A little moan...

[tomtom20]

After reading many posts and finding very few with gripes with their car and myself being taken in by the excitement of owning what is a great car, I have now after two weeks of driving found a few little niggles.

• Hill Hold Assist. It is great until you go to reverse, I always forget that it does not take of the brakes automatically as it does in forward gears. And still find myself wondering why I'm not going anywhere and then remember to turn it off.
• Having to put my foot on the brake to start the car, and then to select drive.
• My previous 2 cars were automatics. I got in the habbit of stopping at traffic lights, putting on the handbrake and putting it into neutral. This has had to change slightly as the Audi puts on the brakes for me when I come to a stop. I can then put it into neutral, but go to drive off and I need to press the brake pedal, push in the button on the gear selector and then put it into drive. Old habbits die hard after so long, but feels like little to safe and good for it's own good with the procedure one must follow to drive off again.
• The key, well it is not really a 'key' is it more a work of art and computer, but it's a pain to have it on a 'key ring' as they don't look good when it is in the slot on dashboard and the hole to put a keyring through is tight with the angle of the device. Why a moan? Fumbling in pocket for it a few times have almost dropped it as is so smooth and rounded but have settled to go keyringless - New word haha.

So really, they are small, little, tiny (you get the picture) moans. Mind you got some food for the car today, oil, coolent and brake fluid from dealer and had to get a litre of brake fluid! In a big metal tin, they only use dribbles of the stuff so bit over kill but hey ho. I love the car really, and the pull of the engine is great. Puts my old V6 petrol, which whilst smooth lacked low down grunt away from the lights.

Going for a holiday in Yorkshire this year and relishing the trip on the Motorway and then the hills and sweeping corners on the B roads up there in this car! So I am over all 99.9% happy!

[digigriffin]

Hill Hold Assist and reverse?

I have not noticed this, in fact pretty sure that it does auto release the parking break as I have to reverse onto my drive and never had it not releasing.

Perhaps its different on an automatic?

[dorgan]

Can I ask how much mileage you have on the car seeing that you're already topping up with brake, coolant and oil.

[RichardCranium]

Where abouts in Yorkshire are you going. Lovely place, when its not raining!

[JBlues]

• Hill Hold Assist. It is great until you go to reverse, I always forget that it does not take of the brakes automatically as it does in forward gears. And still find myself wondering why I'm not going anywhere and then remember to turn it off.
• The Hill Hold Assist should disengage in reverse - unless you've taken your seat beal off of course and then it won't!
• My previous 2 cars were automatics. I got in the habbit of stopping at traffic lights, putting on the handbrake and putting it into neutral. This has had to change slightly as the Audi puts on the brakes for me when I come to a stop. I can then put it into neutral, but go to drive off and I need to press the brake pedal, push in the button on the gear selector and then put it into drive. Old habbits die hard after so long, but feels like little to safe and good for it's own good with the procedure one must follow to drive off again.
• Can't you just come to a stop with the foot brake and leave it in drive? (I have not used the system in an Auto so this may be way off the mark!)
• The key, well it is not really a 'key' is it more a work of art and computer, but it's a pain to have it on a 'key ring' as they don't look good when it is in the slot on dashboard and the hole to put a keyring through is tight with the angle of the device. Why a moan? Fumbling in pocket for it a few times have almost dropped it as is so smooth and rounded but have settled to go keyringless - New word haha.
• Tha'ts one of the advantages of the Keyless System. You get in, press a button and go. No key fumbling and slots to find. As a famous Yorkshire once said....'If it had hair around it I'd find it!'

I can only apologise in advance for the last line.

[tomtom20]

Wow, so much to answer here from people so will begin:

To Digigriffin: I think it is the fact I have the automatic that it requires me to manually turn off the Hill Hold Assist when reversing. That is regardless if seatbelt is on or not.

To Dorgan: I have not done many miles, off the top of my head I can't remember. I have not had to add any brake fluid, oil or coolant to the car but went and bought it for the times in the furture when I do need to top them up. I was a bit miffed at the fact the brake fluid comes in a 1 Litre can only from Audi when of all things you do not need to use that much, if ever on a car unlike oil or coolant in the summer.

To RichardCranium: I will be going to North Yorkshire Moors, Whitby and Filey. It is a lovely part of the world with some amazing views and real 'wildness' up on the moors especially when it is a bit misty. But they have some great roads up there and also England’s steepest gradient (well it ties with one in Cumbria, the Hardknott Pass which is longer) They are both 1:3 Or in modern terms a 33% gradient. The one in North Yorkshire is called Rosedale Chimney and is one hell of a road to go up and down again lol. You can find out more at this site here: http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/hardknottpass.htm

To JBlues: Again, Hill Hold Assist in my car (which is an Auto) does not turn off when I put it into reverse. If others have Auto's that do please let me know, for all I know I have a problem as I leave my seat belt on and it still will not turn off. I do now come to a stop and leave it in drive, the parking brake comes on automatically but it was something to get used to doing after so many years of not leaving it in drive at the lights on previous cars. I don't have the 'advanced key' so I must put it into the dashboard, and press it in (not a button) to start and stop the car. Simple fact is, its shape and weight means it is something I have almost dropped when getting it out of pocket not having a fob to it to grab or old like 'normal' keys with other cars. But if you do put on a fob or key ring it then spoils its looks and you have this keychain looking a mess when the key is pushed into the dash to drive the car.

Phew..I hope that answers your questions for now...

[dorgan]

One thing that is a bit annoying is the gear change indicator. I know I can turn this off, but most of the time it wants me in 6th gear when I'm doing 30-35mph. Seems a bit excessive to me. If I was to follow the indication I'd never rev past 2200rpm.

PS I like your sig tomtom20

[HighwayTG]

Another annoyance...
If I switch the ignition off and leave the key in for a few minutes and then try to remove the key, it won’t... I have to start the car and switch it off and then remove it.

Also ... starting the car can be frustrating ... sometimes I have to press the clutch a few times and also press the key before it starts ... this would be no good as a getaway car.

[RichardCranium]

tomtom20. Dont get over to North York. Moors very often, but there are some great roads.
Done the Hardknott before. Once in a Renault Laguna and once on a Mountain Bike (when I was young and healthy)! Fantastic road, but IMO too narrow to have any fun. Too much stop start with all the traffic coming the other way. One of my favourites is the Kirkstone Pass, especially in the winter when its quiet.

Thought I had some pictures but I cant find them right now

[Foringo]

Just been out to check my automatic and didn't find a problem with auto-release of my parking brake or hill hold assist when reversing.

Something I would like to know though from you fellow Multitronic owners is did you pay £45 for hill-hold assist? According to page 158 of my handbook it implies that this is a standard feature for this spec.

Any thoughts before I go back to my Dealer for a rebate??