most annoying thing about audi a3 sportback

[hollows wife]

i think i have found the most annoying thing in the design of the a3

the fact that when it rains and your window is slightly open you get drenched by the water coming in from on the roof of the car

there doesnt seem to be any gutter sytem on the car

i know on most cars you get a slight amount of water coming in near the wing mirror

but mine just gushes water in at a height which lands and pools in the window switches

 

[h5djr]

Thats been a fact of all A3 since they were first launched.

The moral of the story is to use the air con and keep the windows closed!!

 

[matt a]

Think this happens a lot on most cars, certainly did on my MK5 Golf.

 

[Hastie1776]

I find the best way to keep the water out of my window switchs is to use them to close the windows. Works everytime in the rain, I swear by it.....

 

[h5djr]

It's mainly down to the manufacturers removing the guttering above the doors to improve the air-flow over the cars and thus reduce drag and improve fuel consumption.

 

[10blazin]

i dont have my windows down in the rain i find that i get **** wet threw lol......and most people who do have there windows down in the rain just want to blast there music and be heard ...???

 

[h5djr]

i dont have my windows down in the rain i find that i get **** wet threw lol......and most people who do have there windows down in the rain just want to blast there music and be heard ...???

Or throw cigarette ends into the faces of passing motor cycles and scooters. I know I had one hit me in the eye many years ago.

 

[10blazin]

Or throw cigarette ends into the faces of passing motor cycles and scooters. I know I had one hit me in the eye many years ago.

dave ive just bin laughing my head off at that lol ....bleeders

 

[hollows wife]

so vw can make aerodynamic cars without getting a soaking and audi cant ??

whats wrong with having the window down slightly when its raining helps keeps the windows clear and a fresh supply of air .

definately not do it to play loud music im 37 not 17

 

[10blazin]

climate control sorts all that out .....windows steaming and hot a cold so i dont see the need to open the window and fresh air does come in to unless you choose it not to by the button with the arrow on it ....

if you stick a plastic strip accross the top im sure that would solve it if you look there is a fine groove but obviously not big enough to cope with the rush of rain if they made it deeper it probably would , i see your point tbh it is a little annoying its usually when you just drive off and the rain off the roof ****** in , i just leeve my window shut ...

 

[Igdos]

For me it's the doors locking once the car is moving, fair enough but then I STOP and then either my passenger gets out and tries to get their stuff from the back or I'll pick someone up and it's like - LOCKED!!! AAAARGGGHHH! Every time!

 

[10blazin]

For me it's the doors locking once the car is moving, fair enough but then I STOP and then either my passenger gets out and tries to get their stuff from the back or I'll pick someone up and it's like - LOCKED!!! AAAARGGGHHH! Every time!

yeah thats annoying for me i drop the misses off with the baby some where when she goes to get the trolley from the boot its locked and i have to take the key out of the ignition to unlock it IT REALLY PEEVES ME OFF is there a button for the boot or is it just on the fob....

 

[Hastie1776]

For me it's the doors locking once the car is moving, fair enough but then I STOP and then either my passenger gets out and tries to get their stuff from the back or I'll pick someone up and it's like - LOCKED!!! AAAARGGGHHH! Every time!

I think this can be turned of via either the DIS or VAG can't it? I know I have just made mine one click and its open via DIS which usually took one click to open drivers two for passenger and three for boot!.

It is a pain!

 

[Igdos]

yeah thats annoying for me i drop the misses off with the baby some where when she goes to get the trolley from the boot its locked and i have to take the key out of the ignition to unlock it IT REALLY PEEVES ME OFF is there a button for the boot or is it just on the fob....

Yep, really annoying - to be fair there is a button to UNLOCK on the drivers door, pretty sure it should open the boot as well. Even though - for me I always forget to press it!

 

[10blazin]

yeah the lock and unlock on the drivers door that should do it should it i though it just done the doors OMG cant believe ive not tried it how thick .... cheers for that if it works :icon_thumright:

 

[hollows wife]

yeah you can adjust this plus alot of other features like 1 touch windows up/down via vagcom

 

[gavsteryoung]

I have to use a card to get out of my work car park!

And when its raining or bin raining, as soon as I roll down the window to let me self out, I get a shower from all the water on the roof....

Its now a race to beep the card and get the window up, whilst keepin the car at a slight forward roll...

LOL

 

[Wai-Fan]

The water thing does seem to be quite annoying at times. But as said, should keep the windows up and aircon on!

Plus, if you have a window open, then another car on the other side of the road may drive through a puddle and splash water all over you, WHILST your still in the car! So that's another good reason to keep the window up!

 

[Hellz]

Yep the water in through the window and the auto locking of doors and boot have to be the most annoying features on the new A3's.

