2017 Audi SQ5

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Discussion

MadMarkM3

Original Poster:

1,754 posts

148 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
quotequote all
When I found out this was petrol and not the previous potent, but dirty, diesel, I ordered this car back in June 2017, taking delivery in early October. It's a pretty high spec vehicle with all the extras you'd want (except the panoramic roof - becuase I don't like them) .... So air suspension, 21" 5 spoke wheels, quattro electronic diff, head up display, B&O sounds, electric memory seats, Navara Blue Metallic paint etc.

It comes after a series of quite nice machinery, a couple of Porsches, a new M3 and an M4 Competition Pack. It was meant to be my "daily" while I went and got another toy, but that's another story.

So I love the car in every way (except the fake exhaust outlets). Fab engine with a lovely V6 howl, great technology and an ability (with the air suspension), to go over speed bumps, potholes and raised mini rounabouts like they aren't even there.

However, on going through the settings for the tyre pressure monitoring - I wonder where the readout is for the tyre pressures and temperatures. Nope - not coming up. Because there isn't one. Aparently it monitors them "in the background". Great. All my recent cars have had this, so I now miss it! Cost cutting by the VW Group?

Even worse is the discovery that it doesn't have headlight washers. At all. Not even available as an extra. Globally. Our US Cousins are very upset, because, like me, the cut outs are there in the front bumper, but there is nothing behind them. Now this really smacks of cost cutting, because there the old SQ5 had them and indeed many, much lower spec Audi's have them - so WTF is going on?

A very pissed off owner .......


MrwReckless

123 posts

118 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
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Not speaking from complete knowledge, but I was under the impression that:

1. Pressure monitoring, this was perhaps a bit of a misunderstood term as in the car used the ABS to monitor the circumference of the rolling tire to detect a flat as opposed to actually show the user the actual PSI of the tire on a screen.

2. Headlight washers. The boffins in Geneva decided Xenon lights by law had to have washers? But you might have some fancy laser lights on your highly specced SQ5 and the requirement might be different for those? But the car in base spec possibly have xenons so the cutouts in the bumper are there for mass manufacturing purposes? IDK :/

Nice car, but IMO they all sound a bit like 1.st world problems.

Regards

Edit to say: the configurator in my country has LED headlights and washers listed as standard equipment as well as for the extra optional Matrix LED lights. Of course the configurator could be wrong and/or country specific for all I know.

Edited by MrwReckless on Saturday 20th January 16:32

JonChalk

6,469 posts

109 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
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For comparison with an S5;

Full matrix LED lights + washers as standard in the UK.

MadMarkM3

Original Poster:

1,754 posts

148 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
quotequote all
MrwReckless said:
Not speaking from complete knowledge, but I was under the impression that:

1. Pressure monitoring, this was perhaps a bit of a misunderstood term as in the car used the ABS to monitor the circumference of the rolling tire to detect a flat as opposed to actually show the user the actual PSI of the tire on a screen.

2. Headlight washers. The boffins in Geneva decided Xenon lights by law had to have washers? But you might have some fancy laser lights on your highly specced SQ5 and the requirement might be different for those? But the car in base spec possibly have xenons so the cutouts in the bumper are there for mass manufacturing purposes? IDK :/

Nice car, but IMO they all sound a bit like 1.st world problems.

Regards

Edit to say: the configurator in my country has LED headlights and washers listed as standard equipment as well as for the extra optional Matrix LED lights. Of course the configurator could be wrong and/or country specific for all I know.

Edited by MrwReckless on Saturday 20th January 16:32
1. On the cars I've had it was active pressure and temperature monitoring. You could watch the pressures go up and down as the tyres heated / cooled.

2. You're probably right - mine are the LED lights.

Of course these are 1st world problems - but my point is that this is poor value for money when they're provided for free on the equivalent BMW and at least available as an option on the more mizerly Porsches. (The Macan platform shares and has the same technology embedded into it - but they're at least available as an option where not standard).

