Weird Error Message (Only Leave vehicle in Position P)

[Chiselwizard]

This has started appearing randomly when I switch the ignition on. Started shortly after I had the car serviced, which may be a coincidence. Error: workshop! Only leave vehicle in Position P. Anyone any clues? TIA

Edited 9 August, 2022 by cheezemonkhai
clarity

[KenONeill]

16 minutes ago, Chiselwizard said:

Error: workshop! Only leave vehicle in Position P. Anyone any clues?

Step for a hint; do you have a manual gearbox or a DSG?

[Chiselwizard]

18 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Step for a hint; do you have a manual gearbox or a DSG?

DSG

[pab567]

Looks like your DSG is faulty

[KenONeill]

11 hours ago, Chiselwizard said:

DSG

Well covered issue; search for the error message.

[nta16]

Might not be anything to do with this problem but it's always worth checking the state of charge of the battery with these cars as a low battery can throw up all sorts of odd messages and warnings, even if the car starts and the lights seem bright enough.  This is especially so if your car only gets lots of short journey use and/or you've got devices that run after the engine is off.  The hot weather doesn't help the battery either - though I don't know how much of that you got in the far north of Scotland.

 

If you've got a multimeter you could see what the battery reads sitting in the car at rest, do this a good while after the car has been driven, then start the car and take another reading as the engine is running.

 

If you don't have a multimeter then if you have an appropriate battery charger/maintenance put it on and leave to charge as long as possible and see if that helps your issue.

 

Even a new battery can be depleted with use, after three years of certain use it could need a renovation charge.

 

Cheap and easy stuff to check (if you have access to multimeter and/or battery charger/maintenance).

 

Good luck. 

[Chiselwizard]

11 hours ago, KenONeill said:

Well covered issue; search for the error message.

Thanks for that Ken. Looks as if I'm in for a big bill as I'm just out of warranty.

[Chiselwizard]

10 hours ago, nta16 said:

Might not be anything to do with this problem but it's always worth checking the state of charge of the battery with these cars as a low battery can throw up all sorts of odd messages and warnings, even if the car starts and the lights seem bright enough.  This is especially so if your car only gets lots of short journey use and/or you've got devices that run after the engine is off.  The hot weather doesn't help the battery either - though I don't know how much of that you got in the far north of Scotland.

 

If you've got a multimeter you could see what the battery reads sitting in the car at rest, do this a good while after the car has been driven, then start the car and take another reading as the engine is running.

 

If you don't have a multimeter then if you have an appropriate battery charger/maintenance put it on and leave to charge as long as possible and see if that helps your issue.

 

Even a new battery can be depleted with use, after three years of certain use it could need a renovation charge.

 

Cheap and easy stuff to check (if you have access to multimeter and/or battery charger/maintenance).

 

Good luck. 

Thanks for that. It's on charge now but from other posts it looks a if it's a problem with the selector. Anyway, thanks again.

[KenONeill]

24 minutes ago, Chiselwizard said:

Thanks for that Ken. Looks as if I'm in for a big bill as I'm just out of warranty.

Contact an indy, rather than relying on main stealers, particularly if your nearest stealer is an Arnold Shark.

[nta16]

17 hours ago, Chiselwizard said:

Thanks for that. It's on charge now but from other posts it looks a if it's a problem with the selector. Anyway, thanks again.

Yes I've seen some of those posts but charging the battery is relatively cheap and easy and won't hurt but could help with other stuff even if not this.  The recent very hot weather will take a toll on batteries with hastening some to recharging and replacement this autumn and winter, prevention is better than cure.

 

A couple of times recently I broke my own rule of keeping to the basics first on a car type and model which I actually know a little bit about, and have decades of experience, and went through a number of sexy possibilities to Sod's Law be told it was some very simple thing that would've been covered in basic checks, so I'm back to the very simple basics, which is all I know about these cars.

 

Hope you get it sorted for a reasonable cost.

 

[AGFalco]

On 20/07/2022 at 22:54, Chiselwizard said:

Anyone any clues? TIA

 

19 hours ago, Chiselwizard said:

Looks as if I'm in for a big bill as I'm just out of warranty.

 

Hold your horses and look here first:- 

 

 

Thanks, AG Falco

[Chiselwizard]

57 minutes ago, AGFalco said:

 

 

Hold your horses and look here first:- 

 

 

Thanks, AG Falco

Many thanks but I'm afraid my mechanical skills aren't up to a job like that.

[nta16]

48 minutes ago, Chiselwizard said:

Many thanks but I'm afraid my mechanical skills aren't up to a job like that.

I've no mechanical skills but jobs like that are more awkward than difficult just allow yourself lots of time, it doesn't matter how quick (or slow) others do the job you just take your time, take lots of photos, notes, drawings, have the correct tools to hand and if you hit a snag just take a tea break.

