Essential facts, tips & tricks

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This list was created and contributed to by dozens of members of our forums. Some of the items are fairly obvious, others require some experimentation... this is at YOUR OWN RISK!

The A2OC does not accept any responsibility for any damage to your car resulting from the suggestions below.

The list is being added to continually. If you have any to contribute, please email [email protected]
  • Continental Teves supplies a specially developed version of the Electronic Stability Program for the Audi A2. Based on the current MK 20 generation ESP, the system fitted to the Audi A2 uses largely standardized components; however, the A2's "active wheel speed sensors" represent a new generation of technology. Their compact design makes it possible to integrate the sensor technology into the wheel bearings. The secret: the bearing sealing ring rotating with the wheel is magnetically coded and serves as a pulse generator. The wheel-speed sensor is simply clipped on to the wheel bearing. It scans the coding without coming into contact with the seal and converts the impulses it receives into information on wheel speed until the vehicle comes to a complete standstill. Uwe Mindt, Project Manager for Audi at Continental Teves, points out another strong point of this new generation of technology: "The ESP system also has a built-in failsafe management feature which monitors the status of all the individual components."
  • As well as the well documented plastic, deformable wings. Did you know that the front upper, internal, black crossmember of the bonnet opening is a composite of recycled plastic and... wait for it... steel.
  • There are little slots in the C pillar into which you can push the rear seatbelt buckles when not in use.
  • The Audi space-frame is made from 225 pieces.
  • The mirrors fold inwards towards the car should you need to park in a tight space.
  • The chassis number is on a chrome-nickel plate in the space under the front left floor along with the car's "brain."
  • Only A2s without remote central locking have a doorlock with key on the front passenger door.
  • A 1.4 petrol engine weighs 90kg, a 1.4 TDi engine weighs 130kg
  • There is an extra sunvisor above rear view mirror.
  • Raindrops sound completely different to other cars from inside, because of the aluminuim roof.
  • Did you know if you have central locking you can have it lock the doors when you go over 10mph you local Audi dealer will set this with his vag-com tool.
  • On the Concert II headunit, by turning the knob opposite the volume (where you do bass, treble etc) whilst a CD is playing, you can quickly go through tracks (both up and down). Saves proding the button to get to track 10!
  • There's a hand-hold in the boot lid to help you close the boot so you don't get mucky fingers and finger marks on you or the car.
  • All TDI's are equipped with an additional heater.
  • The TDI has a really big accu, of 80AH, so go ahead and help your neighbour getting started.
  • The standard alloy wheels are not suited for snowchains, you need steel rims for snowchains.
  • The space behind the front interior light is empty and you can see the roof through it, isolate it and the roof becomes more quite.
  • Cruise control can be fitted at the garage and is then actually cheaper than factory fitted (maybe only in the Netherlands because of the tax).
  • There is a lot of room in the front footwells. Enough to install amplifiers or satnav systems.
  • The climate control has memory settings dependent on which key is used. Audi radio's have this too. Use the other key and you can store different settings.
  • Because of the shape of the rear window, all cars that drive behind me look like A2s
  • People actually stop and stare at the car - and I get funny reactions at gas stations, like "What? Is that small car a diesel!"
  • Although it's small on the outside - it feels and drives like a bigger car.
  • Some A2s have a radio controlled clock that sets itself automatically.
  • Some of the A2 radios can be setup to automatically record Traffic Announcements at preset times each day.
  • If you unlock the car with the remote, but don't open any doors within about 1 minute, the car automaticaly locks itself!
  • If you keep the unlock/lock button pressed on the remote the windows automatically open/close.
  • The knop to open the flap to the fueltank is only active when the door is open. When the door is closed the lights are off and the button doesn't function.
  • When you've parked your car and switched the lights off, put the indicator on i.e. as if you were going to go left or right, and it leaves the side lights on at the side the indicator is set to (comes under parking light in the owners manual).
  • DIS generates and alert if you drive longer then 2 hours. When the car is stopped with the ignition off for 15 minutes then DIS starts resets its counter. If you stop shorter DIS doesn't count that as a break. This is to reduce drivers fatigue.
