Hello,

Recently I tried putting my transmission in 'S' mode and it wouldn't do it.Then I restarted the car, tried again and it shifted into S mode. Now I can't change it back - it is stuck in s mode.
Anyone had this happen to them? What was the fix? Expensive fix?

 

Clack, from the sounds of things, it is most likely the switch on the center console that is your issue, not a computer related thing. So, I would not worry too much about it. I say this because the "S" button puts the transmission into sport mode. All this does is artificially raise the shift points by a set amount based on how hard you are accelerating. For example. if you were not in sport mode and depressed the gas pedal and let the car shift on its own, lets say it would shift at 3,000 RPM. If you were in Sport mode and depressed the gas pedal the exact same amount, the car may shift at lets say 3100 RPM. If you were to be on the gas hard an not in sport mode, the car may shift at say 6,000 RPM, where in Sport mode, it would shift at 6,500 RPM. The purpose behind sport mode is to get the engine into slightly higher RPMs to get it more into a power band, to help with getting the car to accelerate. It is not going ot hurt the car to have it left in that mode.

If you absolutely need it shifted out, you could probably access the back of the switch (where you will find 2 wires) and then you can use a paperclip or some other device) and short the two wires together. This would trick the computer into thinking that the switch was depressed, causing it to change modes.

 

Sometimes if you roll ignition to one position below "start", then press the "S" button it will cycle correctly. Another post said ignition to first position, so try either one.

I also read that battery disconnection takes it out of "S" mode but, then you have to redo the auto up/down window programming as well as have radio code for mostly European cars.

 

I managed to get it out of s mode by having the ignition in the first position ie with the engine not started but electrics flashed up. This shows that the switch is in fact working - it looks like a computer problem that stopped it switching when the engine is flashed. After switching it back while in the first key position, now it is working properly again with engine started - what a glitch!