Error service: leave vehicle only when selector in position p

[TimmyB]

On 30/06/2020 at 10:11, MrkSkoda said:

Yes the problem is with DSG gearboxs.  On a manual gearbox there is no P (or Park) setting. 

 

Before the COVID lockdown  I would just get the ocasional error messge like you, but now it's everytime I drive for first 10 minutes.  Then it stops!  Will have to say what the dealer says, but I'm reluctant to spend any money on this given age of car (6 years)

 

My car's in the dealership getting this issue fixed today - £250 for the microswitch replacement. Apparently not every gearbox is compatible with the switch replacement, there are some that do need the unit replacing for a much higher price.

[FZS1]

Good Luck TimmyB - Replacing the the selector and switch has NOT fixed the issue in my Fabia. Skoda say they haven't had any failures on cars that have had the 'new type' switch fitted. Mine must be the the only exception - heard it all before. Waiting for them to come up with a plan................... As i've already said , the dealer says they've noticed this problem on other vehicles when door/s are opened. Symptoms sound different to yours? Let us know how you get on

[skippy41]

In America and Canada, there is a recall for this micro switch problem , why wont Skoda sort it for free over here, they have made an updated version that can be got for around £40 depending on the age of the car

[PetrolDave]

1 minute ago, skippy41 said:

In America and Canada, there is a recall for this micro switch problem , why wont Skoda sort it for free over here, they have made an updated version that can be got for around £40 depending on the age of the car

Because owners in the US & Canada are more likely to start a class action law suit that will cost the importer millions and some bad publicity.

[MrkSkoda]

5 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

Because owners in the US & Canada are more likely to start a class action law suit that will cost the importer millions and some bad publicity.

My Octavia had a service last week.  All the garage said was that it was not subject of a UK recall, and that they don't look the Skoda forums.  They offered to investigate further at my expense.   I declined.  I think that Dave hit the nail on the head when he said that UK/European owners are less likely to sue the manufacturer.  TBH Not at all happy about it, but not sure what the next steps are.

[martynkhill]

Had a major service carried out on my Octavia VRS two weeks ago.  I mentioned to them that I had an error message come up a few times and could they investigate.  The report came back as " Intermittent error message on dash traced to faulty gear selector switch. Modified switch kit required" Cost £345.07.  Did I want it done as the parts would have to be ordered in. I declined.  I googled the problem and found it was a known fault and subject to a recall in other regions. I phoned the dealer and told them I had goggled it and questioned the cost. They came back to me with following reply 

 

 

Good Afternoon Mr Hill,

 

I have spoken to our warranty team and they have confirmed service goodwill for the Micro Switch Issue. They have agreed 50% labour and 100% parts they will pay for. Therefore the only cost to you for the work would be £144 for 1 hours labour if you wanted the work carried out. 

 

I hope this helps

 

If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact me

 

Just for info. my car is a year out of warranty, I will be having it done soon.  So I would go back and challenge them.

 

Good Luck

[skippy41]

£144 for a £40 hour's  labour,  that takes  15 mins to do 

[EdStan]

I'm about to buy an Approved Used Octavia DSG7 2015. On test driving this error came up - I looked on forums and made sure the dealer knew the fix was needed. 

 

The dealer highlighted that this is a recall and made the fix - and showed me that the service book now mentions "switch", but that's it - the sales team agreed this wasn't very helpful! I've asked them to confirm in writing what's actually been done to fix the error. Reading this forum it seems that the fix used to need an entirely new gear shifter, but now they can change the microswitch to solve the problem. 

 

Any advice on what I need to check on their explanation of the fix - it sounds straightforward now, but would rather be sure. Thanks

[MrkSkoda]

2 hours ago, EdStan said:

I'm about to buy an Approved Used Octavia DSG7 2015. On test driving this error came up - I looked on forums and made sure the dealer knew the fix was needed. 