The amount of times I've opened the window to let some fresh air in to clear window condensation and have been soaked is getting silly - I keep forgetting about it.

AUDI took away the roof guttering to improve air flow and thus fuel consumption leaving the driver with few options whilst its raining or has been raining:

Open window, get soaked.

Stick Air Con on, increase fuel consumption.

Do neither - crash due to poor vision.

How many times have you guys had a passenger in the car that doesnt understand the intricacies of the AUDI auto locking mechanism? And on exit of the car they attempt to rip the passenger door handle off because it wont open!

Frustration!

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

Both of these things enrage me about the A3

Even if I'm not trying to flick fag ends at cyclists, I always like the window open a little bit - not so everyone can hear my music but I like a bit of fresh air circulating the car; I don't consider the stuff coming out of the air vents as 'fresh'. Even when it's boiling hot I'm more likely just to roll the windows all down. So the in-car cold shower system is turning my door card grey and streaky over time

The auto-locking thing: after nearly a year I still don't remember, and neither does the wifey - I wonder who will be first to win an Audi A3 door handle

 

[h5djr]

How many times have you guys had a passenger in the car that doesnt understand the intricacies of the AUDI auto locking mechanism? And on exit of the car they attempt to rip the passenger door handle off because it wont open!

Frustration!

As far as the auto-locking is concerned Audi have cured that problem. On both my latest A3s - a 2007 and a new facelift 2009 - you only have to pull the interior handle once to unlock the door and open it.

Running with the air-con on all the time makes hardly any difference to fuel consumption as the only time the air-con takes any significant power is when the system asks for cold air. When this happens the electric clutch on the compressor engages and the engine drives the compressor. Most of the rest of the time the clutch is disengaged and the pulley on the end of the compressor is just free wheeling.

I've tried running with the air-con switch on all the time and switched off and not noticed and real change in the fuel consumption. Now I run with it on all the time and my car never steams up even with myself and three passengers in wet weather. According to some reports running with a window open will have move effect on fuel consumption that running with the air-con switched on.

 

[10blazin]

Both of these things enrage me about the A3

Even if I'm not trying to flick fag ends at cyclists, I always like the window open a little bit - not so everyone can hear my music but I like a bit of fresh air circulating the car; I don't consider the stuff coming out of the air vents as 'fresh'. Even when it's boiling hot I'm more likely just to roll the windows all down. So the in-car cold shower system is turning my door card grey and streaky over time

The auto-locking thing: after nearly a year I still don't remember, and neither does the wifey - I wonder who will be first to win an Audi A3 door handle

i do it to blast my music that's why i said it lol hahahahahahaha and lol at the fag ends **** funny that

 

[Igdos]

As far as the auto-locking is concerned Audi have cured that problem. On both my latest A3s - a 2007 and a new facelift 2009 - you only have to pull the interior handle once to unlock the door and open it.

What I was meaning (and I think the others) is that the external doors are still locked - so I drop someone off, they get out and then try and open the back door to get their stuff out or if I stop to pick someone up...and they are like 'why's the door locked'....and try the handle yet again...only a matter of time before the door handles are away!!

 

[10blazin]

yeah dave its getting out and all the doors are locked but imho thats for are safety and rather unlock the doors with that switch than lock em how many times would you forget and get jacked for not locking the doors ....

and yeah boot problem solved just hit the unlock switch i didnt know this and took my key out and unlocked it with the fob everytime , it used to make me cry ..lol

 

[h5djr]

What I was meaning (and I think the others) is that the external doors are still locked - so I drop someone off, they get out and then try and open the back door to get their stuff out or if I stop to pick someone up...and they are like 'why's the door locked'....and try the handle yet again...only a matter of time before the door handles are away!!

If you don't want the door to auto-lock when you start moving this can be easily changed by your dealer or by anyone with VCDS(VAG.COM). Personally I prefer the auto-locking because, as 10blazin said, it does stop any unwanted individuals from joining you in the car uninvited.

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

i do it to blast my music that's why i said it lol hahahahahahaha and lol at the fag ends **** funny that

I've usually got it loud other people hearing it is a side-effect...besides, loud music means they can't hear how bad my singing is

 

[10blazin]

Yeah i blast hiphop all the time i love it not the stuff nowadays but stuff before 1996 love it .....

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

I'm a hip hop head too but there's loads of other stuff in the changer. When I work out how to do it I can fill up some SD cards. I have a writer now

 

[VWAddict]

When this happens the electric clutch on the compressor engages and the engine drives the compressor. Most of the rest of the time the clutch is disengaged and the pulley on the end of the compressor is just free wheeling.

Nope.

-Not on the 8P A3... All compressors I've ever seen are the electronically-controlled clutchless type. The swash-plate angle is controlled instead.

