Technical Service Bulletin
69 Driver not detected, selecting gears D or R, U173E00
69 23 00 2071692/2 October 25, 2023. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 69 number 23-97 dated
October 9, 2023 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

All

Not Applicable

Q4 e-tron
quattro, and Q4 2022 – 2025
Sportback e-tron

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

2

-

Revised title (Modify title)
Revised header (Add customer code)
Revised Technical Background (Provided additional details)

1

10/09/2023

Initial publication

Customer states:
• The vehicle cannot be switched from transmission position "P" to “D” or "R".
or
• The vehicle switches from transmission position "D" or “R” back to “P” automatically.
Workshop findings:
The following DTC may be stored in the Data Bus On Board Diagnostic Interface, J533 (address word 0019):
• U173E00: Occupant detection Function restriction due to implausible message
No relevant DTC’s are stored in the airbag control module, J234 (address word 0015).

Technical Background
For this Audi model, the exit strategy is responsible to detect and to authenticate the driver. Once detected and
authenticated, the driver can turn on the vehicle’s ignition by pressing the brake pedal without having to push the
start/stop button. With the driver’s door closed, the driver seat occupant recognition sensor or the seat belt buckle
are decisive in determining if the transmission position “D” or “R” can be selected. With the driver’s door closed
and the driver’s seat belt fastened, the positions “D” or “R” can always be selected.
In addition, the exit strategy is also responsible to prevent the vehicle from rolling away if a driver has not been
detected. If the driver’s seatbelt is not fastened and the driver is not detected, for example due to their low weight
or position in the seat, the vehicle immediately returns to position “P” if “D” or “R” were selected. The driver seat
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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may
these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
occupant recognition system has to ignore people and objects on the driver’s seat that are too light (e.g. children
or bags on the seat). This is necessary due to the ease with which the exit strategy enables the vehicle to be
ready to drive.
The driver seat occupant recognition sensor is a pressure sensor located underneath the foam in the center of the
seat. In the case of very light drivers, shifting body weight can cause a driver to no longer exert enough pressure
on the sensor. Therefore, the occupant recognition sensor can no longer detect the driver. For safety reasons, if
the driver is not wearing a seat belt, the transmission position is then switched back from “D” or “R” to “P”. This
safety feature is only active when stationary or at low speeds.

Production Solution
Not applicable.

Service
• If the driver’s seat belt is fastened, the seat belt recognition has a higher priority than the seat occupant
recognition. Therefore, the driver should always wear their seat belt and the driver's door should always be
closed when driving. With the driver’s seat belt buckled and the driver’s door closed, the transmission position
will not be switched automatically from “D” or “R” to “P”. The transmission will remain in the selected position
even when stationary or at low speeds.
• Replacing the seat occupant recognition sensor 4N0963553* is not the solution to this complaint if no DTCs
clearly relevant to the seat occupant sensor are stored in the airbag control module, J234 (address word
0015).
• Please advise your customers to always wear their seat belt when driving!
• Parts replacement does not solve this issue. Claims for replaced parts will be subject to review.

Warranty
This TSB is informational only and not applicable to any Audi Warranty.

Additional Information
All part and service references provided in this TSB (2071692) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and/or ETKA for the latest information and parts bulletins. Please check the
Repair Manual for fasteners, bolts, nuts, and screws that require replacement during the repair.
©2023 Audi of America, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained in this document is based on the
latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property
rights of Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies, and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes
at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may

© 2023 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 2 of 3

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may
these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
these materials be modified or reposted to other sites without the prior expressed written permission of the
publisher.

© 2023 Audi of America, Inc.

Page 3 of 3

All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other
intellectual property rights of Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this
document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may
these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior expressed written permission of the publisher.