[sg678]

Ok. I come from the Honda Land with a v6 odyssey which I have driven 180k miles in 10 years.

Now, I was all excited and pumped when I finally got my Q3 ( Premium Plus Quattro). I cannot even say how much I had to struggle to get the color combination of my choice (Cobalt Blue/Chestnut Brown) that I finally had to buy the Premium Plus instead of the Prestige which I really wanted as the whole western region had none in prestige in that coor combo.

Anyway, I test drive the Q3 and like it and buy it. I bring it home and next day, I take it to work on the busy I-680 in the silicon valley where the freeways are mostly like parking lot. That is when I realized that the gas pedal was much much harder than what I had on mind. 40 miles each way and I come back home only to feel that my right leg is hurting from the constant pushing of the gas and the brake pedal. Never had that feeling with my Odyssey.

Now, my question, is it just me..? or is that a real issue with the current 200 hp engine. Is there any way to alleviate this issue?

Thanks

 

[CocoPops]

Are you joking? :laugh:

You leg hurts from pressing the gas pedal?

It's not even connected to a throttle cable anymore, fly-by-wire, so it's a synthetic friction. Not sure you can do anything about it.

Use cruise control more?

 

[Ohio Joe]

Good morning and welcome!!
I have not got that feeling from our Q3 however it is my wife's car and I have not really driven it that much... Then again I am currently driving our winter car (02 Jeep Liberty/wife's old car) so the comparison there, at least for me is similar... My wife has commented that the gas pedal feels awkard in that it feels "like you press the pedal down and then you have to press the pedal again" (close but not a quote), and I think she is feeling the shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. When we went over the issue and discussed the shifting I think she understands whats happening and the comments/issue is pretty much gone.
Just a thought but have you tried to re-adjust your seating? Maybe if you try a little different seating position you can change the angle of foot to pedal and that would help?
Again Welcome to the forum!!!

 

[rnlabas]

First, we're glad you found us AND joined us. Welcome and we're already doing what we - so hopefully you'll get something for it. Second, while I myself have not noticed an issue (I'm a pretty big guy and my throttle pedal is a teeny weeny lil thing to my size 13 (48) feet). BUT - my wife has also said something akin to Ohio Joe's AND even better, she has adjusted her seating angle and height to give her the increased leverage to help. Now, if I can just get those Tiguan memory seat switches to work, we'll both be happier.

On another note though, there does exist a throttle pedal accoutrement (MPBQ - don't even...) called a SprintBooster, which plugs in line with the wiring at the pedal and adjusts the response curve in three steps. I've had one of these on my S5 for years and makes the throttle MUCH more responsive. In fact after my wife's comment I'd been thinking about tracking another one down for the Q.

Not to get too technical - but for those (and there are many here) interested - It changes the slope of the application curve so that you get the most sensitive response early in the "pressing of the pedal" and then converges at the end to the same place as the stock pedal. It doe NOT increase power or anything of the sort, but only changes the slope of the throttle sensitivity at the pedal. It works exactly the same way that the Drive Select does for throttle response, but just adds more sensitivity earlier. Its a pure electronic enhancement of the potentiometer already in the throttle pedal.

It does NOT change the mechanical effort for the pedal either - just the output at any (every but the last 10%) position of the pedal - you'll still have to adjust your seat and foot position for best leverage. btw, and for that - ALWAYS use a position where your heel is ON the floor. If you're used to just hanging your foot in the air to use the throttle, you have an already bad and unsafe driving habit. Fix that -

 

[pinballplanet]

Adjust your seat. I suspect that you have the seat a little too high, and the discomfort is resulting from pressure under your thigh.

 

[RKM]

I will throw in my welcome as well. I actually find the Q3 to be very responsive as compared to my Volvo S80. One thing I do find in the Q3 that is different than other cars is that at a stop light, after you let go of the brake, the car does not move till you push the gas petal. With other cars, when you let go of the brake, your car moves forward. This has not been the case with my Q3. I am not sure if others are experiencing this as well.

 

[Ohio Joe]

On another note though, there does exist a throttle pedal accoutrement (MPBQ - don't even...) called a SprintBooster, which plugs in line with the wiring at the pedal and adjusts the response curve in three steps. I've had one of these on my S5 for years and makes the throttle MUCH more responsive. In fact after my wife's comment I'd been thinking about tracking another one down for the Q.

Just FYI but it looks like "Sprint booster" is still there and active (http://www.sprintboosterusa.com). Thats the good news, bad news is that they do not have an application for the Q3 yet. (reminds me of the winter mats, Urggg) Looks like they are less than $300 so could be another mod for the list...

p.s. I emailed them asking for if/when it would be available for the Q3 and will post their response when they get back to me....

 

[ShrlyG]

I've only had my Q3 for a few days but speaking as a woman of "a certain age", as they say in French, I have not experienced anything weird with the gas pedal. Most of my attention has been focused on getting to know where everything is after coming from a Mercedes.

 

[rnlabas]

Just FYI but it looks like "Sprint booster" is still there and active (http://www.sprintboosterusa.com). Thats the good news, bad news is that they do not have an application for the Q3 yet. (reminds me of the winter mats, Urggg) Looks like they are less than $300 so could be another mod for the list...

p.s. I emailed them asking for if/when it would be available for the Q3 and will post their response when they get back to me....

