RS3 drive system malfunction issue

[royalsteve68]

Driving home tonight and got stuck in bad traffic. Took 2 hours to do 1 mile due to a horrific smash on the a4 bath road in reading where sadly 2 people died when their car was in a collision with a police car.

Weirdly, no warning my car just stalled for no reason whatsoever. Didn't start brilliantly. When it did an warning message and sound came on the dash just like the warning you get on start up only this time a different message appeared "drive system malfunction. Contact service ", the rev counter also stated not yo drive over 4000 revs. Engine wad running at 112c. The error stayed on and 4000 rpm limit remained till I got yo the petrol station as low on fuel with about 65 mile range left. Anyway enroute home, filled up the local petrol station. started engine. All fine and no warning. but I still drove until 4000 rpm despite no message anymore.

Looking at vatious forums including this gorum, it seems quite common with audis but resolution varies.

Will book it into the local dealer asap tomorrow and I won't drive till its been checked

Anyone else had this with their rs3 fl?

 

[dave_TO]

Driving home tonight and got stuck in bad traffic. Took 2 hours to do 1 mile due to a horrific smash on the a4 bath road in reading where sadly 2 people died when their car was in a collision with a police car.

Weirdly, no warning my car just stalled for no reason whatsoever. Didn't start brilliantly. When it did an warning message and sound came on the dash just like the warning you get on start up only this time a different message appeared "drive system malfunction. Contact service ", the rev counter also stated not yo drive over 4000 revs. Engine wad running at 112c. The error stayed on and 4000 rpm limit remained till I got yo the petrol station as low on fuel with about 65 mile range left. Anyway enroute home, filled up the local petrol station. started engine. All fine and no warning. but I still drove until 4000 rpm despite no message anymore.

Looking at vatious forums including this gorum, it seems quite common with audis but resolution varies.

Will book it into the local dealer asap tomorrow and I won't drive till its been checked

Anyone else had this with their rs3 fl?

Yes I got same message also under similar conditions, traffic jam. I took it to my dealer in December and I’m their 2nd one with that issue. Their diagnosis of my car was inconclusive, but they’re using the 1st car with that issue as a test case to resolve. In my local RS3 group, 4 of 9 of us have received that error and subsequent limp mode. Appears wide spread.


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[Spinstorm]

So what your saying is turn the car on and off a couple of times and the problem is fixed?

Because it sounds like a software glitch if its common and no one has exploding engines.

 

[AudiNutta]

Sounds to me it could be a temperature issue shutting the engine down? I’ve only ever seen it that high sat in traffic or last weekend when the car was left idling after a dyno run.

 

[teslaboy]

Sounds to me it could be a temperature issue shutting the engine down? I’ve only ever seen it that high sat in traffic or last weekend when the car was left idling after a dyno run.

Did you say Dyno run!!

So what did your motor pull ?

 

[AudiNutta]

Did you say Dyno run!!

So what did your motor pull ?

Information is on here

With 900 miles on the clock it got 395hp, results as follows are from a dyno at 3100 miles.

411hp and weirdly about 150nm of torque more than stock, which I need to be picking up on with the company who it went on the dyno with.

 

[teslaboy]

Information is on here

With 900 miles on the clock it got 395hp, results as follows are from a dyno at 3100 miles.

411hp and weirdly about 150nm of torque more than stock, which I need to be picking up on with the company who it went on the dyno with.

Nice.
Mines got 1700miles now and definetly feels punchier and sounds louder than when it first arrived.

Good news.

 

[AudiNutta]

Nice.
Mines got 1700miles now and definetly feels punchier and sounds louder than when it first arrived.

Good news.

Yes they definitely improve with age, but it’s quite underwhelming when you have a stock S3 on your backside.

All the way up until 80-90 on a private road the other day I had a stock 300PS S3 absolutely glued to me and it’s happened more than once haha.

The best thing is how you get more pops and bangs in sport mode, I wish they were more frequent though especially in manual. Never fails to make me laugh.

 

[teslaboy]

Really with the S3, surely not. In a straight line you should be seeing him disappear in the rear view mirror.
You sure you put your right foot all the way down!!

I've wiped the floor recently against an S1.

 

[teslaboy]

Saying that the S3 especially the DSG is a fair bit quicker than an S1.

 

[AudiNutta]

Really with the S3, surely not. In a straight line you should be seeing him disappear in the rear view mirror.
You sure you put your right foot all the way down!!

I've wiped the floor recently against an S1.

