Why does my car sometimes beep at me when I turn the ignition on?

A3Kent

A3Kent

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As the title says...Why does my car sometimes beep at me when I turn the ignition on?

It's the same or similar beep that you get if your car needs a service or if you need fuel, and I need neither of these.

It happens quite a lot but not every time I switch it on.

VCDS says no problems at all, so I don't get it :)

Any ideas?
 
Smeds said:
Seatbelt warning?
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Nope, definately not that as when I do have that I have a warning symbol on the cluster and a beep every 5 seconds or so.
 
audi upgrades
DPF, used to always do it on my 58 170 diesel.

If your really quick you can just see flicker of an orange exhaust.

Often did it on mine, think it's just the shuffling of power to certain modules/sensors as you crank that in gives a false problem briefly.
 
mjr901 said:
DPF, used to always do it on my 58 170 diesel.

If your really quick you can just see flicker of an orange exhaust.

Often did it on mine, think it's just the shuffling of power to certain modules/sensors as you crank that in gives a false problem briefly.
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Ah ok, thanks. So nothing to worry about? I assume not as i'd hope to be getting some errors in the VCDS log if there were problems.
 
A3Kent said:
Ah ok, thanks. So nothing to worry about? I assume not as i'd hope to be getting some errors in the VCDS log if there were problems.
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Used the wind me up a bit lol. I had no errors stored either. I had my car from 6k-33k and it always did it frequently. Never had a problem with the DPF either.

Pretty sure you can measure the level of soot in a DPF anyway, so if your losing sleep over it, get it forced for a regen and see how you go.

Or the beep could be due to low outside temperature.

Or the beep could be for something I haven't come across yet.

Personally I'd leave it and wouldn't worry.
 
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Nothing on the DIS?
Mine beeped and the coolant symbol was on, quick scrape of the prongs in the bottle with a screwdriver and it's fine.
 
LEE69 said:
Nothing on the DIS?
Mine beeped and the coolant symbol was on, quick scrape of the prongs in the bottle with a screwdriver and it's fine.
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Nope, just a single beep when I turn the key, not even when the engine is on. As mjr901 says, must be the DPF.

I'll live with it I guess :)
 
A3Kent said:
Nope, just a single beep when I turn the key, not even when the engine is on. As mjr901 says, must be the DPF.

I'll live with it I guess :)
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Mine does this beep too, but the DIS usually says passenger airbag on ??
 
Sayam said:
Mine does this beep too, but the DIS usually says passenger airbag on ??
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It gives you the false sense that it's beeping at you for the airbag, as that always comes up anyway.

As I said, I remember catching a glimpse of the DPF light when it beeped on one of the many occasions, that doesn't necessarily mean that's the beep..I'm merely assuming, as no faults showing and that light was apparent briefly (a blink of an eye) on seperate occasions only on start up that it could be the DPF.
 
Always fuel that's beeping at me lol
 
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Mines beeped every so often when the battery was getting close to shot, think it flashed up as an ESP fault IIRC.

Was only the once I was paying attention and managed to see it flash up. Hasn't done it since battery was replaced!
 
weeroughy said:
Mines beeped every so often when the battery was getting close to shot, think it flashed up as an ESP fault IIRC.

Was only the once I was paying attention and managed to see it flash up. Hasn't done it since battery was replaced!
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Thats good to know, mine often beeps with no error message, but over the last week it beeps almost on every start up! No error messages normally apart from the ESP fault above which caught my eye but disappeared before I could read it and a false error on my rear driver brake light being out which it isnt!
 
weeroughy said:
Mines beeped every so often when the battery was getting close to shot, think it flashed up as an ESP fault IIRC.

Was only the once I was paying attention and managed to see it flash up. Hasn't done it since battery was replaced!
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Yes and this was apparent too!!! just remembered that one!
 
If the temp is 5C or below it beeps once, I only found this out recently after wondering what it was also!
 
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low battery is 3 beeps
could be the temp beep did it do it in the warm weather ?
 
Definitely not the temp in my case. It did it this morning and it was fairly mild for a winter morning.
 
Mine does this and always has done on and off, perhaps every 1 in 15 starts, it seems to be done when starting the car quickly, like when getting in and starting immediately without the glow plug light going off. Mine is a 170 too but I don't think it's anything to do with that. I'm sure I sometimes get a glimpse of "ESP fault" but it is not recorded and only ever does it on ignition turn on.
 
c_w said:
I'm sure I sometimes get a glimpse of "ESP fault" but it is not recorded and only ever does it on ignition turn on.
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Interesting as that's usually the A4 that does this.
 
