some a3 oddness and questions

[a3carlo]

hello,

i have an 06 2.0tfsi dsg, and am still getting used to it (but loving it!)

brake squeak
it just turned *really* cold for the first time this winter. and the first oddness: the brakes squeak on occasion.
never did this thru mild weather, nor after the car had been driven for an hour or so. hard to tell when it stopped squeaking.
happens with gentle to firm pressure on the brake. the squeak is quite noticeable. brakes/pads/rotors are all in very good shape.

chattering front end
i had to accelerate quite fast to avoid an accident and the front end 'chattered'. thought at first something really bad happened.
but after some reflection, i just think the front tires 'chirped' but instead of spinning smoothly, they 'bounced'(?) or 'chattered'(?)
haven't tried to duplicate the event. ideas what this was or might have been?

mammoth blind spot
seems this car has a blind spot the size of nebraska. i get tooted at for starting (not completing) a lane change when already occupied.
this is even when i give that side (what i think) is a pretty good going over before the lane change. i have a bow mirror clipped on (for now)
to see if this will solve my problem. i like it so far, but it has it's drawbacks. anyone else have this problem?

park with front tires angled
not an oddity, but just a question: from the old-days, with most any car, you are advised to turn your tires towards a curb when parking on an incline.
a couple people pointed out they always park with the tires straight. is there an issue parking with the tires turned to the curb?
of course, sometimes the key won't turn in the ignition, but a slight turn of the steering wheel corrects that.

thanks for all your help.
.. and sorry for questions from an obvious tyro..

[mcb001982]

hello,

i have an 06 2.0tfsi dsg, and am still getting used to it (but loving it!)

brake squeak
it just turned *really* cold for the first time this winter. and the first oddness: the brakes squeak on occasion.
never did this thru mild weather, nor after the car had been driven for an hour or so. hard to tell when it stopped squeaking.
happens with gentle to firm pressure on the brake. the squeak is quite noticeable. brakes/pads/rotors are all in very good shape.

chattering front end
i had to accelerate quite fast to avoid an accident and the front end 'chattered'. thought at first something really bad happened.
but after some reflection, i just think the front tires 'chirped' but instead of spinning smoothly, they 'bounced'(?) or 'chattered'(?)
haven't tried to duplicate the event. ideas what this was or might have been?

mammoth blind spot
seems this car has a blind spot the size of nebraska. i get tooted at for starting (not completing) a lane change when already occupied.
this is even when i give that side (what i think) is a pretty good going over before the lane change. i have a bow mirror clipped on (for now)
to see if this will solve my problem. i like it so far, but it has it's drawbacks. anyone else have this problem?

park with front tires angled
not an oddity, but just a question: from the old-days, with most any car, you are advised to turn your tires towards a curb when parking on an incline.
a couple people pointed out they always park with the tires straight. is there an issue parking with the tires turned to the curb?
of course, sometimes the key won't turn in the ignition, but a slight turn of the steering wheel corrects that.

thanks for all your help.
.. and sorry for questions from an obvious tyro..

A: Brake dust or overnight rust build up is normally the culprit for this and is relatively normal for performance brakes. If you do a few good hard stops to heat up the brakes the noise will normally go away for a bit but will eventually come back if you're doing primary local lower speed kind of driving.

B: I'm going to guess you might have performance tires rather than all season or winter tires on your car since you're in somewhat of a warmer climate and the "chattering" you had was from your tires slipping on the road.

C: Not much we can help you on there, I actually find the visibility in my A3 over my other car to be quite nice.

D: Parking with the tire turned in is just a safety percussion so if you vehicle starts to roll it would be stopped by the curb so you don't damage your vehicle or others. It's a good practice to have for anyone who parts on a hill.

[dubguts]

chattering front end
i had to accelerate quite fast to avoid an accident and the front end 'chattered'. thought at first something really bad happened.
but after some reflection, i just think the front tires 'chirped' but instead of spinning smoothly, they 'bounced'(?) or 'chattered'(?)
haven't tried to duplicate the event. ideas what this was or might have been?

Wheel hop. Try looking into upgrading your engine mounts and dogbone insert Check it

[Dman4486]

Fix the blind spot by aiming your mirrors properly....the outer mirrors should be aimed so that you have to lean to the side to *JUST* see the side of your own car. Mine are set out as far as they go.

[YelloSno80]

A. How many miles are on your car? If you have an '06 you may be ready for new pads, rotors.

B. Try this. Pull your e-brake up and try to accelerate as fast as you can. Is your car Automatic? Your front end while dance because your peeling out. Make sure you find a nice parking lot to do this with plenty of space.

C. You live in NY, drivers there will beep at you for everything. Definitely make sure you set your mirrors. There were some good comments above.

D. Parking with your tires angled is more important with motorcycles and manual transmission.

This is forum is like a free course in drivers education....

[a3carlo]

Wheel hop. Try looking into upgrading your engine mounts and dogbone insert Check it

very interesting. just what i was guessing. thanks for the confirmation, dub.
did you do the same, re: mounts/dogbone?

[a3carlo]

A. How many miles are on your car? If you have an '06 you may be ready for new pads, rotors.

they are in good shape. rotor isn't worn too much and pads are fine. probably rust/dust buildup over 2/3 days parking.

C. You live in NY, drivers there will beep at you for everything. Definitely make sure you set your mirrors. There were some good comments above.

right. i'm still trying to get used to it. my previous car was pretty open in the back and sides. the a3 feels like looking out a porthole to me.

D. Parking with your tires angled is more important with motorcycles and manual transmission.

it's dsg - so i'll keep them turned in. i was just wondering (based on a few comments by others) if there was a problem with keeping them turned in. the car can sit :-( a few days parked before driving again.

This is forum is like a free course in drivers education....

sure is. thanks all for putting up with the a3 novice.

[dubguts]

very interesting. just what i was guessing. thanks for the confirmation, dub.
did you do the same, re: mounts/dogbone?

Yup I did! I don't have any mounts from ECS, but my dogbone is from ECS and my engine mount is the Stage 1 mount from Black Forest Industries. No wheel hop whatsoever anymore