It was up a fairly steep hill. I had been toying and he wasn’t interested but next thing he was on my backside so I booted it and he stayed there all the way to those speeds, by which point there was probably a car length in it at most that I had gained.

It’s the second time it’s happened with an S3. Now I stand by around town the S3 seemed more lively believe it or not, it seems a little more willing to ‘get up and go’, which I put down to the smaller turbo. But stretching out 3rd and 4th gear the RS3 is absolutely rapid, well past any speed limit on this land.

Last minute down changes doesn’t work in the RS3 like it does in the S3, the turbo needs chance to get into its stride. As you’ve experienced the RS3 only really gets going once it gets to 4000rpm, at 5000rpm it’s like it hits overboost and finds another turbo, haha.

 

[teslaboy]

It was up a fairly steep hill. I had been toying and he wasn’t interested but next thing he was on my backside so I booted it and he stayed there all the way to those speeds, by which point there was probably a car length in it at most that I had gained.

It’s the second time it’s happened with an S3. Now I stand by around town the S3 seemed more lively believe it or not, it seems a little more willing to ‘get up and go’, which I put down to the smaller turbo. But stretching out 3rd and 4th gear the RS3 is absolutely rapid, well past any speed limit on this land.

Last minute down changes doesn’t work in the RS3 like it does in the S3, the turbo needs chance to get into its stride. As you’ve experienced the RS3 only really gets going once it gets to 4000rpm, at 5000rpm it’s like it hits overboost and finds another turbo, haha.

The turbo in the RS3 is, apparently, a twin scroll type hence your comment on finding another turbo.

 

[DW81]

It was up a fairly steep hill. I had been toying and he wasn’t interested but next thing he was on my backside so I booted it and he stayed there all the way to those speeds, by which point there was probably a car length in it at most that I had gained.

It’s the second time it’s happened with an S3. Now I stand by around town the S3 seemed more lively believe it or not, it seems a little more willing to ‘get up and go’, which I put down to the smaller turbo. But stretching out 3rd and 4th gear the RS3 is absolutely rapid, well past any speed limit on this land.

Last minute down changes doesn’t work in the RS3 like it does in the S3, the turbo needs chance to get into its stride. As you’ve experienced the RS3 only really gets going once it gets to 4000rpm, at 5000rpm it’s like it hits overboost and finds another turbo, haha.

Your right there audinutta about 3/4 gear in the rs. In 3rd I hit 85mph and started to run out of road it was an interesting experiment to say the least. Those are pretty much the only gears you need when hooning it on country B roads I think.

 

[Dan_DJT]

Just to get back to the original topic, maybe a silly question but how did you tell the engine was at 112degC ? Just from the gauge or is there a way to read out engine temp via the virtual cockpit ? The graduations on the temp gauge would make it hard to say it was at 112degC wouldn't it ?

 

[T-800]

Just to get back to the original topic, maybe a silly question but how did you tell the engine was at 112degC ? Just from the gauge or is there a way to read out engine temp via the virtual cockpit ? The graduations on the temp gauge would make it hard to say it was at 112degC wouldn't it ?

Oil temp.

 

[Dan_DJT]

Oil temp.

Ahh OK, thanks.

 

[D0C]

That seems a high engine temp. Never seen mine over 100!

 

[AudiNutta]

Your right there audinutta about 3/4 gear in the rs. In 3rd I hit 85mph and started to run out of road it was an interesting experiment to say the least. Those are pretty much the only gears you need when hooning it on country B roads I think.

It’s insane that 4th gear will leave you well and truly beyond the lose your licence barrier! It’s only in 3rd and 4th you realise how truly ****** fast it is and if you ever forget how fast it is, look at how the car which was just on your bumper is out of sight on the slip road.

 

[DW81]

Glad your having fun mate, that’s what is all about as long as being safe and not effecting other road users. Next time see if you can top my 85 in 3rd I’ve not tried second yet but that must be 60+ surely.

 

[royalsteve68]

Just to get back to the original topic, maybe a silly question but how did you tell the engine was at 112degC ? Just from the gauge or is there a way to read out engine temp via the virtual cockpit ? The graduations on the temp gauge would make it hard to say it was at 112degC wouldn't it ?

It's oil temp. Pretty sure thats well within tolerance. I did query a temp on my s3 once which I was worried went to 110, but the local audi dealer chief tech said they can go up to 130c

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[royalsteve68]

It was up a fairly steep hill. I had been toying and he wasn’t interested but next thing he was on my backside so I booted it and he stayed there all the way to those speeds, by which point there was probably a car length in it at most that I had gained.

