# S3 Drive mode Question?



## vasgolfr (Jul 23, 2014)

Can someone please explain something about my 2015 Audi S3 drive mode settings... When I set the drive mode to Dynamic and drive the car, it performs in "Dynamic" mode. Then when I turn off the car and then start it back up, the software no longer has the car in "Dynamic" mode, yet the setting will still say "Dynamic". Now I understand from explanations posted here that Audi designed the software to revert back to another "default" drive mode other than Dynamic... If the car's setting at start-up *SAYS* Dynamic, how do I know what default the car is in? If the mode reverts back to "Auto" or " Comfort" for example, how can I tell that, why does my drive mode display not show the drive mode that the car is now in (per Audi)??

I know that Audi wants the driver to be sure that they want "Dynamic" and to choose that mode whenever the car is started, but why won't the S3 display the defaulted drive mode instead of showing the last mode (Dynamic) but the car is not in that mode.


Love the car, just curious... Thanx.


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## Phanuel (Sep 4, 2014)

As far as I can tell, everything but the engine/transmission remains in Dynamic on turn-off turn-on. Getting Dynamic engine/transmission is just pulling the shifter down into Sport again.

Why? No idea, probably just a fuel saving thing.


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## roblove (Apr 18, 2014)

As Phanuel notes, just the "Sport" mode on the transmission is lost across power cycling the car. The rest of the settings—steering, exhaust sound, etc—remain in Dynamic.

This could be a deliberate decision to save fuel, but I always considered it a bug. Since the "Sport" transmission mode is already disjoint from the rest of the Audi Drive Select options and it resets on car start, I assumed Drive Select had a bug in that it didn't reenforce "Sport" mode on car start.

Either way, agree it is annoying.


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## Bob_W (Jun 22, 2012)

roblove said:


> As Phanuel notes, just the "Sport" mode on the transmission is lost across power cycling the car. The rest of the settings—steering, exhaust sound, etc—remain in Dynamic.
> 
> This could be a deliberate decision to save fuel, but I always considered it a bug. Since the "Sport" transmission mode is already disjoint from the rest of the Audi Drive Select options and it resets on car start, I assumed Drive Select had a bug in that it didn't reenforce "Sport" mode on car start.
> 
> Either way, agree it is annoying.


actually, the exhaust flaps close when the trans leaves Sport, even if ADS is in dynamic. Try this: turn off the car when it is in Dynamic and the trans in Sport. Then turn it back on. ADS will still be in Dynamic, but the trans will return to Drive. Tip the shifter into Sport, and you'll hear the exhaust deepen and the idle revs will increase. No way to keep it in that mode that I know of...perhaps with a VAG, but I don't have one.


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## gamegenie (Aug 24, 2014)

It does the same thing in the A3 (if you have Drive Select), I wish there was a Efficiency Mode. Because Comfort doesn't seem to be holding fuel long enough as it initially did for me.


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## roadrunner_oz (Jul 30, 2015)

gamegenie said:


> It does the same thing in the A3 (if you have Drive Select), I wish there was a Efficiency Mode. Because Comfort doesn't seem to be holding fuel long enough as it initially did for me.


In Oz we have 5 modes:
Efficiency
Comfort
Auto
Dynamic
Individual (which excludes efficiency as an option)


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## JonJaz (Apr 26, 2015)

I have wondered why this was happening as well for the longest time. IMO, audi wants the driver to acknowledge the S mode each time. They assume they developed the S mode too aggressive for normal daily driving and want the driver to intentionally engage S mode each time. To be honest, I feel like sometimes it goes to red line a little too easily...if only the paddles were still active, it would be perfect for daily driving.


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## roblove (Apr 18, 2014)

Bob_W said:


> actually, the exhaust flaps close when the trans leaves Sport, even if ADS is in dynamic. Try this: turn off the car when it is in Dynamic and the trans in Sport. Then turn it back on. ADS will still be in Dynamic, but the trans will return to Drive. Tip the shifter into Sport, and you'll hear the exhaust deepen and the idle revs will increase. No way to keep it in that mode that I know of...perhaps with a VAG, but I don't have one.


The exhaust flaps are only opened on up shifts—they are that burp you hear.

You are right that the idle is raised by Sport mode, which does make more noise. It is possibly the soundaktor is tied to Sport mode, but I still hear the flaps open even when in Dynamic but not Sport.


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## Bob_W (Jun 22, 2012)

roblove said:


> The exhaust flaps are only opened on up shifts—they are that burp you hear..


:laugh: LOL! who told you that? You can clearly hear the flaps open and the exhaust deepen from *outside* the car at the rear when switching from Drive to Sport+Dynamic, even when the car is sitting stationary at idle. Have a friend sit in the driver's seat while you stand at the rear of the car, and have them toggle between Drive+Dynamic and Sport+Dynamic (foot on the brake obviously)...you'll be able to hear the difference easily. The flaps open in response to throttle input, RPM, or by switching to Sport+Dynamic at any throttle/RPM level.


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