How do I correctly jack the S3?

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Bad Sir Culation

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Sorry for the multitude of questions today folks.

I've been searching this for the last hour and am not sure what to do.

Under the car it appears there are some square bits behind the sills that look like they would be jacking points; but looking here:
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/a3-s3-sportback-8p-chassis/114676-jacking-up-a3.html
and other places, it seems that you use these "hockey puck" type rubber blocks and jack the car on the actual sill itself?!

That just goes against everything I believe in when jacking cars! I'm unable to accept that the sill will not bend or dent.

Is there anywhere else I can jack, or do I have to buy these blocks from Audi??

Thanks all.
 
It'll be fine mate.. That's where I have mine up. If the jacking plate is flat then underneath should be fine.
 
I jack on the squarish reinforced bits you mention (jacking points) but use a standard hockey puck on the jack cup to save marking the metal. Was £4 ish on eBay and gives great grip. :)
 
A3_130 said:
I jack on the squarish reinforced bits you mention (jacking points) but use a standard hockey puck on the jack cup to save marking the metal. Was £4 ish on eBay and gives great grip. :)
Click to expand...

The square bits on the floorpan with the round rubber bits on them? That's where I would have guessed to jack, but was worried after reading lots of conflicting information. It seems nothing is ever straightforward with these cars!

I'm happy enough then, that I can jack the front on those points, with some padding on the jack cup. What about the rear though? It doesn't have those same squared areas, does it?
 
If you Jack where the rubber bungs fit for using a lift then they will collapse in, unless you lift the whole front end together or the whole car ideally, mine are a bit bent from previous owners jacking their I guess.I have one of those hockey pucks with a groove cut out for using on the sills, was under a fiver delivered off eBay.
 
rupe said:
If you Jack where the rubber bungs fit for using a lift then they will collapse in, unless you lift the whole front end together or the whole car ideally, mine are a bit bent from previous owners jacking their I guess.I have one of those hockey pucks with a groove cut out for using on the sills, was under a fiver delivered off eBay.
Click to expand...

Bought a couple of those this morning, just in case, but I have to say, I am really uncomfortable with the idea of jacking on the actual sill. It just seems like a bad idea. I've never known a car be strong enough there to not cave in when jacked.
 
Fronts - I use a small piece of wood on top of the jack seated on the reinforced 'wavy' metal behind the sill.

Rears - Use the wood approach again but place it across the area where the hockey pucks would mount.

The wood stops the jack tearing the underseal and distributes the load over a larger area to stop it bending anything.
 
[Dave B];2031979 said:
Fronts - I use a small piece of wood on top of the jack seated on the reinforced 'wavy' metal behind the sill.

Rears - Use the wood approach again but place it across the area where the hockey pucks would mount.

The wood stops the jack tearing the underseal and distributes the load over a larger area to stop it bending anything.
Click to expand...

Any chance of a photo of the points you use for clarity? And also a pic of the wood so I can gauge size?

Cheers!
 
i use 400mm 4x2 under the jacking points on the cill, then put stands under thst and remove the trolly jack. back and front

mark
 
I also use 4x2 but it's a piece a little shorter, maybe 200mmish. Can get you a pic of the mounting area but it'll probably be the weekend now as it's pitch black when I'm not in work.
 
the longer the 4x2 the more it spreads the load along the cill
mark
 
there is a point at which increasing the length of wood makes no difference
 
Well I'm out trying to jack the car and getting pretty ****** off. The rubber hockey puck blocks I bought are grooved but the groove is too shallow to accept the entire depth of the seam along the bottom of the sill.

That's just the first problem. #2 is that the blocks also will sit right against the sill cover if I try to use them. That's not going to be ideal and I would expect damage to the outer sill.

#3, I cannot for the life of me see ANY markings indicating where the car should be jacked. There's nothing there. Absolutely nothing. Wiped the bottom of the sill clean, got down there with a bright light etc. There's nothing whatsoever marked on the skirt.

Help! Need this up in the air in the next hour.
 
put the 4x2 under the cill roughly center it on the step on the cill put the head of the jack in line withthe step on the seam and jack up

mark
 
Cheers, that's a really good idea! I've ended up just jacking on the big silver subframe bolt at each side, hehe one farthest back from front, and putting stands under the sill jacking points. I had 5 mins away from the car then went back and it suddenly all became clear.

Was very nervous jacking on those bolts, but all my other cars have always been very strong on any subframe mountings.
 
Jacking on the chill, you mad? Chassis legs and a low entry jack ftw.
 
must be lucky then... timber is supported on the lip which the oe jack fits into, plastic cill is close but timber not touching.. ye cheep jack but thats only used to get the car uo then stands fitted to the side and jack removed.. used this way to replace discs calipers etc front and rear with no issues. pics were just a guide as one else had replied to the post.
mark
 
Yeah the stands and rubber blocks are under the inner sill with the lip along the bottom. I rang a specialist yesterday who told me to do it this way.
 
Or just get the ECS jack pad kit.... Makes life way easier and is an OEM solution.
 
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