It’s the second time it’s happened with an S3. Now I stand by around town the S3 seemed more lively believe it or not, it seems a little more willing to ‘get up and go’, which I put down to the smaller turbo. But stretching out 3rd and 4th gear the RS3 is absolutely rapid, well past any speed limit on this land.

Last minute down changes doesn’t work in the RS3 like it does in the S3, the turbo needs chance to get into its stride. As you’ve experienced the RS3 only really gets going once it gets to 4000rpm, at 5000rpm it’s like it hits overboost and finds another turbo, haha.

S3 is quick I have one but they are nowhere near as quick as an rs3. However, up to 70 they'll probably only be 2 or 3 car lengths behind on a straight. Trust me you'll leave them for dead on bends as the rs3 handles miles better. Sound wise the s3 sounds rubbish and in dynamic it's pretty horrid to drive, feels like driving in 1st gear.

The rs3 power delivery is progressive and keeps going and going and quite refined in the fl. The s3 power delivery is like a sledgehammer and mostly bottom end and a little mud and quickly runs out of puff after 5500 revs. Handling is light years ahead of the s3.

Stopping is light yesrs ahead. The s3 might be far behind at legal speeds on a straigh road but I can assure you when you come to a halt the s3 driver will be carping themselves. The rs3 will have a massive grin. For every day driving the rs3 is streets ahead.

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[Jefecito]

I'm quite sure 112c is still technically within the "normal" operating range of the RS3

 

[royalsteve68]

Yes they definitely improve with age, but it’s quite underwhelming when you have a stock S3 on your backside.

All the way up until 80-90 on a private road the other day I had a stock 300PS S3 absolutely glued to me and it’s happened more than once haha.

The best thing is how you get more pops and bangs in sport mode, I wish they were more frequent though especially in manual. Never fails to make me laugh.

Ah yes, those private roads eh

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[Kristijan Sabljar]

I was killing my car today on cruves pushing rally hard , oil 114 celzius. 2 min of normal driving oil was back 95 so dont panic guys 120+ is ok

 

[Terminator x]

Oil temp that high might be "ok" although still unusual imho. Mine is almost always below 100 on the road rarely getting to say 103 at a push. Highest ever was at Rockingham doing sprints where it got to 109 so I stopped for a while.

Re the OP some of the PFL cars were stalling now and then from new, mine only ever did it once then never again.

TX.

 

[royalsteve68]

Do car off at the dealer. Strangely no course car as if you have an issue with your car whilst under warranty you have to arrange the courtesy car yourself via the re Overy management company.

Odd as when I had the s3 the dealers sorted the courtesy car. Has anyone else experienced this and has the process changes.

Seems daft to me. Dealer arranged a lift with one of their drivers tk get me 25 miles to work.

Arranged courtesy car myself and it arrived at my work 6 hours later.

Got a 65 plate rs5 cabriolet. I can tell you it's not a patch on the s3 let alone the rs3. Not sure how an rs5 drives but the rs5 cabriolet is a lazy cruiser and understeer massively...horrible to drive.

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[infernox]

So what your saying is turn the car on and off a couple of times and the problem is fixed?

Because it sounds like a software glitch if its common and no one has exploding engines.

It sounds like a problem a lot of Audi's have and I got for the first time in my S3 this week. For me it was when starting the car first thing in the morning, got a light and the virtual cockpit said "Gearbox malfunction. You may continue driving in D until engine off.". Turn the car off and on again and it disappeared. Just search google and you'll find various threads about it ranging from the Q7 to the A5/S5.

 

[royalsteve68]

Got my car back. They couldn't find the fault but they said it might the ghost immobiliser. Hmmmm

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[T-800]

Got my car back. They couldn't find the fault but they said it might the ghost immobiliser. Hmmmm

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It’s consistent with an error Ghost would display if the wrong code is entered, however the car was running at the time.
Maybe worth contacting your Ghost installer to get their view on it.

Audi could just be being lazy seeing the error Ghost causes in 17 instruments and blaming the AWG.

 

[Evotion]

@AudiNutta - Horrified to hear about your S3 story.

For the sake of us all on here, let us all agree that:

• You drive like a woman
• You've let the forum down, your family down, all Audi RS3 owners down, and yourself down

We can then move on.



P.S. The PedalBox will address your issues. Get it!