My 96 A6 Avant auto has suddenly stopped changing gear - the car runs fine except that it never shifts up from first gear and the revs just go on rising. other symptoms are that the gear indicator on the dash has stopped working and the speedo display shows Ln .2 on startup.

This may have coincided with a "spring clean" when I degreased and washed down the engine bay so I thought maybe I've wet some sensitive component. However it has now had plenty of time to dry out.

I drove to work and back today at 40mph and the MPG read 16 !

Tomorrow I visit a garage for a diagnosis and I fear the worst, IE they are sure to say the gearbox has "gone" but I feel sure the fault is with the electronics - maybe a speed sensor or something? (but the rev counter and speedo both work fine)

Please someone tell me this is not a new gearbox job ?

 

Have someone with a VAG code reader, read the transmission codes.

 

Probably a failed multifunction switch.

 

I'm no mechanic, but I would definitely not drive the car until the problem is solved. Look at the worst case scenario! If you blow the engine, you will not only need to fix whatever is wrong with your transmission, but also get the engine fixed - that, my friend, cannot be cheap! And if you keep driving the car 40 mph in first gear, you will eventually damage the engine by over-reving it.