🚨 2024 Audi S5: Emergency Neutral
The 2024 S5 retains the console-mounted traditional gear lever with electronic park lock.
✓ Expert-verified by Chris Hackleman & Jeff Moore — master technicians, 20+ years each.
⚠️ Chock the wheels first — neutral means the car can roll. Set the parking brake while you work, never stand downhill of the vehicle, and try a 12-volt jump before any override: power fixes most stuck-in-park problems instantly.
The procedure
- Apply parking brake and ensure vehicle is on level surface
- Press the START button twice without touching the brake pedal to bring ignition to ON/ACC mode
- Identify the shift lock override—a small capped rectangular slot on the driver's side of the shifter base where it meets the center console
- Use the emergency key blade or a small flathead screwdriver to pop off the cover cap
- Insert the tool into the override slot and depress it fully
- While holding the override depressed, move the gear lever back through Reverse to Neutral (you may need to pull the lever toward you against spring tension)
- Verify the shifter indicator shows N before attempting to move the vehicle
Shift-lock override location
Driver's side (left) of the shifter base, covered slot approximately 1 inch from console mounting
With zero electrical power
A completely dead battery requires jump-starting through the under-hood terminals before the shift lock override becomes operable. Connect jumper cables or a booster pack to the positive terminal (under red plastic cover) and a chassis ground point. Minimal voltage (even from a weak jump source) is sufficient to release the electronic steering lock and allow the shift override to function.