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Audi A3: Problems & Solutions - READ ONLY

186 messages,  Last post on Oct 16, 2006 at 8:01 AM

You are in the Audi A3 Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Audi A3, Wagon

Messages Page 19 of 19

#177 of 186 Re: do audis burn oil in general? [commuter2] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Sep 19, 2006 (8:26 am)

Replying to: commuter2 (Sep 14, 2006 11:10 pm)
Fair enough, but I rather view it as common sense type of information. If you think of the valves going up and down and protruding into the combustion chamber, the idea of a slight amount of oil mixed with the fuel, lubricating the protruding stem of the valve in these horrendously high thermal conditions----well, it just makes sense, technically speaking. I've certainly asked engine builders about this, who, in this case, I prefer to quiz, rather than pocket protector guys working only on paper.
 
Hope that clarifies my point of view on this.

#178 of 186 Audi does NOT do any QC at factory by andres3

Oct 07, 2006 (11:05 am)

Quality Control problems (fit and finish and build quality issues with Audi A3)
 
rear wiper blade worked like it was 2+ years old
scratch on glove box plastic (could of been molding manufacturing issue) (Audi won't fix)
unravelling corner to cargo cover inside (could of been cause by me, but if so, poorly designed and not durable at all) (didn't bother Audi about this one)
Exhaust tips look like they came out of a junkyard; trying to get Audi to replace, so far I've been met with a brick wall of resistance. I'm angry at Audi for this one. They claim it is within their specification and quality standards. I hope to take pics and post on this forum in the near future to embarrass Audi as revenge, if they don't fix it soon!
Interior rear quarter panel trim did not fit right, was loose, and had about a 1/4" to 1/2
  • " gap with other trim pieces (replaced under warranty)
    Rearview mirror has a miniscule speck/scratch mirror defect (Audi says its the glass thats scratched, not the mirror, and therefore not covered)
    Rearview mirror moves too freely, not nearly enough tension (design flaw; Audi says its normal for A3) moves everytime I put the sunshade up! annoying!)
    First 1,000 miles, had rattles in the back, but they dissappeared!!! I'm going good at 6,000 + miles now.
    DSG tranny acts up every so often (very rarely), its scary though, I hope if it fails, it fails before my warranties expired, and not right after The DSG tranny has worked ALMOST flawlessly, but not perfectly. It's just a tad worrisome.
    Gas mileage has been significantly less than reported by EPA, even with conservative driving, and especially with spirited driving. I was told the engine would continue to improve on mileage up to its breakin period of 15K miles by dealer. I'm at 6K now.
     
    Audi blames the selling dealer and most of these issues as (outside influence), but what are the chances at least half of these issues are not dealer negligence or carelessness?
    High!!! very high! They can't all be!
     
    Audi needs to respect their customer's wishes more. My exhaust tips have a terrible finish and big burnt line going across the whole length horizontally. Even Kia's and Suzuki's have better exhaust tips than this!
     
    •

    #179 of 186 when will Audi learn? by kurtamaxxxguy

    Oct 07, 2006 (11:27 am)

    Sorry to hear you are having trouble, andres3.
     
    Not covering scratches in glass in a freshly delivered car? My Saturn ION had that (with other problems) and Saturn ended up replacing the entire car!
     
    Take heart that your info helps me with my desision whether or not to consider an A3 next year. Very unlikely to buy one new...Audis' warranty sounds worthless.

    #180 of 186 Re: when will Audi learn? [kurtamaxxxguy] by kurtamaxxxguy

    Oct 07, 2006 (3:47 pm)

    Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Oct 07, 2006 11:27 am)
    well, lets say warranty seems suspect, at least, for a number of issues. In fairness, Other cars have warranty lapses too.
     
    I wonder how Audi addresses DSG clutch wear? Is that covered at all? I understand the clutches are very expensive to replace.

    #181 of 186 Re: when will Audi learn? [kurtamaxxxguy] by andres3

    Oct 08, 2006 (1:48 pm)

    Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Oct 07, 2006 11:27 am)
    In fairness to Audi:
     
    They did replace my rear wiper blade no questions asked.
    They did replace the ill fitting interior quarter panel trim in the rear left side no questions asked.
     
    All of the other little minor things I've had problems with could easily have been "outside influence" and caused by the owner (being me). However, I can honestly testify that almost all of these issues were certainly already there when I purchased the car. I should have done a better delivery inspection, but it was overcast, and I was excited there were no mechanical flaws.
     
    Fortunately, the car is a blast to drive, and the best and most fun vehicle I"ve ever driven. It handles like a dream, ESP keeps you out of trouble. The dunlop perfomance tires stick to the road like no other, but the powerful engine still can make them spin w/o too much effort on the gas pedal (until ESP quickly kicks in).
     
    Mechanically, the car has been fantastic, and I've had no breakdowns or anythhing go wrong under the hood in 6K + miles. I'm just a bit upset over the number of tiny little cosmetic aesthetic issues. I'm really happy the car settled in and the rattles disappeared completely on their own.

    #183 of 186 Re: when will Audi learn? [andres3] by kurtamaxxxguy

    Oct 10, 2006 (6:54 pm)

    Replying to: andres3 (Oct 08, 2006 1:48 pm)
    good to hear your Audi experience wasn't all that bad...
    as I am still thinking about one when I get into the right driving circumstances.
     
    What is turbo lag like in your car? I keep getting different pictures of this (some pubs find a lot of lag, others say there is very little). Perhaps Audi changed the A3 engine programming over the model year??
     
    A coworker acquired an Audi A4 FWD recently...felt quite large compared to the A3 interior. But felt very stern, sort of spartian (may have been due to its all black Teutonic interior).

    #184 of 186 Re: when will Audi learn? [kurtamaxxxguy] by andres3

    Oct 11, 2006 (7:01 pm)

    Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Oct 10, 2006 6:54 pm)
    I have a hard time figuring out if its turbo lag, or simply DSG transmission downshifting lag.
     
    When you push on the gas suddenly, the DSG might have to shift down more than 1 gear, which means if each clutch is on the "next" gear, it won't be able to do that magical .2 second shift from 6 to 4, or 6 to 3...
    But I will tell you this, once your in gear, and once the rpm's approach 3,000, you're flying, pushed back into your seat, and up to 100 MPH in no time at all.

    #185 of 186 Re: when will Audi learn? [andres3] by andres3

    Oct 14, 2006 (10:33 am)

    Replying to: andres3 (Oct 11, 2006 7:01 pm)
    Either way, the lag is minimal. Better than the Volvo V50 T5 I test drove that felt like a sling shot with the lag holding it up at starts.

    #186 of 186 Forums reorganization by pf_flyer HOST

    Oct 16, 2006 (8:01 am)

    You've probably noticed all the new discussions appearing all over the forums. What's happening is that we're closing down general, everything in one pile type of discussions like this, and creating dicussions that are a bit more focused tomake it easier to find helpful info about specific topics.
     
    For example, here in the Audi A3 Group you'll now find an assortment of dicussions like:
    Audi A3 Electrical Issues
    Audi A3 Suspension Questions
    Changes You'd Like To See in the A3
    Audi A3 Test Drive - What Do You Think?
    just to name a few.
     
    So when you're going to post, please check the discussion list at the main Audi A3 Group page to find the appropriate discussion for your comments or question. If there does not appear to be a discussion about the issue or problem, please feel free to create a new discussion. We can deal with accidental duplicates as we go along.
     
    Thanks for your understanding and help as we get things a bit more organized!

    Messages Page 19 of 19

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