Tips and Tricks

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Just collected the RS3 on Friday, crawled around the M25 in rush hour playing with the controls and trying to figure stuff out. Been out today down to the S coast and had a blast on some open road. Scared myself ****less on one stretch of short dual carriage way that ended quicker/at greater speed than expected - the car is a rocket! Also slightly kerbed the rear offside wheel, which seems incredibly easy to do.

Anywho, I wondered if there are any tips and tricks that more experienced owners have come across, like for example, how to set "home" as a destination on the satnav, how to view info such as range etc on the dash interface, whether the wing mirrors are meant to retract when moving or only when stationary... Also, would love to know about fuel economy and what people are getting out of a full tank over an average week. There was also a mention of factory recall somewhere for a software update/brake issue?

Cheers

 

[Kohaku]

Monkey.....

Were you in manual mode.with sport ON and traction control OFF.

Quicker for you to refer to pages 16 - 25 in your manual ( You can't escape the job)

Dont forget 2 mins tickover (cool down) after you've been thrashing it.

 

[t8ups]

Not sure on the sat nav thing as i dont have mine set up.

to view MPG etc use the wiper stalk to change the display around, press the button on the bottom of the stalk to change from digital speedo to the veh info, then use the up and down button on the end of the stalk to flick through.

did the dealer not talk this through with you?

as for the recall, if yours is a brand new car then it wont have a recall, thats more than likely for the cars that are nearly a year old.

Also you need to do the LED mod that i sell to finish the car off - http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/rs3-forum/136553-rs3-led-upgrade-em-tuning.html

 

[MBK]

Realistic MPG for commuting - some motorway, A roads and traffic is usually 27mpg real - the DIS shows anything from 29-31 but tank to tank it's more like 27.

Cross country runs and weekend play 23-25 over a reasonable distance depending on how spirited it gets.

After about 5000 miles my DIS 'b' shows 27mpg as the overall average so more like 24/25mpg real, which is good with me as previous cars like my Evo MR360 returned late teens at best and Evo's long term C63 AMG (the car that ran the RS3 closest for us when buying) is running at about around 19mpg. Pistonheads long term Golf Gti Edition 35 only managed 26mpg so I'd say the RS3 is excellent on fuel for the performance on offer.

 

[45bvtc]

Delivery to 2500 miles (on my RS3) is 25.2mpg overall.

However, I have seen 35.7 on a 200-mile motorway trip at legal speeds, but I didn't buy my RS3 for that…

I really don't care what the mpg is - I just love the car. The RS3 is compact, and ****** quick.

Fast, too.

But it's the ****** QUICK I LIKE!

 

[S3DBW]

Just complete a 2500 mile run around Europe which include high speed stuff on Autobahns, Mountain Passes and Town running, average fuel economy (as per DIS), 30.5mpg. Did similar trip a year ago in my Wife's 8P S3 and averaged 33.5mpg, so given the difference in performance the RS3 is not too bad in the economy stakes. At sensible motorway speeds average goes up to about 35mpg

 

[RYes3]

Blimey, you guy's are getting better mpg than my S3!

Maybe it's that your getting there so much faster

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Something like that, just all happens so fast when your foot is flat down in this car!

I have flicked through the manual - just used to VW cars and know how they work without having to look it up, you know how it is, bit strange, like moving from Nokia to iPhone, but better.

I hear you on the 2 mins cool down. Gotta treat it nice and look after the beast.

 

[Kohaku]

Something like that, just all happens so fast when your foot is flat down in this car!

I have flicked through the manual - just used to VW cars and know how they work without having to look it up, you know how it is, bit strange, like moving from Nokia to iPhone, but better.

I hear you on the 2 mins cool down. Gotta treat it nice and look after the beast.

Foot Flat Down. ? Surely not,in one so young........gonna need more than 2 mins

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Not sure on the sat nav thing as i dont have mine set up.

to view MPG etc use the wiper stalk to change the display around, press the button on the bottom of the stalk to change from digital speedo to the veh info, then use the up and down button on the end of the stalk to flick through.

did the dealer not talk this through with you?

as for the recall, if yours is a brand new car then it wont have a recall, thats more than likely for the cars that are nearly a year old.

Also you need to do the LED mod that i sell to finish the car off - http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/rs3-forum/136553-rs3-led-upgrade-em-tuning.html

Ta for the wiper stalk tip - got the full functionality sorted now.

Got the car paid and paperwork sorted at 18:30 on a Friday PM - dealer was out of the door like a shot.

Glad to hear a recall is unlikely, although I'm not getting on with the RNS-E and think it is a bit faulty.

Will consider the LED mod once I've settled in with the motor!