 

Other than using a Torx 10 screwdriver on Torx 9? (8?) screws I thought the video was very good and showed he took time to work it out.

 

Whilst you think about how you want to proceed you might, after the battery is fully charged just try and see if clearing the error code or a good few cycles of turning the ignition on with use and being positive (without force) with selecting  'P' without force and what ever else requirements are needed in the procedure makes things less or more intermittent with the warning coming up.

 

The problem might be common but it doesn't always follow that the common cause is the one you have - although probably most likely.

 

Unless you're lucky you might not get it booked in for repair the next day so you will probably have a time to find out if things stay the same, improve or get worse.

 

I wonder if we'll see additional problems on the vehicles built during the Covid and chip shortage times.

 

Have you rang the dealer to see if there's a recall or discount repair for this issue, though I very much doubt given the honesty and morality usual shown by these car manufacturers.

 

[Chiselwizard]

3 hours ago, nta16 said:

I've no mechanical skills but jobs like that are more awkward than difficult just allow yourself lots of time, it doesn't matter how quick (or slow) others do the job you just take your time, take lots of photos, notes, drawings, have the correct tools to hand and if you hit a snag just take a tea break.

 

Other than using a Torx 10 screwdriver on Torx 9? (8?) screws I thought the video was very good and showed he took time to work it out.

 

Whilst you think about how you want to proceed you might, after the battery is fully charged just try and see if clearing the error code or a good few cycles of turning the ignition on with use and being positive (without force) with selecting  'P' without force and what ever else requirements are needed in the procedure makes things less or more intermittent with the warning coming up.

 

The problem might be common but it doesn't always follow that the common cause is the one you have - although probably most likely.

 

Unless you're lucky you might not get it booked in for repair the next day so you will probably have a time to find out if things stay the same, improve or get worse.

 

I wonder if we'll see additional problems on the vehicles built during the Covid and chip shortage times.

 

Have you rang the dealer to see if there's a recall or discount repair for this issue, though I very much doubt given the honesty and morality usual shown by these car manufacturers.

 

You're right, the Youtube video is very good and a few years ago I would have had a go but at 75 I'll leave it to the dealer. I called them today. They weren't interested in my thoughts on what was wrong. It'll be £140 for the diagnostics and we'll take it from there Sir, click. I'll have to suck it up I guess, though the thought of at least two  5 hour round trips doesn't appeal. I sold my much loved 2009 BMW 3 series to get the Skoda, thinking that a newish car would see me out, hassle free. Aaargh! Anyway, thanks for your advice, much appreciated.

Edited 22 July, 2022 by Chiselwizard

[nta16]

I don't blame you at all for not want to work on the car, I've not from the age of about 25.

 

To be fair they should only take notice of what you report as the fault and check for themselves but if they had brain power and manners they'd note anything relevant you report and deal with you in a courteous way - but that's the motor trade for you (not all but many/most).

 

You don't have to give the Dealer your business or money there are independents and general garages or if you're certain it's electrics then Auto-electricians, many are mobile so come to you, they've probably dealt with the issue before if they go to VWs.

 

Did the Dealer say if the £140 would come off the repair bill if you had the work done there?  This was the offer the local Merc Dealership offered my neighbour (but £174 plus VAT IIRC) luckily I persuade her to try elsewhere and she found a local garage that knew all about the problem and worked on Mercs, looked at the car and gave her a quote, done all the work including sorting another computer error code and the neighbour was very pleased and the vehicle sounds a lot better to me as it passes by.

 

A 2019 car has a lot more on it and to it than a 2009 car and VW are obsessed with making the computer programs over-complicated and over-intrusive and intertwined , helps hide cheats I suppose, but then so were BMW going back a while.  I'm bias as I've never liked or accepted the hype about German cars build quality.  You could consul yourself with the fact your 2009 BMW would be throwing up issues unless you already had to sort them in recent years.

 

If your problem is just this replacement repair switch then surely that's not so bad, bloody annoying though.

 

If you know anyone with a decent level scan tool they could give you a report, personally I'd have the battery fully charged, do a scan report, then clear any error codes and then scan again, a few times if required until you see what error code(s) appear first.  I am not saying it will be the case for you but it's not unknown for previous errors not to reappear once the decks have been cleared.  But with a 2019 car you might need to stand on one leg and point north to satisfy the computers needs.  Obviously if the problem is a mechanical/electro-mechanical switch then that needs rectifying to rightly satisfy the computer because it's actually doing it's job properly.

