Tiptronic thinks its in reverse
 

Parked up my car reversing into garage 3 weeks ago. Left it in park, Went away for 3 weeks charged battery up on my return. Tried to start the car nothing happens - all the lights etc. come on but nothing. I noticed that the reversing lights came on with the ignition.

Turns out whatever position I move the shift lever the reverse lights stay on. The cars brain appears to think its in reverse gear and therefore won't start the engine. In fact the car appears to be in neutral as I can push it backwards and forwards.

The shift level itself clicks into its different slots but with the button held down slides freely backward and forward with no resistance without having to have ones foot on the brake as you would usually expect.

Any ideas most welcome.

try disconnecting the battery and resetting the computer.

Try reset ^ first;

Beyond that, I believe that the Tip's have a multi-function switch that senses the position of the gear selector via cables and reports it to the Tip controller. Sounds like either the cables or the multi-function switch aren't working properly so the multifunction switch continues to report that the gear selector is in Reverse.

Also, once the multifunction switch thinks that the gear selector is in either R or D, the Tip controller releases the solenoid which prevents shifting the car into R or D without your foot on the brake.

Thanks both for the responses. The fault turns out to me something very straight forward. The clue was really in the free sliding gear lever (only stopped by releasing the button in its various "notches") telling me that at some point is not connected to what it should be connected to.
The set up at the back is that the cable from the gear shift lever is connected to a basic lever mechanism via a ball and cup arrangement. This level then connects to the gear selector on the gear box via a length of round-bar around 0.5 metres long. Except on my car its no longer connected!

Lying on my back I can just about get my hand onto the gear shift on the gear box. Clicking it back into position the engine starts no problem. On the gear selector I can touch what appears to be the remains of a plastic or thin metal ball and cup connection (similar but smaller than the cable to lever connection described above). I say that as I can feel it and move it around but I can't actually see it as its buried too far back behind bits of suspension and drive shaft and tie bars etc.

So now my questions are a lot clearer than before

1) How do I remove what is left of the old connector at the gear selector? Is it indeed a ball and cup arrangement? I have skinned my knuckles, fingers, arm, wrist the lot try to pull this piece off.
2) What part number is this? Does anyone have an exploded view of this cable-to-lever-to-gear selector connection with part numbers?
3) The burning question - can I actually fit this part myself? It was a bugger to reach it. Taking the rear wheel off I can see more but not really access more. Is there a technique here? I really don't want to get a garage to do this as it will probably cost more to tow it there than the labour and parts (I live in a rural part of Spain, the nearest Porsche garage is 70 miles away!!).

Thanks all I really appreciate your help

Update on this - I have ordered the part. However I still need to know can I fit this myself and if so whats the technique including how to get rid of whats left of the linkage connected to the gearbox gear selector? Any one know?

According to the Bentley manual, you have to remove the lower engine cover plate, the aluminum diagonal braces, and the catalytic converters to get to the transmission linkage connection point. Hope you have jack stands and a good jack available.

I appreciate this this issue is now a few years old, but if you're still around, do you have any more information lying around......I have exactly the same snag!

I watched my guy fix that on mime and I will try to explain. Yes it is a ball and cap and is a SOB to get off.He had the same worry about breaking it. I remember him using a long flat screwdriver while his helper held the mechanism. Once he got it off he lightly wet sanded the pin that the selector fits on. Greased it and put it back on. He didn`t have to adjust the cable. He thought some may replace the part when it was really corrosion and dirt on the pivot pin. Hope this helps.