Cheers

Marcus

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Realistic MPG for commuting - some motorway, A roads and traffic is usually 27mpg real - the DIS shows anything from 29-31 but tank to tank it's more like 27.

Cross country runs and weekend play 23-25 over a reasonable distance depending on how spirited it gets.

After about 5000 miles my DIS 'b' shows 27mpg as the overall average so more like 24/25mpg real, which is good with me as previous cars like my Evo MR360 returned late teens at best and Evo's long term C63 AMG (the car that ran the RS3 closest for us when buying) is running at about around 19mpg. Pistonheads long term Golf Gti Edition 35 only managed 26mpg so I'd say the RS3 is excellent on fuel for the performance on offer.

Interesting stats mate, very good to know. I'm coming from having a VW Scirocco GT TDI that was fast (well, relatively but not comparably) but quite economical. Still, I didn't change for economy, it was the performance and five doors that got me!

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Delivery to 2500 miles (on my RS3) is 25.2mpg overall.

However, I have seen 35.7 on a 200-mile motorway trip at legal speeds, but I didn't buy my RS3 for that…

I really don't care what the mpg is - I just love the car. The RS3 is compact, and ****** quick.

Fast, too.

But it's the ****** QUICK I LIKE!

Nice car colour - was very tempted by a mica blue but in the end couldn't face waiting until next spring.

With you all the way on the mpg, loving the performance but also just cruising around as the car just feels so solid and is a quality ride.

Wish I could turn the satnav lady down a bit, as even the minimum volume is really loud and she also sounds a bit thick!

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Just complete a 2500 mile run around Europe which include high speed stuff on Autobahns, Mountain Passes and Town running, average fuel economy (as per DIS), 30.5mpg. Did similar trip a year ago in my Wife's 8P S3 and averaged 33.5mpg, so given the difference in performance the RS3 is not too bad in the economy stakes. At sensible motorway speeds average goes up to about 35mpg

Sounds like an awesome trip, maybe one I'll be doing next summer! What were the driving highlights?

I'm getting the impression that economy is not great, which is to be expected but also that comparably, there are more thirsty motors out there with less performance, which is good news for us. I can live with circa 30mpg.

 

[Shadowman]

You can turn the SatNav lady ( not sure she sounds thick on mine...she actually sounds quite saucy to me )...anyway, where was I.....oh yes, you can either set her instruction volume in the SetUp menu, or just wait until she is speaking and then adjust the volume switch on the RNSE as usual, but it will only adjust her when she is talking, otherwise it will only adjust the stereo's volume.

 

[Moschops]

RS3 Recall.

Hi guys,

My car has had the recall done today, went in with a few sqeaks and rattles all which typically disappeard on the way to Stoke Audi

Anyway whilst I was there I mentioned the recall which they knew about and that they would do it today, well it's not a 5 minute job, its a front bumper off and offside wheel arch liner out job.

Sorry about the quality of the pics, taken with the phone...

Bumper off.

Wheel arch liner out.

The offside front grill has a blanking panel behind it, (the near side has another grill all ready in place for a small radiator), so the offside blanlking panel has to be taken out and replaced with one that has holes drilled into it. This is to allow some additional cooling into that area behind the bumper.

Didn't get a pic of the new grill, but it is all pre-cut, the old blanking panel has it's plastic welds broken and the new grill is then bonded back into place and the bumper and liner then refitted and checked.

Job is a good couple hours worth.

So a big thank you to Stoke Audi for sorting this out for me today

 

[45bvtc]

Stafford Audi has told me the same: brake cooling ducts only, no software or brake squeal resolutions.

Mine is to be done in 30-days along with the car's first service.

 

[Dave Hedgehog]

Blimey, you guy's are getting better mpg than my S3!

Maybe it's that your getting there so much faster

I put 4k miles on an S3 earlier this year, and my avg MPG was less than the RS3

I suspect it's the direct injection / tall 7th gear that does it

 

[elton121272]

I put 4k miles on an S3 earlier this year, and my avg MPG was less than the RS3

I suspect it's the direct injection / tall 7th gear that does it

13k on my S3 averaged 21.1mpg
the RS3 has done 3k and has averaged 19.2mpg so far.

 

[RYes3]

13k on my S3 averaged 21.1mpg
the RS3 has done 3k and has averaged 19.2mpg so far.

Sounds like you were beasting both!!

 

[elton121272]

Sounds like you were beasting both!!

To be fair I average about 18 miles per day and they are 90% urban with a little bit of spirit throughout 😊

 

[RYes3]

Nothing wrong with a little spirit

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

You can turn the SatNav lady ( not sure she sounds thick on mine...she actually sounds quite saucy to me )...anyway, where was I.....oh yes, you can either set her instruction volume in the SetUp menu, or just wait until she is speaking and then adjust the volume switch on the RNSE as usual, but it will only adjust her when she is talking, otherwise it will only adjust the stereo's volume.