  • The back seat is 19 kilos lighter than the normal backseat. The 3l car is about 135 kilos lighter than the 1.4 TDI. The Engine alone weighs about 100 kilos
  • A TDi has:
    - a heater for the diesel fuel and a cooler for the diesel fuel;
    - a heater for the diesel engine and a cooler for the engine (radiator);
    - a cooler for the compressed air going into the engine (intercooler);
    - a heater for the interior and an optional cooler for the interior (climate control);
    - a cooler for the engine oil; and
    - even a cooler for the heater for the air that goes into the engine.
  • The A2 1.2 TDI is produced in two models. A 3l model and the 1.2 TDi model. If you order the standard 1.2 TDi model, extra equitment can be ordered from the factory: aircon, heated jets, and split rear seats. But the 3l model is only fited with the absolute minimum for optimised fuel economy. Therfore the electrical heater is not included on this model to actually save fuel. In Denmark, the only two 3l cars, the Lupo and the A2 3l, are almost free of tax. Each year I only pay 21 euro in car-tax because the car is a 3l car. A standard car cost normaly 550 euro per year. The only thing that you can order to the 3l model from the factory in the Danish Audi Catalogue is painted sidemirrors. But if you by the 1.4 petrol or diesel you can buy a lot of equitment like in other countries.
  • When you start your car the DIS display tells you to step on the brake, while selecting gear in German, but this can be changed to English at your dealer. He also told me that the in-accurate speedo can be changed so it is more accruate. The amount of inaccuracy differs from which country the car is delivered. This is not confirmed. In my Audi the speedo shows about 5 % wrong. At 180 km/h the real speed 172 meassured by a GPS module for my laptop.
  • Some cars have a heater for the water in the screen washers and mirrors.
  • The engine of a TDi breathes in pressurised air. The pressure is the same as in the front tyres.
  • It is not recommended to let the TDI engine idle for extended periods of time. Aside from wasting fuel, causing unnecessary emissions, and not accomplishing anything (the engine won't warm up at idle anyway), the turbocharger depends on having a certain minimum level of boost pressure to maintain the condition of the seals. Extended periods of idling may cause a certain amount of oil consumption, and the oil consumption may clog the catalytic converter. Some owners who have let their engine idle for a long time report the engine running poorly for some time afterward. And no, you don't need to worry about what's going to happen if you get stuck in a traffic jam now and again, it's not THAT serious. Just don't start the engine 20 minutes before you want to leave in the morning every day, in the false hope of having a warm interior... (found on http://www.tdiclub.com)
  • For those of you with an Audi Symphony head unit here is a great little trick to get the optimum sound settings:
    - Set all sound values to the centre: bass, mid
    - Turn the head unit off.
    - Press and hold button number "5" and turn the unit back on.
    - 8 numbers should come up:
    1 represents the front speaker bass
    2 represents the front speaker middle
    3 represents the front speaker trebble
    4 represents the front speaker dunno (can't tell the difference)
    5 represents the rear speaker bass
    6 represents the rear speaker middle
    7 represents the rear speaker trebble
    8 represents the rear speaker dunno (can't tell the difference)
    - To change the value, turn the volume dial and to move to the next number press TP/AS (it's one of them i can't remember off hand)
    - Turn the unit off and back on again. Tada!!!
    - I've set mine to 64555588
    - And the regular bass to one notch past centre with the trebble 2-3 past centre. Sounds fab.
  • To changing degree temperature display, press and hold the recirculation button. Then press the temperature up ("+") button to switch between degrees Celsius & Fahrenheit on the climate control temperature and instrument panel outside temperature displays.
  • To accessing on-board diagnostic codes:
    - Press and hold the recirculation button. Then press the manual flow control up arrow. You should see a 1c. Press the temperature up ("+") or down ("-") buttons to select a code number. Then press the recirculation button again. The value should display. Press the temperature up or down button again to display another code.
