PRSY

Hi David, Still monitoring and reporting what amount to ctrl-alt-del issues with mine. Third one a week ago, each slightly less hairy than the last. I was directed to VW Group Web Enquiries after the first issue and I'm sending updates as the glitches occur, to ensure they have the full picture. Bottom line - not worth the time booking in for inspection if nothing to show for it afterwards. Not happy about the situation but will continue until such time as it stops dead and I have to get Assistance out. Hopefully nothing happens whilst in the overtaking lane on the m'way. This is what I sent after the last episode: I used the car a number of times yesterday, into the evening. It performed as expected until starting up for the return journey home. At or shortly after start up I saw a dashboard warning about partial disabling of the pre-sense system (limits?). It was accompanied by alternating warning lamps for Pre-sense (yellow) and Emergency Assist (white). The automatic headlights stopped working. I stopped the car and switched off the engine briefly. No messages. Same conditions applied after the restart. I continued the journey home and at some point the alarm messages stopped and the automatic headlights function was enabled again. Nothing left on the car's system to indicate anything had gone wrong.

Brakes on mine are fine, but different. Using driver assist, which I think is great (not everybody likes the "loss of control") I use the brakes less than I used to when in traffic or cruising. Approaching a junction or catching another vehicle, the energy recovery system operates first to slow the car before applying the brakes, a bit like the active cruise control works. There's a cockpit screen settng where you can see this happening. I usually only have to use the brakes to come to a stop. Its NOT like adaptive cruise control in that it won't stop you running into the back of another verhicle if you don't take over. The only downside - when coming to a stop I seem to have to press the pedal harder than previously, as if I'm fighting the electric drive right up to the point of stopping. OK when you get used to it, though. Overall, very pleasant, relaxing drive, with enough poke from the 1.5litre engine if required.

I can't see them making more models than necessary, so expect the car to be like mine, mild hybrid. Still curious as to why they don't publicise it. It certainly improves fuel consumption (and maybe performance). This car's 200kg! heavier than my last one, an A1, has the 1.5 litre engine, not the 1.0, but is better on fuel economy. Don't expect brilliant low speed economy, though. On in-town trips, lucky to get 30mpg. On long, motoreway trips, close to 60mpg. Cumulative average (only 3350 miles on the clock) is around 38-40mpg. Thre's plenty of text on the topic in the online manual. The electric-only operation is seamless. Just ease off the throttle and engine speed drops to nothing and you continue on your way silently. It's not very sophisticated, though. If on a slight incline, the speed gradually drops. Going downhill, it'll gradually accelerates. It sometimes works when in cruise control, but not often. Driving aids - I use every facility.

Oh dear. Thanks a lot, Cliff! Just what I needed. Better not let 'er indoors see this; she'll never drive the car again. Meanwhile, I'll have a look, as suggested.

Mild hybrid (not that I knew when it was being sold to me).

Since filing the above, there have been two more incidents, niether of them causing me to stop the car, fortunately. The first one affected engine speed,disabled the auto headlights and warned of a right indicator fault. Stopping cleared them all. The second was "just" a right indicator fault warning, also sorted when doing the equivalent of CTRL-ALT-DEL. After the first one I established an email contact with VWG Web Enquiries, where I sent the pics of the warning lights, etc. I wrote again with the latest info. In both cases VWGE responded, happy for me to continue keeping the record updated in case of further issues.No point taking the car in if there are no alarms showing.

Hi all, Service visit completed. Results: My translation: There are a lot of pieces of tech that need to talk to each other all the time. One of them stuttered. IF it happens again, I'll try to remember to check messages before I switch off the engine, if feasible. This post can now be closed?

My original post asked why Audi is/was so coy about the mild hybrid features on the new A3. It seems to me, reading the reports of electrical issues, esp. 48V systems, it appears they don't want to draw attention to the feature. Am I wrong?

It’s fine, Magnet. Overall, a comfortable, smooth drive with nice tech.

How do I get rid of that last entry, added by mistake? As for It's a petrol engine, of course, with mild hybrid assistance.

See my original post. I was buying a 1.5 litre petrol-engined Audi. No information on the website or brochure about the mild hybrid details, nothing from the salesperson. As far as I was concerned, I was buying just a bigger, more powerful version of my last Audi. I can't even remember how I came to know about it, but it wa too late to do anything about it. Would I have walked away if I'd known? Not sure. There wasn't another candidate in the frame at the time or since.

See my original post. I was buying a 1.5 litre petrol-engined Audi. No information on the website or brochure about the mild hybrid details, nothing from the salesperson. As far as I was concerned, I was buying just a bigger, more powerful version of my last Audi. I can't even remember how I came to know about it, but it wa too late to do anything about it. Would I have walked away if I'd known? Not sure. There wasn't another candidate in the frame at the time or since.

It was only some time after I ordered this A3 that I found out that it's a “mild hybrid”. Why was Audi so coy about it? I did wonder if there was an insurance impact but an AI search suggests this is negligible. Why not boast about the improvement in fuel consumption (if nothing else)? Perhaps it's posts like this: I'm not yet a fan of the electric-only running function but it operates seamlessly and it certainly improves consumption compared to my previous 1000cc A1. The above posts are about 2 years old. I wonder if they've cracked the alternator issue, but some of the more recent posts suggest that's not the only one. Perhaps this answers my original question?

Thanks, SQ.

As I started to write a post on a different matter I was offered several sub-types of A3, none of which I recognise, eg 8L, 8P, etc. Where do I find the right code for mine? On the order form it just said "Audi A3 SPORTBAK, 35 TFSI S Line 5 Dr S Tronic [Tech Pack Pro]. Thanks.

Will do. IF there are fault codes, curious to know why I can't see them (unless I'm not looking in the right place). O/T - on the subject of looking for stuff, is it just me, or is the new, online manual useless?

Hi all, I've had to book my A3 into the dealership to investigate a curious and dangerous event this week. Below is a screenshot of the report I filled in when making the booking. Has anybody else had a similar experience? I hope the dealer can access what I assume must be hidden messages, else how can it be resolved?