Audi A3 Saloon 14 plate - cutting out

[EmmaA]

Hi,

I need some help with my 1 year old Audi which I have had since new. The first 6 months the car has been fine and since January 2015 I have had multiple issues which Audi are unable to fault and nothing showing on diagnostics. Not sure were I go from here as I do not feel safe driving the car. My main issue is the cutting out which happens without warning, brief explanation of issues below:

December 2014/ January 2015
Car cut out and steering and breaks locked up until car came to a standstill this happened moving from 1st to 2nd gear moving through traffic lights. I turned car off and back on and everything seemed fine

24/03/2015 9-10pm at night
Centre break light bulb warning light came on but break bulbs were all fine

28/04/2015
Car cut out and steering and breaks locked up until car came to a standstill this happened moving from 3rd to 2nd gear preparing to take a bend. I turned car off and back on and everything seemed fine

29/04/2015 am - Audi assist
Only fault picked up was the air conditioning - recommended to take into garage

29/04/2015 pm
Went into Audi garage

7/05/2015 - picked car up from Audi
Couldn't find faults and nothing appearing on diagnostics, told to see how I get on

18/05/2015 - 21:48
Centre break light bulb warning light came on - have a picture (see attached) but again no issue with break bulbs all working ok

28/05/2015 (3 different noises)
- strange noise very subtle
- partner identified another noise (sounds like electric buzzing noise) underneath car between driver door and rear door behind driver
- partner opened car bonnet and I revved engine whilst car running and there was a rattling noise coming from engine bay at the front left

04/06/2015
Car went back into garage after booked back into garage after issues detailed above occurred following collection of car on 07/05/15.
The car still reporting no faults and nothing showing on diagnostics but they've managed to identify the issue with break bulb light coming on which they have now fixed by replacing the high level break lamp unit.
Car is still in garage as they are saying they cannot fault my other 2 issues above and nothing appearing on diagnostics for the strange noises and cutting out.

Can anybody help shed any light on these 2 further issues to give me some armour to go back to Audi with, I am struggling as with all issues to date as soon as car is turned off and back on again at ignition everything seems fine again.

Thank you very much.
Emma

 

[Baldyone]

Just from that brief description, it sounds like a stall. Everything is assisted so if the engines cuts you will feel like you've lost brakes & steering. If your cutting mid corner are you normally on the throttle? I know it may seem daft but with it being so intermittent, do you remember how full the fuel tank was at the time? It could be something really basic and that maybe why it doesn't show up. Whatever the outcome there is no way it's right that you don't feel safe in your car and I hope they are busting their balls to change it!

 

[J4MMYz]

Just a question, is yours DSG? The fact that you cut out sounds familiar, I read of another person on here who cut out when changing 1st to 2nd but in the end I believe the ECU actually melted for the DSG box...

Honestly, i'd reject the car. You right in saying you don't feel safe driving it.

 

[EmmaA]

Just from that brief description, it sounds like a stall. Everything is assisted so if the engines cuts you will feel like you've lost brakes & steering. If your cutting mid corner are you normally on the throttle? I know it may seem daft but with it being so intermittent, do you remember how full the fuel tank was at the time? It could be something really basic and that maybe why it doesn't show up. Whatever the outcome there is no way it's right that you don't feel safe in your car and I hope they are busting their balls to change it!

Thank you for your response its much appreciated. It definitely isn't being stalled as I wouldn't like to waste people time if this was the case and I would expect this to be happening in first gear and not once car is already moving. Unfortunately I don't remember what the fuel tank was at time guessing about half a tank. The reason for my post is I have read up on older Audi A3 with identical issues and wondering if more recently anybody else is having the issue.

 

[EmmaA]

Just a question, is yours DSG? The fact that you cut out sounds familiar, I read of another person on here who cut out when changing 1st to 2nd but in the end I believe the ECU actually melted for the DSG box...

Honestly, i'd reject the car. You right in saying you don't feel safe driving it.

Hi, thankyou for your response it's much appreciated. No I don't have a DSG gearbox :-( and I have also read other people having similar issues too mainly around older Audis but unfortunately Audi are saying there not aware of any and they need to fault it to do anything anout it, very frustrating when you know something isn't right.

 

[steverobertsbbc]

If you deliberately invoke a stall by moving from first to fourth instead of second, does it behave the same? Is it possible you could have done that?

 

[EmmaA]

If you deliberately invoke a stall by moving from first to fourth instead of second, does it behave the same? Is it possible you could have done that?

Did you not read my original post which states occurrence from first to second and again third to second?

Its not like this is a one off.

 

[Baldyone]

No implication there the stall was your fault, sorry if it looks that way. More that the car isn't fueling correctly which would give the same result.

Thank you for your response its much appreciated. It definitely isn't being stalled as I wouldn't like to waste people time if this was the case and I would expect this to be happening in first gear and not once car is already moving. Unfortunately I don't remember what the fuel tank was at time guessing about half a tank. The reason for my post is I have read up on older Audi A3 with identical issues and wondering if more recently anybody else is having the issue.

 

[steverobertsbbc]

Did you not read my original post which states occurrence from first to second and again third to second?.

My point was really more to do with your statement that the engine stopped and the brakes came on (which they wouldn't do in the case of a stall). However, a stalled engine might feel like the brakes came on. I'm trying to establish if the engine simply stalled (due to a fuelling problem perhaps) or if it really did stop and apply the brakes as you've stated, which is a whole other and rather more worrying kettle of fish that indicates a much more serious fault with the control system. I was wondering if you deliberately invoked a stall whether you still felt that the brakes were being applied?

 

[Brennan]

My point was really more to do with your statement that the engine stopped and the brakes came on (which they wouldn't do in the case of a stall). However, a stalled engine might feel like the brakes came on. I'm trying to establish if the engine simply stalled (due to a fuelling problem perhaps) or if it really did stop and apply the brakes as you've stated, which is a whole other and rather more worrying kettle of fish that indicates a much more serious fault with the control system. I was wondering if you deliberately invoked a stall whether you still felt that the brakes were being applied?

Completely off topic I know (sorry OP). Steve you from NI by any chance? Noticed you said kettle of fish, were famous for saying that over here haha

 

[steverobertsbbc]

Yorkshireman exiled to London, I'm afraid!

 

[Brennan]

Yorkshireman exiled to London, I'm afraid!

Strange that lol i thought it was exclusive to here

 

[silent_wolf]

I would've guessed iginition coils initially as my mothers a4 did something similar except you would struggle to get it started after the engine dies, it stumped audi for months

 

[JonathanY70]

Strange that lol i thought it was exclusive to here

Kettle o' fish is pretty universal I think

 

[Brennan]

Kettle o' fish is pretty universal I think

I think it originates from Ireland though