 

The dealer highlighted that this is a recall and made the fix - and showed me that the service book now mentions "switch", but that's it - the sales team agreed this wasn't very helpful! I've asked them to confirm in writing what's actually been done to fix the error. Reading this forum it seems that the fix used to need an entirely new gear shifter, but now they can change the microswitch to solve the problem. 

 

Any advice on what I need to check on their explanation of the fix - it sounds straightforward now, but would rather be sure. Thanks

Hi Ed.  Are you in the UK?  Very interesting as your delaer said that it's subject to a recall.  When my car was serviced last week the dealer (in England) claimed there there was no recall. Thanks

 

 

[skippy41]

Is this problem an MOT fail????

[MrkSkoda]

1 hour ago, skippy41 said:

Is this problem an MOT fail????

No, as had MOT done as part of the service.  The Dealer confirmed it does not affect the MOT.

Edited 5 July, 2020 by MrkSkoda

[EdStan]

1 hour ago, MrkSkoda said:

Hi Ed.  Are you in the UK?  Very interesting as your delaer said that it's subject to a recall.  When my car was serviced last week the dealer (in England) claimed there there was no recall. Thanks

 

 

Yes, this is UK. They may have just said it's a recall to highlight it's common and nothing to be concerned about with the car. What has your dealer quoted to fix it please? In terms of work needed and cost? Thanks!

[skippy41]

29 minutes ago, MrkSkoda said:

No, as had MOT done as part of the service.  The Dealer confirmed it does not affect the MOT.

 

If you get your MOT at a normal testing station they could fail for the warning light

[MrkSkoda]

5 hours ago, EdStan said:

Yes, this is UK. They may have just said it's a recall to highlight it's common and nothing to be concerned about with the car. What has your dealer quoted to fix it please? In terms of work needed and cost? Thanks!

The dealer said they could do a further investigation at my cost.  No price was quoted.  I declined this as I can live with it, and so far it normally only occurs in the first 10 minutes of driving. The car is 6 years old, and I'm not inclined to spends hundreds of pounds for something that in my view is a Skoda/VAG problem.  They did not offer to replace the switch for a fixed price the way others have been offered here.  

[MrkSkoda]

5 hours ago, skippy41 said:

 

If you get your MOT at a normal testing station they could fail for the warning light

The MOT was done by a 3rd party testing station arranged & paid via the dealer.  The warning light is amber rather than red, and soon disappears, 

[rejdzik]

On 01/07/2020 at 17:21, FZS1 said:

 the dealer says they've noticed this problem on other vehicles when door/s are opened.

 

I have this issue as well but it is showing up only when I start engine and open one of doors, not instantly but in next 5-10 mins. This seems to be correct.

[DSGFabiaSEL]

Hi all, I posted a few months ago saying I'm having the same issue with the P error on my Fabia. After having it looked at for a third time by Skoda Leeds they are now agreeing I need the switch to fix it. Even though they previously denied the switch fix works on the fabia and fobbed me off with two updates prior. They have quoted me £269.02 for part and labour. According to this forum the part is approx £40 and labour is half an hour so I'm pretty shocked at their price. I've contacted customer service to open a complaint as i don't feel I should pay for such a well known issue. I bought the car brand new and had it serviced with them ever since. Although I currently have another case open and in dispute as my car is subject to another known issue which is boot corrosion around the reg lights. This issue should be covered under warranty but Skoda Leeds have not ticked the correct boxes when servicing the vehicle so they expect me to pay 20% towards the fix which is a new boot lid! All through no fault of my own. It's the dealer that havnt done their job correctly. So FYI in my experience, Skoda Leeds are terrible, incompetent and unwilling to acknowledge any known issues.

