A3 alarm - Good to know

Zak0123

Zak0123

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Bit of a random one, A3 was locked with the windows down the other day (rare british sunny day), approached my car, casually threw my phone onto the seat through the open window and it set the alarm off. Good to know that the sensors are that sensitive! Read a couple of weeks ago about someone being concerned about just how sensitive theirs were so thought I would share.

Also, not sure how many people know this (or if everyone knows :think:) but I am LOVING the 'button start' style ignition. Found out from someone on another forum that you can turn the key and release it and the car will start itself. Very useful for 'putting seat belt on time' hahaha :happy: peace out
 
Had mine almost 3 months now and still haven't heard the alarm! I'm going to test it later, as I've read they're very quiet ...what do you think of the volume? I previously owned a Mondeo, who's alarm was located in the boot behind the carpet and it sounded pathetic, but there was a fairly easy mod that hooked it up to the cars main horn, which transformed it - any such mod on the A3?
 
The amount of noise an factory alarm can make is governed by EU regs. Too many noisy false alarms going off and annoying everyone so the EU imposed a max noise level.

I am now on my 8th A3 and the only time I have heard any of my alarms is when I had a new windscreen fitted to one of my earlier ones and during the night the interior mirror came unstuck and set off the alarm. In that particular case the car was in my garage that is attached to the house, so whilst I heard it I doubt if anyone else did.
 
That makes sense ...however, given that factory alarms don't generally suffer false activations unless there's a fault somewhere in the system, & the wish to hear mine should some scrote tamper with it, a modification would still be preferable if it's as quiet as is claimed.
 
I didn't even realise mine had an alarm!!

A few weeks after getting it, I had a puncture to repair and the chap had it up on a trolley jack to take the wheel off. I was standing talking to him while he put the repaired wheel back on the car - he dropped the car to the ground and I could hear a car alarm going off. I was standing tutting about noisy alarms and he said to me - "it's your car, would you like to switch it off"!!

Doh !!!

Never heard it since??
 
Zak0123 said:
Also, not sure how many people know this (or if everyone knows :think:) but I am LOVING the 'button start' style ignition. Found out from someone on another forum that you can turn the key and release it and the car will start itself. Very useful for 'putting seat belt on time' hahaha :happy: peace out
Click to expand...


Ehhhhh? How does this work? Don't understand please explain again?! Love hearing stuff like this.
 
Quick question please guys, no doubt it's covered in the owners manual, but mine is in German and unfortunately i don't speak or read German.


On the tilt and radar door switches (see pic below) does the LED light on mean that these are active or disengaged?
imagesqtbnANd9GcTdpI6hqGy9tjjXNwpYz.jpg
 
I did think that it didn't sound particularly loud, but then I can't think the last time I heard a really loud (modern) car alarm. That said, h5djr saying about EU regulations, Im sure Audi would make their car alarm as loud as possible (within the regulations) so maybe its so quiet as its capped by the regulations? Aftermarket might be the only solution if you want it louder.

KhalifaA3 said:
Ehhhhh? How does this work? Don't understand please explain again?! Love hearing stuff like this.
Click to expand...

Ok so think of the key as a stop/start button. Turn the key and immediately release it and the car will start 'by itself'. As in it will turn the engine over until it starts without you physically holding the key to the ignition. Small thing but very handy, just flick the key and release to start the car, you got it? :thumbsup:

gixerson said:
Quick question please guys, no doubt it's covered in the owners manual, but mine is in German and unfortunately i don't speak or read German.

On the tilt and radar door switches (see pic below) does the LED light on mean that these are active or disengaged?
Click to expand...

I think if the LED light is on it means they are disengaged. As standard they are active and the lights are out. Only one way to test! Rock the car!

If anyone wants to test their radar sensor the easiest way has got to be windows open, leave for 30 seconds (I believe to enable to radar) then flail about through the window! :jester:
 
gixerson said:
Quick question please guys, no doubt it's covered in the owners manual, but mine is in German and unfortunately i don't speak or read German.


On the tilt and radar door switches (see pic below) does the LED light on mean that these are active or disengaged?
imagesqtbnANd9GcTdpI6hqGy9tjjXNwpYz.jpg
Click to expand...
Whichever light is on, ie when you've pushed the button, the system is in-active or 'OFF'.
 
Ha might help.
the bit with regards to the above mention of the door switches.. Tilt and radar switches...

