So driving home around the M25 this evening from Woking to home some 70 miles), somehow my S3 just didn't seem "right" in the 2-3k rev range, sluggish response, and a kind of take-off sitting in to itself at 3k revs. And then we hit the traffic queue back from the Dartford crossing around the Swanley exit (J3) - I was in the outside lane.
Slowed down, brought the car gently to a stop and as I stopped suddenly up comes the message "Auto Start Stop de-activated, you must manually start the car". Now its done this 3-4 times since it was serviced a week ago, and normally it's just re-started. Did it this time. No. So traffic moves, and there is me, stuck in the outside lane with a dead car. I never realised that if you turn the ignition and it doesn't start, even if you release the key the starter motor will keep turning over for a preset time. On the 4th attempt!!!!! it restarted, but tickover very poor, sounded like it was on full choke, tickover was around 7-800 revs and it was not happy. Time it did this a few times as we moved with the queue, I suddenly had the idea to switch off stop start. That stopped it cutting out, but still had poor tickover. So remembering that in "Sport" mode it ticks over slightly higher, that's what I did. And by and large it limped down and through the Dartford Crossing - but it was all start/stop/crawl, the whole way
Get through the tunnel, and the traffic cleared - and she runs perfectly, pulls like a train, no worries. So give her a few revs to clear out any cobwebs that may be there and drive home. Had just over 1/4 tank of fuel, so thinking possible fuel issues (although there shouldn't have been), stopped at garage and filled up with BP Ultimate (which is what it usually has). Went to start her and after a few turns she cough's into lie, (but it sounded like on 2 cylinders rather than 4) and was a bit chuggy, so blipped the throttle to give her a few revs (which seemed to clear it) and dropped her back into Drive. Still a very unhappy tickover, but we drove home, again no issue so long as the engine wasn't ticking over.
Get home, park up, and stop/start kicks in (I'd forgotten to switch it off this time). Tried to start her, engine spins over, but nothing for 3 attempts then she begrudgingly coughs into life again. Moved her and parked her.
Called out Audi Assist, as not sure she will start again. They are coming tomorrow morning, so hopefully I'll find out what the issue is.
I think the start/stop module is goosed and is the issue personally. It messed around with the same message just after I had her serviced last week (250 miles ago) and the service manager then suggested that the module may be faulty (but as it appeared to have cleared itself, we agreed that I'd only take it back if the issue appeared again. Which I think it did tonight, big time, in the outside lane of the rush hour M25. Thanks S3.
Update tomorrow once Audi Assist have plugged their magic box in and had a look.
Slowed down, brought the car gently to a stop and as I stopped suddenly up comes the message "Auto Start Stop de-activated, you must manually start the car". Now its done this 3-4 times since it was serviced a week ago, and normally it's just re-started. Did it this time. No. So traffic moves, and there is me, stuck in the outside lane with a dead car. I never realised that if you turn the ignition and it doesn't start, even if you release the key the starter motor will keep turning over for a preset time. On the 4th attempt!!!!! it restarted, but tickover very poor, sounded like it was on full choke, tickover was around 7-800 revs and it was not happy. Time it did this a few times as we moved with the queue, I suddenly had the idea to switch off stop start. That stopped it cutting out, but still had poor tickover. So remembering that in "Sport" mode it ticks over slightly higher, that's what I did. And by and large it limped down and through the Dartford Crossing - but it was all start/stop/crawl, the whole way
Get through the tunnel, and the traffic cleared - and she runs perfectly, pulls like a train, no worries. So give her a few revs to clear out any cobwebs that may be there and drive home. Had just over 1/4 tank of fuel, so thinking possible fuel issues (although there shouldn't have been), stopped at garage and filled up with BP Ultimate (which is what it usually has). Went to start her and after a few turns she cough's into lie, (but it sounded like on 2 cylinders rather than 4) and was a bit chuggy, so blipped the throttle to give her a few revs (which seemed to clear it) and dropped her back into Drive. Still a very unhappy tickover, but we drove home, again no issue so long as the engine wasn't ticking over.
Get home, park up, and stop/start kicks in (I'd forgotten to switch it off this time). Tried to start her, engine spins over, but nothing for 3 attempts then she begrudgingly coughs into life again. Moved her and parked her.
Called out Audi Assist, as not sure she will start again. They are coming tomorrow morning, so hopefully I'll find out what the issue is.
I think the start/stop module is goosed and is the issue personally. It messed around with the same message just after I had her serviced last week (250 miles ago) and the service manager then suggested that the module may be faulty (but as it appeared to have cleared itself, we agreed that I'd only take it back if the issue appeared again. Which I think it did tonight, big time, in the outside lane of the rush hour M25. Thanks S3.
Update tomorrow once Audi Assist have plugged their magic box in and had a look.