[FZS1]

DSGFabiaSEL - that's shocking. I'm guessing that there's a bodywork inspection to carry out as part of the service regime, and they haven't ticked the box as  having done it? It's one of the problems of not having a proper service book anymore. On my service paperwork there are sections titled internal,external, under bonnet, brakes suspension and bearings, underbody and steering, other. All are ticked with no advisories. I don't know if this is a Skoda standard report or dealer specific  As for the P error, £229 labour for 1/2 hour????? Sounds more like 2 hours. The complete gear selector incorporating the switch had to be replaced on my car. The centre console was removed, and the exhaust had to be dropped to do it, then set up on the laptop. This took longer than 1/2 hour. I understand that the switch has been redesigned so that only that part has to be replaced, making it much cheaper. Unfortunately, it has not fixed the issue in my case. It was rebooked to have the new style switch fitted, but when I took it in, Skoda advised that the new type switch had already been fitted as part of the gear selector.  Hope you get a positive result with customer service

[DSGFabiaSEL]

Thanks for your response.

That's correct supposedly about ticking boxes. As a customer I had no idea that hadn't done their job properly until now and im having this ridiculous situation. They are only offering 80% goodwill for the boot and saying they don't have to offer that but are due to inconvenience and it's my duty to cover the cost as the warranty decision can't be over turned. I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. How are they so stupid to not understand it's the retailers fault it's not covered under warranty and I shouldn't have to pay a penny! They should be pushing the retailer to cover the full cost, simple, it's their mistake not mine! Gob smacked. Had an email this morning saying 80% final offer and they closing the file! I'm so annoyed. I seriously am not buying a car from VWG ever again. 

So if you had the full gear selector replaced, how much did they end up charging you for that? And do you have a fabia also? So the new selector and switch still haven't fixed the issue for you? What's your next steps?

Just now, DSGFabiaSEL said:

Thanks for your response FZS1.

That's correct supposedly about ticking boxes. As a customer I had no idea that hadn't done their job properly until now and im having this ridiculous situation. They are only offering 80% goodwill for the boot and saying they don't have to offer that but are due to inconvenience and it's my duty to cover the cost as the warranty decision can't be over turned. I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. How are they so stupid to not understand it's the retailers fault it's not covered under warranty and I shouldn't have to pay a penny! They should be pushing the retailer to cover the full cost, simple, it's their mistake not mine! Gob smacked. Had an email this morning saying 80% final offer and they closing the file! I'm so annoyed. I seriously am not buying a car from VWG ever again. 

So if you had the full gear selector replaced, how much did they end up charging you for that? And do you have a fabia also? So the new selector and switch still haven't fixed the issue for you? What's your next steps?

 

[chris4500uk]

I've had mine replaced before, a few years back, and now it's doing the same fault again

[EdStan]

7 minutes ago, chris4500uk said:

I've had mine replaced before, a few years back, and now it's doing the same fault again

Is that the selector or switch replaced before?

 

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if the switch can be replaced, rather than the selector? As others have mentioned about the service logs, in mine it just mentions "switch" as part of the service, but without any link to the DSG or the fault. I want to make sure they've done the job as required. Time will tell, but I'd rather have it completed properly and logged. Thanks

[Gojkonjegovpas]

So I decided to share the info about my situation as I see quite a lot of confusion regarding this fix. Some of you are mentioning the replacement of the selector while others are mentioning the replacement of the micro switch.

 

As far as I know two types of repairs can be performed here.

 

First one is the gear selector replacement as a whole unit with a newer micro switch model already built into it, which according to VAG, resolves the issue. However I believe some people stated having that repair already carried out but with the issue remaining. I can't confirm this is 100% correct as it could be that these people suffered different issues. Something to keep in mind though especially if you have yo pay for the parts and labor yourself. 

 

The second type of repair is the installation of the additional micro switch on top of your gear selector unit. The part costs 38€ in Belgium and can be installed in 30min. This is already mentioned in this topic including the PDF for the recall 37M2 in the US. Do note that in the recall PDF it states it was not intended as an DIY fix and you should consult with an official VW (in this case) dealer. This is the opposite of what I did. :) 

 

I carried out this repair on my own and have not had the issue reappear since. This does not mean you should do it as well cause a dude from a forum did it. I'm simply stating the options available and depending on your car situation, you'll have to make your own decision.