    NOTE: Air Flow Motor (V 71) and Potentiometer (G 113) are not installed in USA/Canada vehicles. Disregard values displayed for these components.
  • Code Displayed Value:
1 System malfunction - displayed as a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC), see chart below
2 Digital value of Interior Temperature Sensor, in Headliner (G 86)
3 Digital value of Interior Temperature Sensor, in Instrument Panel (G 56)
4 Digital value of Fresh Air Intake Duct Temperature Sensor (G 89)
5 Digital value of Outside Air (Ambient) Temperature Sensor (G 17), front
6 Digital value of Outside Air (Ambient) Temperature Sensor
7 Digital value of Ambient Temperature Sensor At Fresh Air Blower (G 109)
8 Digital value of Temperature Regulator Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 92)
9 Delta value of Temperature Regulator Flap
10 Non-corrected specified value of Temperature Regulator Flap
11 Digital value of Central Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 112)
12 Specified value of Central Flap
13 Digital value of Footwell/Defroster Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 114)
14 Specified value of Footwell/Defroster Flap
15 Digital value of Air Flow Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 113)
16 Specified value of Air Flow Flap
17 Vehicle Speed (km/h)
18 Actual Air Blower voltage (Volts)
19 Specified Fresh Air Blower voltage (Volts)
20 A/C Compressor (A/C Clutch) voltage (Volts)
21 Number of low voltage occurrences, non-transient
22 Cycle condition of A/C Refrigerant High Pressure Switch (F 118)
23 Cyclings of the A/C Refrigerant High Pressure Switch (F 118)
24 Cyclings of the switches, absolute non-fluctuating
25 Analog/Digital value, Kick-Down Switch
26 Analog/Digital value, Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Warning Light
27 Coding value
28 Engine Speed (RPM)
29 A/C Compressor speed in rpm (Equals Engine Speed x 1.28)
30 Software version
31 Display check (all segments of A/C Control Head display light up)
32 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Temperature Regulator Flap
33 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Central Flap
34 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Footwell/Defroster Flap
35 Potentiometer malfunction counter, Air Flow Map
36 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Temperature Regulator Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 92)
37 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Temperature Regulator Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 92), max. stop
38 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Central Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 112)
39 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Central Flap Motor Potentiometer (G 112)
40 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Footwell/Defroster Flap Motor Potentiometer (G114)
41 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Footwell/Defroster Flap Motor Potentiometer (G114)
42 Feedback value, cold end-stop, Air Flow Map Motor Potentiometer (G 113)
43 Feedback value, hot end-stop, Air Flow Map Motor Potentiometer (G 113)
44 Vehicle operation cycle counter
45 Calculated interior temperature (internal software, in digits)
46 Outside (ambient) temperature, filtered, for regulation (internal software)
47 Outside (ambient) temperature, unfiltered, (internal software, in deg C)
48 Outside (ambient) temperature, unfiltered, (in digits)
49 Malfunction counter for speedometer (vehicle speed) signal
50 Standing time (in minutes)
51 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) in deg C
52 Graphics channel 1 - A/C compressor switch-off conditions are identified by illuminated segments of the “88.8” display. See chart below.
53 Graphics channel 2 - Climate system electrical outputs are identified by illuminated segments of the “88.8” display. See chart below.
54 Control characteristics
55 Outside (ambient) temperature, in deg C or deg F depending on setting on A/C control head
56 Temperature in deg C, from Interior Temperature Sensor, in Headliner (G 86)
57 Temperature in deg C, from Interior Temperature Sensor, in Instrument Panel (G 56)
58 Temperature in deg C, from Fresh Air Intake Duct Temperature Sensor (G 89)
59 Temperature in deg C, from Outside Air (Ambient) Temperature Sensor (G 17), front
60 Temperature in deg C, from Ambient Temperature Sensor At Fresh Air Blower (G 109)
  • Digital speedo readout:
    Here a trick to display the speedometer on the Audi Concert 2 (>08/2000).
    - Switch off the radio. Push and hold the "1" button then switch on.
    - Push 7 times on the "Tone" button to get the speedometer.
    - To reset just switch off the radio.
 
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