 

The bloke in the video, how far away does he live, what's his hourly rate?  🙃

Edited 22 July, 2022 by nta16
spelling

[nta16]

[ETA: Chiselwizard,] see also these posts below.  If @fabdavrav is prepared to go Dingwall way and also in your sort of area they might be able to help you with the start of diagnostics at least - not that I know the person or if this could be done or is acceptable to the person.  I was able to go to someone on here that was local to me and able to help me with coding the battery in for a modest beer token. 

 

 

Edited 23 July, 2022 by nta16
ETA:

[Chiselwizard]

21 minutes ago, nta16 said:

I don't blame you at all for not want to work on the car, I've not from the age of about 25.

 

To be fair they should only take notice of what you report as the fault and check for themselves but if they had brain power and manners they'd note anything relevant you report and deal with you in a courteous way - but that's the motor trade for you (not all but many/most).

 

You don't have to give the Dealer your business or money there are independents and general garages or if you're certain it's electrics then Auto-electricians, many are mobile so come to you, they've probably dealt with the issue before if they go to VWs.

 

Did the Dealer say if the £140 would come off the repair bill if you had the work done there?  This was the offer the local Merc Dealership offered my neighbour (but £174 plus VAT IIRC) luckily I persuade her to try elsewhere and she found a local garage that knew all about the problem and worked on Mercs, looked at the car and gave her a quote, done all the work including sorting another computer error code and the neighbour was very pleased and the vehicle sounds a lot better to me as it passes by.

 

A 2019 car has a lot more on it and to it than a 2009 car and VW are obsessed with making the computer programs over-complicated and over-intrusive and intertwined , helps hide cheats I suppose, but then so were BMW going back a while.  I'm bias as I've never liked or accepted the hype about German cars build quality.  You could consul yourself with the fact your 2009 BMW would be throwing up issues unless you already had to sort them in recent years.

 

If your problem is just this replacement repair switch then surely that's not so bad, bloody annoying though.

 

If you know anyone with a decent level scan tool they could give you a report, personally I'd have the battery fully charged, do a scan report, then clear any error codes and then scan again, a few times if required until you see what error code(s) appear first.  I am not saying it will be the case for you but it's not unknown for previous errors not to reappear once the decks have been cleared.  But with a 2019 car you might need to stand on one leg and point north to satisfy the computers needs.  Obviously if the problem is a mechanical/electro-mechanical switch then that needs rectifying to rightly satisfy the computer because it's actually doing it's job properly.

 

The bloke in the video, how far away does he live, what's his hourly rate?  🙃

Unfortunately, from what I understand, the dealer doesn't just replace the switch, it's the whole selector assembly, around £700 I'm told.

[nta16]

Shame.  Depends how you view £700 expenditure on a 3-year old car.  If it's a permanent fix then £700 spread over the rest of the life of the car doesn't seem as bad.

 

But then I'm used to money pit cars.

 

[Chiselwizard]

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

Shame.  Depends how you view £700 expenditure on a 3-year old car.  If it's a permanent fix then £700 spread over the rest of the life of the car doesn't seem as bad.

 

But then I'm used to money pit cars.

 

Like you I've spent heaps on cars over the years. TBH it's more the hassle of a couple of 5 hour drives, but that's what you get for living in the sticks. C'est la vie, is the correct term I think. Just for the craic, I'll post my dealer experience.

 

[nta16]

Blimey are you off the mainland.  If there's no one local then that's it, be interesting to know what the final outcome is and reporting back can help others if they have the same or similar issues.

 

Our neighbour's niece got a job as a midwife on one of the islands and by coincidence a number of years before a friend considered a job as a midwife at somewhere like Thurso but was put off by the x-hours to the nearest main supermarket and other amenities.

 

[KenONeill]

7 hours ago, Chiselwizard said:

it's more the hassle of a couple of 5 hour drives

5 hours from Dingwall to Inverness and back (via Ullapool?)

1. Note what I said about not using a main stealer in general and about Arnold Shark in particular.
2. With this sort of distance, maybe talk to Victoria Garage in Maud?

[Ootohere]

^^^

Proper garage with proper knowledge with Victoria Garage Maud. 

 

HAWCO  Inverness will make a meal (Golden Goose) out of it 

[nta16]

Chaps, it's not Chiselwizard that's in Dingwall, well I don't think so as I'd not call that far north of Scotland, a spit away from Inverness as I remember it when we stopped at Dingwall decades back as one of the hotels was one of few places in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide that way back then.  Went to Scotland to keep cool and just my luck it was 80f but IIRC we had a great 120-mile oval route from Dingwall that took us through four seasons when we climbed and back down was reverse with warm at the bottom, fabulous trip. 

Edited 23 July, 2022 by nta16

[nta16]

Click to see mikear82 post below then see following posts.  "Confused, you won't be after this episode  of Soap."  (Remember that?)

 

 

[Ootohere]

'Dingwall' is the red herring i think.