These instructions apply to the Audi A4 Mk5 (B9/8W) 2015-Present.
For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
If your dual-clutch Audi A4 (B9/8W, 2015–present) won’t come out of P — typically with a flat battery or a shift-interlock fault — there’s a built-in emergency release by the selector so you can move the car. It is a cabin-only override that uses the small tool supplied in the car’s boot, and it exists precisely for the moment when the car is dead and blocking a driveway or needs to go onto a recovery truck. Nothing about it involves the engine bay or working under the car; the whole job happens beside the gear lever and takes a couple of minutes. This guide covers securing the car first, the exact release sequence, and what to sort out afterwards so it doesn’t happen again.
Why the Lever Locks in P
The selector has an electric shift-interlock that keeps it in Park until the car sees a reason to release it — normally that means ignition on and your foot on the brake. When the 12 V battery is flat there is no power to energise that interlock, so it stays mechanically latched and the lever simply will not move. The same thing happens if the interlock itself develops a fault even with a healthy battery. The emergency release is a manual back-door into that latch: it lets you free the mechanism by hand so the car can roll, without needing the electrical system to cooperate. It is a designed-in recovery feature, not damage.
Before You Begin
- Apply the parking brake or chock the wheels first — releasing the lock lets the car roll, so secure it before you touch anything.
- Park on level ground where possible; on any slope the roll risk is much higher once the lock is off.
- Make sure nobody is in front of or behind the car and the path is clear before you release it.
- Have the onboard tool kit from the boot to hand — the same kit that holds the tow eye.
- Only use this to reposition the car a short distance, not to drive it in this state.
How to Release the Selector from P
- Apply the parking brake.
- Take the small release tool from the boot tool kit (the same kit as the tow eye).
- Remove the cup-holder lining next to the selector to reveal the release.
- Fit the tool, turn it 90° clockwise and press until it engages.
- Move the gear lever out of ‘P’, then refit the lining.
Work gently: the tool only needs a quarter-turn and a firm press to disengage the latch, so there is no need to force it. Once the lever moves freely out of P you have done the job — refit the cup-holder lining so nothing rattles or gets lost.
Then What?
This only gets you mobile — for example to roll off a driveway or onto a recovery truck. It does not fix the underlying cause, so treat it as a get-out-of-trouble step rather than a repair. If the lever wouldn’t release because the battery is flat, sort the battery; if it happens with a healthy battery, have the shift interlock checked. Bear in mind that with a dead battery the car has no drive, no power steering assistance and no servo brakes, so keep movements short, slow and controlled.
If It Won’t Release
- Check the parking brake is holding and re-seat the tool if it feels like it isn’t catching the latch.
- Make sure you turned it a full 90° clockwise before pressing — a partial turn won’t engage the mechanism.
- Confirm you’ve exposed the correct release under the cup-holder lining rather than an adjacent trim edge.
- If the lever still won’t budge with the tool correctly seated, stop and call recovery rather than forcing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
My Audi A4 is stuck in Park — how do I move it?
Set the parking brake, lift out the cup-holder lining next to the selector, fit the release tool from the boot kit, turn it 90° clockwise and press until it engages, then move the lever out of P. Refit the lining afterwards.
Is this safe to do myself?
Yes — it is a cabin override with no electrical or high-voltage risk. The only real hazard is the car rolling once the lock is off, so apply the parking brake or chock a wheel first and make sure the path around the car is clear before you release it.
Why did the lever lock in P?
Usually a flat 12 V battery, which leaves the electric shift-interlock without the power it needs to release. It can also be an interlock fault that latches the lever even with a good battery. The emergency release frees it either way so you can move the car.
What tool do I need?
The small release tool in the car’s onboard tool kit in the boot — the same kit that carries the tow eye. No special or workshop equipment is required; that supplied tool is designed to fit the release and turn it the quarter-turn needed.
Can I drive the car after releasing it?
No — the release is only for repositioning the car a short distance, such as rolling it clear or onto a transporter. If the battery is flat you have no drive and reduced braking and steering assistance, so deal with the battery or interlock fault before trying to use the car normally.
Will I damage anything by using the release?
Not if you do it gently. The tool needs only a 90° turn and a firm press, so there is no need to force it. Forcing the lever or the tool is what causes damage; if it resists with the tool correctly seated, stop and get it checked rather than pushing harder.
If it locked because of a dead battery, see our A4 battery guide. For a stored fault code, look it up on autodtcs.com.
Independent guide — not affiliated with Audi. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions. Read our full disclaimer.