Not on mine you can't, manual volume adjustment does nothing to the volume level. What you describe is how my old RNS 510 worked, which I expected to be the same with the RNS-E. The volume setting is on the minimum in the setup menu too but she is still loud. I don't get the sauce from her, maybe you have a different model! Actually, there is also some odd interference going on with the hands free bluetooth too, so I'll be asking Audi to replace the entire unit I think...

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Stafford Audi has told me the same: brake cooling ducts only, no software or brake squeal resolutions.

Mine is to be done in 30-days along with the car's first service.

What is it with the brake squeal? I've noticed it a dozen times over the past week. Is this a well documented issue?

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

RS3 Recall.

Hi guys,

My car has had the recall done today, went in with a few sqeaks and rattles all which typically disappeard on the way to Stoke Audi

Anyway whilst I was there I mentioned the recall which they knew about and that they would do it today, well it's not a 5 minute job, its a front bumper off and offside wheel arch liner out job.

Sorry about the quality of the pics, taken with the phone...

Bumper off.

Wheel arch liner out.

The offside front grill has a blanking panel behind it, (the near side has another grill all ready in place for a small radiator), so the offside blanlking panel has to be taken out and replaced with one that has holes drilled into it. This is to allow some additional cooling into that area behind the bumper.

Didn't get a pic of the new grill, but it is all pre-cut, the old blanking panel has it's plastic welds broken and the new grill is then bonded back into place and the bumper and liner then refitted and checked.

Job is a good couple hours worth.

So a big thank you to Stoke Audi for sorting this out for me today

So what issue did the recall fix? Should a 2012 car require this and were you notified by the dealer?

 

[45bvtc]

What is it with the brake squeal? I've noticed it a dozen times over the past week. Is this a well documented issue?

Your (front) brake pad squeal will start (most probably, as mine and several other cars have) at 750/1000miles, be patient...

RESOLUTION: remove (front) brake pads, coat with Copperslip (local Audi garage were not really interested), and carefully replace brake pads making sure not to contaminate the brake disc with Copperslip. Result: problem gone!

I Copperslipped mine at 1000 miles, and the problem has not returned (as yet?).

It's an effective resolution to an old (60's/70's) car problem….

 

[dbm]

Anywho, I wondered if there are any tips and tricks that more experienced owners have come across, like for example, how to set "home" as a destination on the satnav

Enter you home address, then once it is entered use 'Memory' on the nav screen and select 'save' (can't remember the exact list item, but it's fairly intuitive). You can then add contact details and save the location in memory. Personally, I wouldn't call it 'home' - use a meaningful name instead (yours or the missus). There have been stories of people having their car nicked and then the perps turn up at the owners house to steal even more.

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

Enter you home address, then once it is entered use 'Memory' on the nav screen and select 'save' (can't remember the exact list item, but it's fairly intuitive). You can then add contact details and save the location in memory. Personally, I wouldn't call it 'home' - use a meaningful name instead (yours or the missus). There have been stories of people having their car nicked and then the perps turn up at the owners house to steal even more.

Wise words there. Have figured out the settings already but have just imagined getting the car nicked with my house keys available and Home set up on the satnav - will be changing this on the morrow!

 

[HullRs3]

If you don't know your way home by know it is not a Sat Nav you guys need 😜
Seriously, the Sat Navs I have used when I have gone to a town, City or place I have never been before when I need to find my way back to one of the Motorways or Main Roads near where I live then I would set the Sat Nav to a City other than my own then switch off the Sat Nav when I am somewhere I recognise. No different to keep going to a set route until you get the Motorway or A road signs.
EG - Say I lived in Doncaster & went to Scotland for the week, to get back it is safer to set SN to York or somewhere on the M1 then switch off as the signs would direct you home & also you should remember the route from travelling Northbound.

 

[Macdaddy]

If you don't know your way home by know it is not a Sat Nav you guys need ������
Seriously, the Sat Navs I have used when I have gone to a town, City or place I have never been before when I need to find my way back to one of the Motorways or Main Roads near where I live then I would set the Sat Nav to a City other than my own then switch off the Sat Nav when I am somewhere I recognise. No different to keep going to a set route until you get the Motorway or A road signs.
EG - Say I lived in Doncaster & went to Scotland for the week, to get back it is safer to set SN to York or somewhere on the M1 then switch off as the signs would direct you home & also you should remember the route from travelling Northbound.

we set ours in both cars to home loads just to give us an idea in journey time left.