Questions on the A3 before I collect the car tomorrow.

[Zoowatch]

Hi guys,

This forum has been a really useful resource for me over the past couple of months, from negotiating a discount to dealership quality and technical aspects of the car. I placed my order for an A3 back in July and tomorrow I am picking it up... really exciting for for me as it is going to be my very first Audi.

I have been through another thread about snagging issues for the cars, but I still have some questions:


1. When I pick the car up, what is the expected milage for this car... less than 15 miles, is that realistic?

2. Paint works... is there a way that I can tell if the car had any remedial paint job done by the dealership to cover those bumps and accidents through the transport and PDI processes?

3. I haven't bought the LifeShine protection package with the dealer, but seriously considering taking the car somewhere to do it... is it easy enough for me to do that carefully by myself or should I go to a detailer?

4. I have an iPhone 5, so I should ask for the Red Collar AMI cable, right? Should they give me both Red and Blue collar AMI or just one of the two types?

5. I haven't bought a separate data SIM card (the Audi uses a microSIM, right?) for the car yet, but I was thinking of just tethering my phone 3G internet with the car so that the hotspot in the car is connected to the net via my phone... is that possible at all?

6. Have anyone managed to easily play music videos (those DRM-free ones) bought from iTunes Stores on the MMI display?

7. With the Side Assist, Lane Assist and Adapted Cruise Control, does the car need to be on a certain type of road (motorway, dual carriageway), or be at a certain speed for it to autimatically steer slightly left/right for you (I assume that it will still require that my hands are still on the steering wheel)?

8. I intend to just jet wash the car myself in a petrol station and just let it dry up by itself as I drive it home. No waxing,or sponge or chamois leather, except for maybe once or twice a year. Will this lead to any long-term damage to the paint work or the car itself?

9. I have no previous experience with a diesel car before, and I drive mostly in urban areas. What are the issues that I should look out for, particularly concerning the diesel particulate filter?

10. Some of the friends I know refuse to go to supermarket petrol stations to fill up their cars. Would you recommend that I avoid using supermarket petrol station diesel as well?

11. Can I assume that if there is any issue with the A3, I can head over to any of the Audi dealerships and they should provide similar service under warranty for free and I need not go back to the dealership where I bought the car from, right?

12. Any other things that I should look out for when I collect the car tomorrow?

Many thanks.

 

[smk82]

I asked about the AMI leads when I picked mine up. Was told that the blue collar was std and if I wanted the red then I'd have to pay for it.. Still make the argument to the salesguy, you might be suprised.

 

[Daveotto]

Enjoy the day tomorrow, a couple of responses to your questions below:


1. Yes
2. Ask the dealer
3. If you like car cleaning I would say do it yourself, but as it appears you don't why bother, if you are happy with a dirty car just leave it and save a few hundred pounds, but think of it as your girlfriend/wife/partner and you would expect them to have a proper wash and not just a hose down more than a couple of times a year (jut my view mind!!)
4. Only 1 cable is supplied unless you ask nicely in advance
8. Quiet possiblty, but if you are not bothered about keeping your car clean then just expect a slightly lower resale figure if the paintwork is in bad condition when you sell
11. Yes go to any dealer under warranty

 

[A3sportbackMark]

I specifically asked for the Red AMI cable, but was given the Blue cable and USB cable.
I have an iPhone 4, and it works fine with the Blue cable. Not sure about the iPhone 5, i've read somewhere you may need a lightening cable, but may be wrong on that.

I was surprised to be given 2 Audi key rings, oil and a life shine kit (and that's after they tried to sell me it on numerous occasions!)

Have a great day, and enjoy your car!

 

[snowfree52]

4. red is for video, blue is audio only. Red is better and more expensive, but will you really watch videos ? (and remember, video is not available when the car is moving) anyway, you will need an adaptator for lightning

5. no you can't, you either need a RSAP mobile or a data sim and it's a mini sim, not a micro sim

7. no it needs line on both sides for the lane assist to work

8. you can, I've done that a lot and my old car had a perfect paint !

9. DFP don't like city centers, run it as often as possible on long journeys and motorways

10. stupid ! Or maybe they just like to pay more for the same !
I've had all my cars filled at the supermarket and never had issues whatsoever, and most of them were remapped or modified ...

11. yes

12. check all the options are there and for any damage to the car.

 

[cemerson]

I know most have been answered already but second opinions can't hurt, right?

1. That's realistic, I think mine had 25. Not sure really. Lowish.
2. Just careful looking I think, under the right light. If you can't tell like that, then is it an issue anyway? By law, if you ask about it, they have to tell you I think - might be worth making them aware of that and then asking.
3. No opinion / expertise on this one! I didn't bother with it.
4. Not sure again. I asked for and got both, but I don't own any Apple products. Friends can connect their stuff if they want to though! I also go the 3.5mm jack one, the USB socket one and the Micro-usb one.
5. It takes a mini-SIM (What you'd call 'standard' these days), not a micro-SIM. It's possible to use your phone over RSAP (though I read this is changing soon), depending on your phone though - iPhones don't support RSAP for example so can't do it. It has other disadvantages though - messages you get are stored in the car rather than your phone (because the car IS your phone essentially), call logs the same. I just got a separate SIM.
6. No idea on this one.
7. Side assist works all the time. ACC from 2nd gear up in manual (about 20mph, but will go down lower if already on) up to about 100mph, no other restrictions. Will work from 0mph in the auto. Lane assist needs a minimum of about 40mph, and obviously lane markings to be there, but that's about it. Your hands do need to be on the steering wheel though, and annoyingly it will sometimes thing you've let go even if you haven't. I'm still chasing Audi about this. Not getting very far at the moment.
8. No opinion on this one, though I'm going to try and avoid pressure washing mine (except for perhaps under the wheel arches).
9. DPF will have to regenerate every now and then. Lots of people report a hot, burning smell and the fans going at full after getting out the car and stopping it - that's a DPF regen, nothing to worry about, just leave it and it'll stop after 5 mins. If the car doesn't get a decent chance to regen the DPF you'll get a message or something, and should drive it on the motorway or A road for 15-20 mins to let it do its stuff - I haven't had this, but I do enough A road / motorway driving anyway. Other than that... it doesn't like the revs too low, which takes some getting used to after my old petrol car (can't put your foot down at 1000 revs and expect it to go anywhere fast...), but it has a huge amount of torque in the sweet spot and great fun IMO! Had an A4 1.8T petrol for a couple of days recently, and it was fast (faster than my car), but just felt flat and boring.
10. I don't think it's a massive issue with diesel - it's all much of a muchness, and diesel engines are far less fussy about that kind of thing. I'm no expert though.
11. Not sure on that one. I would hope so.
12. Just create a checklist and take it with you so you don't forget anything - don't let the dealer rush you around, take your time to inspect things, check all the options, anything else you should get (AMI cables, service book etc). There are a few threads about delivery checklists, I ended up with a huge one in the end. Google around for some and create your own from them!