My s3 has Esp fault/see handbook as it turns over but as it starts running its fine.
 
Granta said:
My s3 has Esp fault/see handbook as it turns over but as it starts running its fine.
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Mine did this until i swapped the battery for a new one, last one had just started to be a bit laggy.
 
XFi said:
If the temp is 5C or below it beeps once, I only found this out recently after wondering what it was also!
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I will have to remember that next time my S3 does it. Would happen every now and again and I thought it was just a ghost fault from starting the engine too quickly??? :S
 
c_w said:
Mine does this and always has done on and off, perhaps every 1 in 15 starts, it seems to be done when starting the car quickly, like when getting in and starting immediately without the glow plug light going off. Mine is a 170 too but I don't think it's anything to do with that. I'm sure I sometimes get a glimpse of "ESP fault" but it is not recorded and only ever does it on ignition turn on.
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Mine is a 170 and does exactly the same thing. ESP fault flash and beep every now and again.
Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to start as well. Always starts first time but just another second or two.
Wonder if my battery is on the way out as i've never changed it.
Would it do any harm by trickle charging the battery rather than getting a new one?
 
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My 2007 S3 does this too. Not very often though! I did manage to catch the message the last time it did it and is just said 'see owners handbook' but didnt say why I need to lol.
 
Glad it's not just my car then lol. Perhaps that system is very voltage sensitive and the starter drain triggers it momentarily? I changed the battery a few months ago and now thinking about it can't recall if it's done it since...
 
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Djwoody said:
Mine is a 170 and does exactly the same thing. ESP fault flash and beep every now and again.
Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to start as well. Always starts first time but just another second or two.
Wonder if my battery is on the way out as i've never changed it.
Would it do any harm by trickle charging the battery rather than getting a new one?
Click to expand...
No trickle charging be ok
 
I find if I jump in put the key and turn it on straight away it will beep and show the message but if I get in put the key in and turn it as far as getting all cluster lights on, wait a second and then start, it won't beep at me.
 
Mine used to do it from time to time. Hasn't done it since I replaced the battery about 9 months ago.
 
cnahamilton said:
I find if I jump in put the key and turn it on straight away it will beep and show the message but if I get in put the key in and turn it as far as getting all cluster lights on, wait a second and then start, it won't beep at me.
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That's my findings too, it doesn't like being rushed in the morning lol
 
I had to replace my battery last Winter as it kept flashing ESP fault when I turned the ignition on.

Took it to the garage, they put a battery tester on it and it was 1/10 on the reader, so it was ****ed. Luckily an easy fix though.
 
c_w said:
That's my findings too, it doesn't like being rushed in the morning lol
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I agree, my 2010 A3 (tdi 170) beeps whenever i rush it. Never happens if i wait for all warning lights to go out before starting the engine.

Not noticed a light or warning message when it beeps though...
 
My battery was about £ 95. A bosch heavy duty one. Sorry I dont know what its called.
My 170 used to do the esp thing too giving it an extra second or so helped.
Audi assist checked my batt and said ok but changed it anyway.
It now hits me with reversing lights out and sidelights complete with lamp signals.
Problem is there all ok. Annoying.
 
Djwoody said:
How much is a battery roughly for the A3 170?
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You want a Varta Silver Dynamic Battery (seems to be the battery of choice on here). Think mine was about 70 quid delivered.

Easy job to do as well. Biggest pain is taking the old one down to the dump for recycling.
 
t3ddy said:
I agree, my 2010 A3 (tdi 170) beeps whenever i rush it. Never happens if i wait for all warning lights to go out before starting the engine.

Not noticed a light or warning message when it beeps though...
Click to expand...

Mine does the same. If you jump in and start it, it will bleep.

Haven't seen any warning lights or messages.
 
Djwoody said:
Mine is a 170 and does exactly the same thing. ESP fault flash and beep every now and again.
Sometimes it takes a little bit longer to start as well. Always starts first time but just another second or two.
Wonder if my battery is on the way out as i've never changed it.
Would it do any harm by trickle charging the battery rather than getting a new one?
Click to expand...

My 170 has just started doing this "beep" when you start up with "ESP system failure" also gonna take the battery out get it on charge then get it tested to see if any faults found.
 
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