Just bought my first S3, very excited!

[Will.]

Having been a lifetime Golf GTI owner, I bought an A3 1.8T back in 2000, and loved it as a car - soon had it remapped by AMD, but even with that it still seemed like there was so much more potential - couldn't afford an S3 back then, so I returned to Golfs but the feeling never went away... came into a bit of money recently and just decided to go for ir, especially having seen the pics of the new 2007 S3, which to me just looks nowhere near as beautiful as the previous model

Found a black 2003 S3 at a main dealer, 36000 miles and in immaculate condition, managed to get a small discount on the marked price down to £16,700 which still seems high to me but having test driven the car, I knew I had to have it. They're servicing it and refurbing the alloys as part of the deal, and I get a year's guarantee as well, so I'm not too fussed by what I've paid. I'm taking delivery of it on the 31st August and am looking forward to the day more than any Christmas I can remember

Think it'll be going straight to AMD again for the Stage 1 remap, but I'd love to hear any suggestions from S3 owners on here for a first time owner, anything, good or bad - want to know as much as possible about my lovely new toy!

 

[Will.]

 

[Will.]

 

[god_thats_quick]

looks great - well done and welcome to S3 ownership!

 

[bantam1]

Lovely looking car mate. Best colour combo as well - black with ally mirrors! It looks mint and you are picking it up on my birthday!

Are those original RSTTs i.e. as an option on the car, and are those windows tinted or is it just the pics?

A long wait till the 31st eh - I know because I'm getting my S3 remapped at MRC on the same day and can't wait.

 

[monkeytrousers]

Nice one. Exactly the same as mine, although I prefer your wheels! I don't think £16,700 is bad from a main dealer for an 03 plate with average mileage. I paid £19,500 for my 02 plate in 2004. A friend of mine just paid £13,500 for a 51 plate S3 with more miles from a dealer. So I think your price is right on. The year's warranty will give you peace of mind too.

Just a warning on the remap ... well worth it but it can kill the standard clutch. Most people are OK, but a significant number need a new one quite shortly after remap.

 

[Olly_K]

yeeeeeeees loving that. I wish my wife bought an S3 instead of the 1.8 T sport

 

[dickys3]

Nice car mate. Check out the FAQ at the top of this forum for all you need to know about mods and things that go wrong.

Oh and you'l love the remap. I had a AmD map and it was great. The clutch should be fine as long as you are kind to it.

 

[jcs356]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the purchase. Looks mint. I also agree with dicky that the clutch very much depends upon how you drive it.

 

[silver75]

Welcome, car looks good

 

[madvw]

nice ride man, nice price too! That warranty is really worth it.

 

[fingermouse]

nice ride, only thing id say is hold out on the AMD remap for 6 months to a year, then get it done and it will feel like a new car again.

wont be long before your doing the ARB and suspension lol

 

[mattyboy199]

Only thing i ll mention about the S3 is that if you drive it hard you will pay for it, otherwise great car great choice

 

[monkeytrousers]

nice ride, only thing id say is hold out on the AMD remap for 6 months to a year, then get it done and it will feel like a new car again.

And you may want to wait until the warranty is expired before remapping, because if Audi find out (by reading the ECU data) they can cancel the warranty, at least for engine-related stuff. They are unlikely to check, but might do so for certain big claims.

 

[bantam1]

Only thing i ll mention about the S3 is that if you drive it hard you will pay for it, otherwise great car great choice

Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'pay for it' mattyboy? Do you mean in terms of consumables (discs, pads, tyres) or something else?

Cheers,

B.

 

[docurley]

Wish my other half would even look at an S3, nice car do like the S3 look.

 

[Will.]

Thanks for all the replies, guys - much appreciated

Interesting to hear that the AMD stuff could invalidate certain big warranty claims, so yes - maybe I should just enjoy it for a year and if there are no major mechanical issues with it after that, then take it to AMD for the remap.