Cheers
 
ok i'm a bit thick... put the key in, turn it and then release it... turn it to what position? ignition position? i will try this.

btw my alarm is low. i accidently locked the missus in the car on the weekend.. and she said it was embarassing it made a low chirp and the hazzards were flashing.. i was concerne about her hearing but tbh even i didnt hear it blare.. i went to the pay and display to get a ticket about 30 metres away and didnt even notice it go off... guess its faulty but no codes in vcds.
 
Start the car as you would normally by turning it to ignition or 'start', but instead of holding the key to turn the engine on simply flick and release it. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.
 
Dan Hobley said:
Ha might help.
the bit with regards to the above mention of the door switches.. Tilt and radar switches...

Cheers
Click to expand...

Well with the tilt switch...it's automatically ON (light off) so the alarm will go off if someone jacks it up or sticks it on a lorry. Switching it off (Light on) will obviously allow all this without the alarm sounding

The radar switch is also automatically ON (Light off)so if you leave your dog in there or indeed the mrs, after a minute or so beep beeeep beep. switching this system off(Light on) will allow the dog to keep scratching and the mrs to keep doing her nails... all with no beeps...

The radar switch takes a minute or so to fully arm, so don't expect the alarm to go off straight away.

I know after 2009 sometime, these 2 switches have now turned it to one switch. (one switch does it all) I know with my 2009 S3 I had 2 switches and now with my 2012 S3 it's just the one.

Most people tend to think well I've locked the car now why isn't my alarm going off when I flap my arms through the window!?!? Be patient!!! Just give it a minute!!

Yes, it's also a not very alarming, beep beep beep.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I can't get over how quiet the alarm is either. I was washing it a few months back and using the pressure washer on the roof managed to set it off (definitely sensitive) but I didn't actually realise until I'd spotted the indicators flashing. I think my alarm clock is louder!

I heard a Lexus going off in Tesco carpark the other day and I got alarm-envy. Now THAT was a proper alarm!
 
I like the alarms that sound the horn in mega fast speed.

I have a sigma alarm on the Shogun and that's flipping loud too, more of a siren on that though.

Trouble is with the Germans, they love refinement, a loud obscene alarm wouldn't give the feeling of refinement and luxury, They'll make it play a tune next time.

Im sure noise regulations play a major part in this, the rules over in Germany may have lower Db laws.
 
Zak0123 said:
Start the car as you would normally by turning it to ignition or 'start', but instead of holding the key to turn the engine on simply flick and release it. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean.
Click to expand...


OMG how cool!!! Lolllll that is amazing thanks :respekt:
 
Confused by this ignition thing....I did the quickl flick but I get the a chug.. video what your doing will ya!
 
Try holding for half a second or so and then let go, I would say its instead of holding in place for 2-3 seconds to manually turn the engine over like on some other cars. Can do a vid if you can't do it, will definitely be on your 2012 S3!

KhalifaA3 said:
OMG how cool!!! Lolllll that is amazing thanks
Click to expand...

No problem bud, neat little find!
 
Zak0123 said:
you can turn the key and release it and the car will start itself.
Click to expand...

I think its all linked to the start-stop system and will be much more pronounced on a TDi. If you turn the key to the engine start position then release the engine won't start until its able, i.e. it does a coil warm up then fires up the engine. Depending on how long the engine has been sat turned off and ambient temps, etc the length of time will vary.

If mines been sat for a few days it can take a few seconds for the engine to start. If I nip to the shop the engine starts almost instantly after being driven then switched off for a few minutes.

With a petrol engine there are no coils to warm so I'd expect the car to start the ignition sequence as soon as the key is turned to the start position with no 'seat belt time'. Also this won't feature on FSI's & TDi's without start-stop ;)
 
Ah right, I don't have start stop and if I did it would be switched off 100% all of the time.
 
mjr901 said:
Ah right, I don't have start stop and if I did it would be switched off 100% all of the time.
Click to expand...
I have it on my Sportback and it works just a boroboy41 describes. Personally I'm not that keep on it but unfortunately if you switch it off it resets itself to ON each time you turn the ignition off. If anyone knows a way it can be set to be OFF all the time (perhaps thro' VCDS) then I would be very interested.
 
I had it on an A3 1.4t whilst my car was being serviced last year.

HATED IT. It switched itself off before I'd left the dealership carpark!

credit to the 1.4t though, not too bad'a engine, smooth too.
 
The alarm on my a3 sounds like an oven timer. :(
 
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