shanks

Hey all, hoping to be back on the Audi forums soon. Previous '04 S4 owner.

I have a question that I cant find anywhere on the internet.

I have placed a down payment on an '18 RS3 at my local dealership. They have been alloted 1 RS3. Problem is is that they haven't received it from "port". I was OK with that until they initially told me it was being held up for "clearance". I wasn't sure what that meant and it didn't seem they did either. That was 2 weeks ago. I pressed them on it again today and I got an interesting response. He said that the area rep stated that all the cars in port have been held up for new software to be installed to make them all California sound compliant? I asked if this was going to change the exhaust note and he said "I guess so". One of my favorite things about the car is the exhaust sound. Has anyone heard anything about this?? Will it change the car? Can after market software restore it?

Thanks

Zephyr007

I'd say that any real information on the current port hold has been pretty vague. Would a new software download from Audi effect the sound that you like about the car? Maybe. Will an aftermarket tune change the sound yet again? Almost certainly. The key is that there are several different things that effect the exhaust note in the face lifted RS3. The exhaust itself, the valving within the exhaust, and something that happens around 3800 rpm which has yet to be fully determined. On a personal note I can tell you that removing the secondary cats and installing bypass tubes had a fairly obvious effect on the overall volume of the exhaust note with what I would call a 15-20% increase.

shanks

The info they gave me on timing of software change was 1st week in February. With car being shipped to dealer by end of month.

Can someone educate me on California code and how that effects a car going to Arkansas? Being a motorcycle owner I understand California has different rules (i.e. no 2-strokes) but that doesn't effect their sales in other states. Why does a car going to Arkansas need that software change?

BlackOptic

Check out some reactions and vague ideas on the RS3 thread, and the ttrs thread.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud.../#post25087970

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/tt-.../#post25093625

shanks

Thanks for the input

Andre Cannon

I just got off the phone with my dealer. I already did all the paper work on 1/5/18 to get my car as soon as it came in and was told it would be here 1/7/18, not its 1/18/18 and no car. They are saying it needs a flash for the headlights. They said that distro is saying mid February. I had already sold my other car and was promised it would here early January. Been boiling about this. And no one can give any straight answers.

dazed1

Flash is not for headlights from what we've heard (again, here say). Its about an EPA / emissions update.

I sold my car as well and have been carless for about 2 months now. Car has been sitting in port since December 18th. If you signed the papers, hopefully you're not paying the monthly note on it, right?