@bantam1, no idea mate - I'm guessing they were an original option when the car was ordered as it is nicely specced out anyway, Bose, 6 disc headunit changer, aluminium mirrors etc, but I will ring the dealer and check this - could there be any problem if they with retrofitted but not by Audi? i.e. tracking, geometry etc?

@monkeytrousers, thanks I've been doing a bit more price researching and it seems the amount I paid isn't that bad at all, as you say. Could have got it for maybe £1500 less with similar spec privately, but I really think the advantages of the warranty, dealer sale etc make it worthwhile.

Cheers again for all the replies, I'll post up some more pics when it's here and delivered.

 

[Will.]

Only thing i ll mention about the S3 is that if you drive it hard you will pay for it, otherwise great car great choice

Yes, do you mean this like if I drive it hard it will just eat through regular consumables like clutches, tyres and pads very fast? Or do you mean that the car will eventually break itself if driven hard and I'll have to pay for lots of restorative or preventative work to keep it in good shape?

I've got no problem replacing things like clutches and brakes on a regular basis if I've worn them fast due to how I choose to drive, but I do have a problem with a car that can't tolerate the power it has without failing in expensive and unpredictable ways

 

[mattyboy199]

Can you elaborate on what you mean by 'pay for it' mattyboy? Do you mean in terms of consumables (discs, pads, tyres) or something else?

Cheers,

B.

Basically yes & any other niggles that occur.

 

[bantam1]

@bantam1, no idea mate - I'm guessing they were an original option when the car was ordered as it is nicely specced out anyway, Bose, 6 disc headunit changer, aluminium mirrors etc, but I will ring the dealer and check this - could there be any problem if they with retrofitted but not by Audi? i.e. tracking, geometry etc?

No not a problem even if they were retrofitted as they go straight on (original bolts and all) and wouldn't affect geo set up. They were an option with later S3s so that is probably why they are on the car. It might be worth checking this with the dealer and that they aren't aftermarket reps.

Not trying to worry you as these are probably an option and OEM anyhow.

 

[DIPS_A4]

Thats one nice s3 u got there mate. Makes me want one now insted of a b6 a4 or cupra r. :thumbs-up:

 

[monkeytrousers]

Interesting to hear that the AMD stuff could invalidate certain big warranty claims, so yes - maybe I should just enjoy it for a year and if there are no major mechanical issues with it after that, then take it to AMD for the remap.

The Audi warranty states the following is not covered:
" ... damaged caused by repairs, adjustments and replacements arising from circumstances outside the manufacturer's (Audi's) control ..."

If you've had a remap they could refuse a warranty claim under this clause. I had some electric work done on warranty after the remap and they didn't check, but I'm sure it would be the first thing they'd check if you made a mechanical claim.

I was also told by a roadside assistance person that Audi had instructed them to not repair remapped cars.

My advice is enjoy it as it is for a while, then in 12 months time consider the remap - it will be like having a different car.

Don't let this worry you, the S3 engine is very strong and reliable, and remaps are tolerated well. It's just about minimising risk and expense.

 

[S3Steve]

Nice car mate, the price seems about right to me.

 

[roy_barber99]

good luck with it, if i wasnt after economy i would have got an s3

 

[Adams3]

I luuuuurrrrvvvvv S3's!!!!!!!

 

[Will.]

Hello again

Well, I got the car and even though I'm very happy with it, it's been a string of f*ckups from the off, and to say I'm less than impressed with Audi UK would be an understatement...

First of all, when I test drove the car I noticed that it pulled to the left a bit - I pointed this out, and was assured that it would be taken care of in the pre-delivery MPC service. Lo and behold, it's delivered... and is still pulling to the left. I specifically asked the dealer before it was delivered if this had been taken care of, and he said yes - and that it was just a damaged tyre, so they had replaced it.