 

From what I read here, Skoda dealers in EU are more keen on installing new selector units than the micro switch. This might be due to Skoda not having it's own recall and/or not accepting the one from VW.

 

Hopefully this clarifies questions why some people get quoted 300ish euros/quids while a 40ish euros/quids repair is available. 

 

Also, I added some photos so you can see how the switch looks.

RCRIT-19V615-0044.pdf

[chris4500uk]

3 hours ago, EdStan said:

Is that the selector or switch replaced before?

 

Does anyone know if there is a way to find out if the switch can be replaced, rather than the selector? As others have mentioned about the service logs, in mine it just mentions "switch" as part of the service, but without any link to the DSG or the fault. I want to make sure they've done the job as required. Time will tell, but I'd rather have it completed properly and logged. Thanks

It was apparently the whole selector mechanism I think, but I didn't get the finer detail as it was under warranty at the time. 

[FZS1]

DSCFabiaSEL - Yes, mine is a 68 plate Fabia,  and the first instance I had of this problem was at 68 miles, the day after I bought it brand new. Mine was done under warranty at no charge. However, the selector mechanism alone is around £510 ex VAT, so around £612, plus washers, clip and screw. Labour - hours!  They had problems after fitting the new parts whereby the error message was permanent, so reinstalled the original mechanism - error message still permanent, so refitted new one and in the end managed to clear the message with the help of Skoda technical. I reckon around £1000 in total. Based on this, may I politely suggest that you get a fixed price in writing, just in case there are any complications. I am waiting for Skoda to come up with a plan..................

Gojkonjegofpas - Thanks for posting the VW recall information. I've read the symptoms and they say that the error appears whilst the vehicle is in motion. Mine doesn't do that, it's very intermittent. It appears when either front door is opened, key not in ignition. I've never had the issue whereby I am able to remove the key from the ignition without the gear selector being in Park. The piggyback add on switch 'fix' looks a bit of a bodge job to me (NOT your fitting of it !!!!!!), because if the velcro attaching the newly added switch to the selector mechanism fails, so will the switch adjustment? Out of interest, when it's dark, the green light illuminating P.R,N,D flickers when the side/headlights are on, but is solid when they're off (I don't have auto lights). Anyone else noticed this? 

Anyone with a DSG got the speed limiter issue - ERROR !LIM - happens very regularly after a stop/start event - ignition has to be recycled to clear error message and be able to use it

 

[NikTheGeek]

21 hours ago, Gojkonjegovpas said:

So I decided to share the info about my situation as I see quite a lot of confusion regarding this fix. Some of you are mentioning the replacement of the selector while others are mentioning the replacement of the micro switch.

 

As far as I know two types of repairs can be performed here.

 

First one is the gear selector replacement as a whole unit with a newer micro switch model already built into it, which according to VAG, resolves the issue. However I believe some people stated having that repair already carried out but with the issue remaining. I can't confirm this is 100% correct as it could be that these people suffered different issues. Something to keep in mind though especially if you have yo pay for the parts and labor yourself. 

 

The second type of repair is the installation of the additional micro switch on top of your gear selector unit. The part costs 38€ in Belgium and can be installed in 30min. This is already mentioned in this topic including the PDF for the recall 37M2 in the US. Do note that in the recall PDF it states it was not intended as an DIY fix and you should consult with an official VW (in this case) dealer. This is the opposite of what I did.

 

 

 

RCRIT-19V615-0044.pdf 2.82 MB · 5 downloads

 

There was no new micro switch at first. When I and others had the whole gear selector replaced, it was with a new gear selector with the same old-design micro switch. Thats why it comes back for some people. And probably me. I'd be suprised if they are shipping gear selectors with the new micro switch in place as they'll have stock of the old ones.