MadMarkM3

Original Poster:

1,754 posts

148 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
quotequote all
JonChalk said:
For comparison with an S5;

Full matrix LED lights + washers as standard in the UK.
Thanks Jon - that's even worse and is my point exactly. The matrix lights are an option on the SQ5 .....

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
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I'd agree that the fake exhaust outlets on these are truly awful. Why Audi decided it was a good idea is a bizarre decision.

RammyMP

6,729 posts

152 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
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The wife has a BMW with LED lights, that doesn’t have washers which I was surprised about, must be a LED thing.

I also agree about the fake exhaust pipes. Nice car though nevertheless!

JonChalk

6,469 posts

109 months

Saturday 20th January 2018
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Sorry to add salt to the wound, but the S5 has a pair of proper metal double exhausts that all function.

frown

RussJ

66 posts

228 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
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Try ABT to fix the exhaust issue...
Does yours have the brake pedal "clang"?
Still not convinced I'd want to swap my Tdi SQ5 for the petrol version.
Russ

MadMarkM3

Original Poster:

1,754 posts

148 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
JonChalk said:
Sorry to add salt to the wound, but the S5 has a pair of proper metal double exhausts that all function.

frown
cry

MadMarkM3

Original Poster:

1,754 posts

148 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
RussJ said:
Try ABT to fix the exhaust issue...
Does yours have the brake pedal "clang"?
Still not convinced I'd want to swap my Tdi SQ5 for the petrol version.
Russ
Funnily enough - I've already been sniffing around and seen those. Plus they can get 425bhp out of it with an ECU add on .... smile No idea on costs though ......

Edited to say that yes - the pedal "clangs" on light applications .....

Edited by MadMarkM3 on Sunday 21st January 12:33

Welshbeef

49,633 posts

197 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
RussJ said:
Try ABT to fix the exhaust issue...
Does yours have the brake pedal "clang"?
Still not convinced I'd want to swap my Tdi SQ5 for the petrol version.
Russ
Plus they are holding value so well it’s extremely cheap motoring.

MrwReckless

123 posts

118 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
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Just had a couple of stupid thought that'll inevitably lead to a couple of stupid questions:

My car failed it's MOT last year because the headlight washers didn't work. They did, it was just that the fluid level was below the headlight washers connection to the bottle but above the "empty" sensor, alas they didn't "work" despite not having the warning on in the dash. So stupid question no.1 is you've checked the washer level in the bottle?

What does your cars instruction book say? Is there really no mention of the headlight washers there at all?

Just the fact that the previously mentioned configurator has headlight washers on it despite your statement in your original post that they are not available globally makes me think something is up :/

Regards


MadMarkM3

Original Poster:

1,754 posts

148 months

Sunday 21st January 2018
quotequote all
MrwReckless said:
Just had a couple of stupid thought that'll inevitably lead to a couple of stupid questions:

My car failed it's MOT last year because the headlight washers didn't work. They did, it was just that the fluid level was below the headlight washers connection to the bottle but above the "empty" sensor, alas they didn't "work" despite not having the warning on in the dash. So stupid question no.1 is you've checked the washer level in the bottle?

What does your cars instruction book say? Is there really no mention of the headlight washers there at all?

Just the fact that the previously mentioned configurator has headlight washers on it despite your statement in your original post that they are not available globally makes me think something is up :/

Regards
Ah yes - the 2nd thing I did was brim fill the washer bottle.

The instruction book says something like: "Cleaning the headlights* The headlight washer system operates only when the headlights are on. If you move the lever to position 5 - the headlights are washed in intervals". (Position 5 is pulling the wiper stalk towards you).

va1o

16,029 posts

206 months

Monday 22nd January 2018
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MadMarkM3 said:
A very pissed off owner .......

Sorry is it really that much of a big deal?

My new TT is the first car I've had in a while without them and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Saves running out of screenwash every 5 minutes!