Also, there IS an engine load at all times as -with the AC on- the air compressor IS compressing the refrigerant and thus presenting a load, even when the temperature is set ABOVE current cabin temperature. This is done to 'dehumidify' the air by lowering its temperature below the current dewpoint as it passes over the coil. the temperature is further raised by the car's heater -driven by the engine coolant- which explains why before the car is warmed up, on any setting other than 'HI', the air is ALWAYS chilled when the A/C is switched on.

-Unless of course the UK 8P's have a totally different system... though I doubt it. -My money would be on them having the same Zexel/Densei clutchless A/C compressors as here in the US.

Keith

 

[10blazin]

I'm a hip hop head too but there's loads of other stuff in the changer. When I work out how to do it I can fill up some SD cards. I have a writer now

what kind kind of hiphop you listen to alot of german's are into memphis hiphop that what i like to really good beets with that split your wig killer type of theme or g funk the really cool type of rap i love it im 32 and still havent grown up i dont intend to either il be busting this when im 90 ....lol

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

I'm Welsh, so I haven't got a German's taste...although I am discovering a bit about German hip hop and it's interesting...like loads of stuff really, some you might laugh at but I grew up with it, early LL, Nas, KRS1, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Dre, Canibus, Luniz, Lady of Rage, Meth, it goes on! For modern stuff I like the Dirty South

P.S I'm 31 and I'll never grow out of it. It's not a phase. You can also find me rocking out to Metallica making the metal fingers, or chilling with girly love music. But my head hips and hops

 

[h5djr]

Nope.

-Not on the 8P A3... All compressors I've ever seen are the electronically-controlled clutchless type. The swash-plate angle is controlled instead.

Also, there IS an engine load at all times as -with the AC on- the air compressor IS compressing the refrigerant and thus presenting a load, even when the temperature is set ABOVE current cabin temperature. This is done to 'dehumidify' the air by lowering its temperature below the current dewpoint as it passes over the coil. the temperature is further raised by the car's heater -driven by the engine coolant- which explains why before the car is warmed up, on any setting other than 'HI', the air is ALWAYS chilled when the A/C is switched on.

-Unless of course the UK 8P's have a totally different system... though I doubt it. -My money would be on them having the same Zexel/Densei clutchless A/C compressors as here in the US.



Keith

The Compressor used on my A3 has the name SANDEN on the side. The way I described it was how it was descried to me, albeit some years ago, by an Audi Master Technician. Our air-con 'expert' here on ASN shows a picture in his Air-Con FAQs section showing a similar type of compressor and describes it as having an electronically controlled clutch which engages the compressor when the air-con is switched on. I may be wrong but that is how I understand it to be. Perhaps the US versions are different.

However the air-con system works it seems silly to pay for air-con and not use it. The amount a fuel saved by switching it off is, in my experience, very little. I ran my previous A3 with it off for several weeks and it made hardly any difference. The car just steamed up more, especially when it rained.

Most reports I've read say that driving with the car windows open can use more fuel than driving with the air-con switched on.

 

[HotboxDeluxe]

Most reports I've read say that driving with the car windows open can use more fuel than driving with the air-con switched on.

I do use it, just not all the time! For example it's great for getting me toasty on a winter morning, and cooling me off when it's blazing, but I'll sacrifice a couple of mpg for the sake of an open window, I'm a creature of habit, and since driving an A3, have gotten used to a damp left leg (lhd car)

Am I the only one who has the AC on in hot weather and the windows open and when it's cold, window still open but heater on full?

 

[10blazin]

I'm Welsh, so I haven't got a German's taste...although I am discovering a bit about German hip hop and it's interesting...like loads of stuff really, some you might laugh at but I grew up with it, early LL, Nas, KRS1, Biggie, Wu-Tang, Dre, Canibus, Luniz, Lady of Rage, Meth, it goes on! For modern stuff I like the Dirty South

P.S I'm 31 and I'll never grow out of it. It's not a phase. You can also find me rocking out to Metallica making the metal fingers, or chilling with girly love music. But my head hips and hops

memphis is the dirty south i was into dirty south for a while but memphis is the gritty underground of dirty south ive got some cd decks im gona make some beets soon when i get time apart from gym baby and getting ****** lol

 

[h5djr]

I do use it, just not all the time! For example it's great for getting me toasty on a winter morning, and cooling me off when it's blazing, but I'll sacrifice a couple of mpg for the sake of an open window, I'm a creature of habit, and since driving an A3, have gotten used to a damp left leg (lhd car)

Am I the only one who has the AC on in hot weather and the windows open and when it's cold, window still open but heater on full?

Personally I much prefer the quiet environment with all the windows close and the air-con looking after the temperature and humity. Which is exactly why I chose the Climate Control option on my new SE.

 

[N8]

most annoying thing about audi a3 sportback

It isn't as fast as an R8?