Hi all, I am new to these forums and also a proud owner of an S3 for the past 3 months. 
I have trawled through numerous forums and have come across a couple of posts that partly answer my concern. I just need reassuring from new S3 owners.
As the title of topic suggests this is my concern. We have had the car now 3 months and have done just over 3000 miles. In the last month i noticed standing outside the car, whilst the engine was running that it sounded a bit louder than I expected. I wouldn't call it "clatter" or "rattle" but it sounds slightly "diesel'ish", albeit a quiet one. I lifted the bonnet to try and locate the sound, and seems to come from a unit front left of engine compartment, that has visible copper wires inside and a belt rotating on the left side...(no idea what it is called so excuse my lack of knowledge in engines). It is more noticeable in idle and when in slow speed, whether hot or cold, whilst standing in front of the car.
Now is this normal for an S3 to sound "diesel'ish"? Do other S3 owners have the same experience? I did take it down to the Audi dealership and the technician said it was normal .... but i'm not entirely convinced. So some reassurance would put my mind at rest!
Apart from the above i'd just like to share my initial experiences of the car.
Test drove both the S3 and then the TT 3.2 DSG back in February after BMW didnt even bother to approach me whilst in their showrooms. Well as you can imagine coming from a 998cc 14 year old Nissan Micra and test driving the S3 was a MASSIVE feck me WOW factor
The S3 impressed us far more than the TT 3.2, which I was surprised about. Received it in June and in phantom black the contrast to the chrome features are just brill.
From the start we have drvien it within "reasonable" limits, never really over done it, but there are plenty of times we have given it full throttle (it is just so hard to resist
). This car just shifts and in 5th or 6th the exhaust is delightfully gruff. To be fair it has got slightly "gruffier" over the months. 
This is car turns the heads of the decerning Audi driver, the hatchback owners and of course the boy racers.
I wash it only by hand with AutoGlym at least every two weeks without fail.
On the downside ... I have had it KEYED twice within the space of 3 weeks. 20cm key scratches
!!! It would be an understatement to say i wasnt hacked off......if i only could catch the ******** 
I guess this may happen parking it on a public street over night ... but private parking is a premium in Bath. But after the second time we had enough. So we are now moving to a place with private gated parking.
Sorry for the long post ... but it is my first here.
Anyway i hope some S3 owners can put my mind at rest with the above concern. :thumbsup:
I have trawled through numerous forums and have come across a couple of posts that partly answer my concern. I just need reassuring from new S3 owners.
As the title of topic suggests this is my concern. We have had the car now 3 months and have done just over 3000 miles. In the last month i noticed standing outside the car, whilst the engine was running that it sounded a bit louder than I expected. I wouldn't call it "clatter" or "rattle" but it sounds slightly "diesel'ish", albeit a quiet one. I lifted the bonnet to try and locate the sound, and seems to come from a unit front left of engine compartment, that has visible copper wires inside and a belt rotating on the left side...(no idea what it is called so excuse my lack of knowledge in engines). It is more noticeable in idle and when in slow speed, whether hot or cold, whilst standing in front of the car.
Now is this normal for an S3 to sound "diesel'ish"? Do other S3 owners have the same experience? I did take it down to the Audi dealership and the technician said it was normal .... but i'm not entirely convinced. So some reassurance would put my mind at rest!
Apart from the above i'd just like to share my initial experiences of the car.
Test drove both the S3 and then the TT 3.2 DSG back in February after BMW didnt even bother to approach me whilst in their showrooms. Well as you can imagine coming from a 998cc 14 year old Nissan Micra and test driving the S3 was a MASSIVE feck me WOW factor
The S3 impressed us far more than the TT 3.2, which I was surprised about. Received it in June and in phantom black the contrast to the chrome features are just brill. From the start we have drvien it within "reasonable" limits, never really over done it, but there are plenty of times we have given it full throttle (it is just so hard to resist
). This car just shifts and in 5th or 6th the exhaust is delightfully gruff. To be fair it has got slightly "gruffier" over the months. This is car turns the heads of the decerning Audi driver, the hatchback owners and of course the boy racers.
I wash it only by hand with AutoGlym at least every two weeks without fail.
On the downside ... I have had it KEYED twice within the space of 3 weeks. 20cm key scratches
!!! It would be an understatement to say i wasnt hacked off......if i only could catch the ******** I guess this may happen parking it on a public street over night ... but private parking is a premium in Bath. But after the second time we had enough. So we are now moving to a place with private gated parking.Sorry for the long post ... but it is my first here.
Anyway i hope some S3 owners can put my mind at rest with the above concern. :thumbsup:
