A6 auto safe mode

Help! My 1996 Audi A6 1.8 (ADR engine) automatic intermittently goes into safe mode, requiring me to stop and restart the engine to restore normal operation.
It usually happens when the car speed is around 25 – 35mph and the throttle setting is quickly decreased or closed, and the car is travelling down a gradient. It can happen at the same places on regular journeys e.g. approaching a roundabout down a gradient, passing a 30mph speed camera with a low or closed throttle down a gradient. Also, I performed a three-point turn in a car park situated on a hill, and the car drove away down the hill now in safe mode. The problem does not arise when the engine is pulling, or the car is travelling up a gradient. The transmission oil in both the gearbox and torque converter was changed less than a thousand miles ago.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I have the very same problem. Have you found the problem ? Mine really started after I had the car valeted. The engine bay looked like new, probably done with a jet washer. I'm now thinking something got damaged or water got in somewhere. I'm going to check out the vacuum pipes this week and also clean the recirculation thingy. Will post again if successful.

Paul

Thanks for your response.

I can check the vacuum pipes, but don’t know what you mean by the recirculation thingy.

My Haynes manual does not list an attitude sensor for my ADR engine. I guess it has something like that since the driver’s manual states that gearshifts occur at different speeds for up or down gradients. Currently, I can pull away up steep gradients and the upshifts appear to be at the lowest possible revs. Recently, I did a 3-point turn on a steep slope, and the car pulled away down the slope in safe mode. Unfortunately, I don’t know where the sensor is located, if the car has one.

Tony