Ended up having to make about 10 phone calls to get them to agree that I could take it to my local dealer, not Croydon Audi where the car was from, as it is a long drive for me across London and I didn't see why I should be inconvenienced at all, having just spent 17 grand with them

So I get a booking at my local Audi dealer, 5 days later. By which time a rattle has developed from the back of the car, when driving over speed bumps etc. Take it in, explain this, go for a test drive with their head mechanic so he can listen. Leave the car with them. They do the tracking, and then take 2 DAYS to finally "identify the rattle", which they claim is a loose baffle in the exhaust back box. They get the new box in next day, I take the car there, they ring me later to say it's ready, then shortly afterwards ring me again to tell me there was a mistake, and it wasn't ready after all, because the back box had arrived damaged in transit

By this point I've seen red, and just told them to come and collect the car that day, and then bring the f**king thing back when it's ready as I wasn't prepared to waste another minute of my time running it back and forth when I should be working and doing family stuff...

So today it gets collected, 5pm comes and they deliver it back to my door, with a shiny new back box... and the same rattle still present

It's almost funny if it wasn't so completely pathetic... anyway, I finally had enough, and did some proper road testing myself - only to find that if you drove with the handbrake on just a couple of clicks, the rattle is gone. Amazing. And to think, their head mechanic missed that - makes me even more annoyed because when I was pointing out the fault to him, the first thing I asked was if he thought it was in any way dangerous to continue driving the car, because if so I would expect a courtesy car while waiting for the next available slot in their service center. He assured me it was in no way dangerous, but now by my own detective work I know beyond any doubt it's a brake related problem and therefore IS potentially dangerous.

I'll update when I get back from seeing them tomorrow but as I said so far Audi UK have been absolutely dreadful

The car's absolutely fantastic though

 

[rickparmar]

hope everything gets sorted

why is audi customer service so *****, i hate going to the showroom,

someone needs to show all the posts complaining about audi on audi-sport and send it to them. should get watchdog to do a test on audi customer service,

 

[mad max]

welcome to our exclusive club it truly is a great little car and just wait untill you remap any excuse to get out in the car and go for a spin

 

[FactionOne]

Worth noting perhaps that simply because it goes away with the handbrake on a click or two might not necessarily mean it's brake related...

Of course the suspension at the back of the car will behave differently with braking applied, but I'd guess that because it's only a couple of clicks, this probably isn't it.

One thing that might be worth thinking about though (while it's Audi's money that's sorting it out) is that (AFAIK) the Haldex 4WD system will only send power to the front wheels if the handbrake is engaged (even one click - this is a handy one when using 2WD rollers etc.) - so; it might even be something related to drivetrain for the rear wheels...

Regards,

Rob.

 

[Will.]

Worth noting perhaps that simply because it goes away with the handbrake on a click or two might not necessarily mean it's brake related...

Of course the suspension at the back of the car will behave differently with braking applied, but I'd guess that because it's only a couple of clicks, this probably isn't it.

One thing that might be worth thinking about though (while it's Audi's money that's sorting it out) is that (AFAIK) the Haldex 4WD system will only send power to the front wheels if the handbrake is engaged (even one click - this is a handy one when using 2WD rollers etc.) - so; it might even be something related to drivetrain for the rear wheels...

Regards,

Rob.

Thanks for the advice Rob, never knew that - very useful info!

Just drove it up to the dealer this morning first thing and went angry with them, amazing what a mention of the words "trading standards" will sort out

There was a different mechanic there today, he put it on a ramp while I waited with my complimentary watery vended coffee and shortbread and within 5 minutes he had found the problem - one of the springs that tensions the rear brake pads was out of place - he fixed it and it's totally solved the problem, rattle gone. I'm still shocked at the general incompetence of Audi on this, and still ****** off at how much of my time I've wasted getting it sorted but I've got a brand new back box out ot it, and all's well that ends well, I guess

Going to go out on a long drive now and see what this car can really do

 

[Will.]

someone needs to show all the posts complaining about audi on audi-sport and send it to them. should get watchdog to do a test on audi customer service,

Indeed.

 

[s3shabs]

Congrats matey. Enjoy your new car. Remember, treat your car with respect, and it'll treat you back with respect..