systems tied in to decisions made by TCM (trans control module). When limp mode is triggered, there should be an unerased code stored. I would want to get a diagnostic to find the culprit, for peace of mind and to prevent future failure.
By the way, limp mode (indicated by all gears lit on display) is supposed to involve one forward gear and reverse still operating. The forward gear will be a high one (4th?...not sure), so car will be very slow (lots of slippage, built in) to move from a dead stop, but SHOULD drive all the same...and get you home or off the highway for a restart, which often clears it temporarily.
But if something tripped it, it is highly likely to happen again...and could be something very simple...even moisture or corroded connection in TCM.

P.S. If codes don't show an outside problem, I would also consider at least having the ATF level checked. With the age of your car alone, a very slow leak could have lead to low level...or improperly filled before. Neither of those are common problems...leaks not common unless you've had pan contact and not technically (by the Audi book) part of normal maintenance to change atf that early (many recommend it though).