If you haven’t had enough from DSG transmissions, here is another common problem they have. Occasionally, your vehicle may shock you with the error message on the screen of the infotainment system: “Only leave the vehicle in position P” and also motivate you to visit the workshop.
If you see the “Only leave the vehicle in position P” error message in your Volkswagen, Skoda, or Seat car, it means that your DSG gear selector is malfunctioning. There are two options: to keep driving or to go to your dealership and have the selector replaced. Unfortunately, the second option is quite expensive.
Here’s what I will cover today:
- The error message of the gear selector in VAG cars.
- Can you still drive when you see this error message?
- What if you ignore this problem in your VW, Skoda, or Seat?
- Gear selector replacement cost in your VAG vehicle with DSG transmission.
Why do you see this error message at all?
I won’t write a 2000-word article to describe the obvious problem and will clearly state that the only possible reason for this error message is the malfunctioning gear selector in your DSG gearbox.
In my opinion, there is a faulty sensor that registers the current position of the selector. So, when you start the car, the ECU gets wrong readings and supposes that the selector was in the D position or in any other position which is not a good idea and can actually kill the transmission.
So, the ECU throws the code. But after you drive for several minutes, the selector goes back to normal and the ECU starts getting proper readings. This means that the code will be cleared as misleading and the error message will disappear from the screen.
This is how it usually happens:
- you start the vehicle while the gearbox is in P;
- the infotainment screen immediately says “Only leave the vehicle in position P”;
- you ignore the message and start driving;
- your car registers the proper position of the selector and clears the code.
I haven’t heard any case that a VAG car was broken because of this message. So, the clear recommendation is to keep driving and ignore this code (although I usually don’t give such tips, this is an exceptional case).
It usually happens with DSG transmission and I haven’t heard of such problems with any other types of automatic transmissions in Volkswagen AG cars.
Can you drive and is the gearbox at risk?
The first reaction of a person who sees this error is to put the transmission in P and call the dealer. One guy from a VW forum said he called a dealer and asked how he was supposed to go to the workshop with his car in P! Fair comment, I should say.
But this is not the instruction from you Volkswagen to put the gearbox in P and avoid driving. This is the warning message that wants to teach you how you should leave your car. And apparently, you should leave it in P. And that’s what your Volkswagen is trying to tell you.
So, there is no need to quickly put the car in P and stop the engine. Calm down, your DSG is completely fine, it’s the problem with the selector that is not going to kill your car.
Here’s what you should do:
- turn the vehicle off and then turn it on again – in 50% of cases, this will help you get rid of the message;
- if this didn’t help, just ignore the message and start driving;
- after about 5 minutes, things will get back to normal and the code will disappear;
- if the problem persists, visit the dealership and ask them to check if there is a problem with the selector.
There is a service bulletin for several VAG models and the dealer will certainly know about this problem, so the inspection won’t be long. But the repair costs are going to be pretty unpleasant.
So, you can just ignore this problem but you should know that it will get worse after some time. In a couple of months, you will most likely see the “Only leave the vehicle in position P” every time you start the car. This is not actually acceptable and you will get furious each time you are in your Volkswagen.
How much is it to replace the gear selector in the DSG gearbox?
The repair should cost you about 500 pounds or euros depending on your location. Of course, you can install the selector on your own – there is nothing too complicated in this job. But if your car is still under warranty, I strongly recommend you go to the dealer. In this case, the replacement will be free because this problem is certainly covered by the VW warranty.
I don’t recommend buying used or not OEM gear selectors for DSG transmissions as they are not durable and unpredictable in terms of quality. You may see all kinds of different messages and codes the next day after the installation of a poor-quality selector.
To wrap up
The “Only leave the vehicle in position P” error message is not serious at all and shouldn’t make you stop the car and call a tow truck. You can clearly ignore this message as it always accompanies only one problem – the common issue with the gear selector in your Volkswagen AG car.
Just keep driving. If the car is under warranty, visit the dealership and ask them to replace the DSG gear selector for free. If the warranty period is over, be ready to pay some money for that, or keep driving and ignore the message.