Yesterday I pulled into my favorite 7-11 in Tiptronic mode, shifted over to normal operation and into Park, and couldn't remove the key from the ignition. The vehicle started and turned off o.k., but the key was locked solid.

It turns out that there are two magnets that engage/disengage when Tiptronic is selected/de-selected, and, if you whip that shifter over into normal mode too quickly, the magnets might not release. Since the transmission "thinks" it's in Tip mode, Park cannot be selected. The cure is to put your foot on the brake (remember, Park isn't engaged) and move the lever into Drive, then SLOWLY shift into Tip mode, then SLOWLY shift back into normal mode.

Since this was the second time my dealership had come across this problem, they solved it in two seconds. To protect the innocent, I won't tell you how long it took the first time. It pays to be the SECOND one to experience these sorts of weird occurrences.

I hope this helps prevent those on Audiworld from experiencing the panic I felt as I imagined the service personnel dismantling my entire steering column to remove the stuck key . . .