Thanks for the help - I HAD to start my taxes earlier but would really have rather surfed a bit looking like you did - thanks, let us know, I'm ready to put one on the Q ...>

btw, there IS one posted on the Greek site where the SprintBooster is manufactured - so we should be able to get one pretty easily - and it can be had on a German site (http://www.amb-tuning.de/produkte/sprint-booster/unbekannt/audi/q3.html) (http://www.sprintbooster-online.de/de/S3-BD-SBDD201A-1011-Sprint-Booster-Audi-Q3-Automatik) for €199 ($215) -
the model number is SBDD 201A - also check this : http://www.sprintboosterusa.com/search.aspx?searchterm=SBDD201A

 

[nickjs1984]

Welcome! To share my own experience, I've really not noticed anything strange about the gas pedal but I'm coming from the point of view of having two VWs, an Audi and a Volvo in the past as my daily drivers so I might just be used to the Europeans way of doing things?

 

[sg678]

I will throw in my welcome as well. I actually find the Q3 to be very responsive as compared to my Volvo S80. One thing I do find in the Q3 that is different than other cars is that at a stop light, after you let go of the brake, the car does not move till you push the gas petal. With other cars, when you let go of the brake, your car moves forward. This has not been the case with my Q3. I am not sure if others are experiencing this as well.

Hi All. Thanks for the suggestions. I think I have same issue as RKM which aggravates my problem as I tend to press the pedal harder. A gentle tap on the pedal of my honda is all it takes for it to get rolling. I will really be looking out for the sprintbooster.

Another gripe.. I found the windshield visor too small and not even extensible.. causing the harsh CA sun to fall straight on the bottom of my face during the commute hours.

Thanks

 

[rnlabas]

Hi All. Thanks for the suggestions. I think I have same issue as RKM which aggravates my problem as I tend to press the pedal harder. A gentle tap on the pedal of my honda is all it takes for it to get rolling. I will really be looking out for the sprintbooster.

Another gripe.. I found the windshield visor too small and not even extensible.. causing the harsh CA sun to fall straight on the bottom of my face during the commute hours.

Thanks

Stay tuned here for additional news on the SprintBooster. Due to the strength of the dollar, I've asked a German site if they'd be willing to ship to the U.S. and take PayPal - haven't heard yet, but expect to soon.

As for the sun visor, look around the site (http://www.audiq3forum.com/forum/393-interior/3698-sun-visors.html) for an Audi P/N reference for an OEM replacement that extends (this is a country-requirement for Australia and an option in EU) - but be warned, they're pricey (~$120) as a replacement part - about the same as the standard one though

 

[boblepp]

I will throw in my welcome as well. I actually find the Q3 to be very responsive as compared to my Volvo S80. One thing I do find in the Q3 that is different than other cars is that at a stop light, after you let go of the brake, the car does not move till you push the gas petal. With other cars, when you let go of the brake, your car moves forward. This has not been the case with my Q3. I am not sure if others are experiencing this as well.

That feature is covered in the manual, hill assist I think.

 

[sg678]

First, we're glad you found us AND joined us. Welcome and we're already doing what we - so hopefully you'll get something for it. Second, while I myself have not noticed an issue (I'm a pretty big guy and my throttle pedal is a teeny weeny lil thing to my size 13 (48) feet). BUT - my wife has also said something akin to Ohio Joe's AND even better, she has adjusted her seating angle and height to give her the increased leverage to help. Now, if I can just get those Tiguan memory seat switches to work, we'll both be happier.

On another note though, there does exist a throttle pedal accoutrement (MPBQ - don't even...) called a SprintBooster, which plugs in line with the wiring at the pedal and adjusts the response curve in three steps. I've had one of these on my S5 for years and makes the throttle MUCH more responsive. In fact after my wife's comment I'd been thinking about tracking another one down for the Q.

Not to get too technical - but for those (and there are many here) interested - It changes the slope of the application curve so that you get the most sensitive response early in the "pressing of the pedal" and then converges at the end to the same place as the stock pedal. It doe NOT increase power or anything of the sort, but only changes the slope of the throttle sensitivity at the pedal. It works exactly the same way that the Drive Select does for throttle response, but just adds more sensitivity earlier. Its a pure electronic enhancement of the potentiometer already in the throttle pedal.

It does NOT change the mechanical effort for the pedal either - just the output at any (every but the last 10%) position of the pedal - you'll still have to adjust your seat and foot position for best leverage. btw, and for that - ALWAYS use a position where your heel is ON the floor. If you're used to just hanging your foot in the air to use the throttle, you have an already bad and unsafe driving habit. Fix that -

Hi All. I think I have been able to narrow down my issue (not solution) to be related to what rnlabas is referring to. I realized that on my honda, my right foot heel is on the floor and all it takes is the swing of my toe to move from brake to gas pedal without even lifting my heel which still rests on the floor. On the Q3, the gas pedal is much far behind the level of the brake pedal so I am unable to just flick my toe from brake pedal to gas pedal and vice versa. I have to lift up the foot from one to another. I am short 5'6''.

Is there like a gas pedal pad or something that I can just put on the gas pedal to give me that extra 1/2 inch of depth level? Any other suggestions..?

Thanks

 

[Ohio Joe]

p.s. I emailed them asking for if/when it would be available for the Q3 and will post their response when they get back to me....

Just FYI, I have not heard anything back yet....

 

[rnlabas]

Just FYI, I have not heard anything back yet....

I heard form one of the German sites, they will NOT ship to the US - but not all hope is lost - I have a friend outside Frankfurt ... If you want one - let me know, I may order a few at once -

 

[Quatto]

You might even have luck with getting a tuning shop to do the buying and shipping for you.

 

[rnlabas]

You might even have luck with getting a tuning shop to do the buying and shipping for you.

It was one of the tuning shops that responded in the negative - the other hasn't yet...

 

[Ohio Joe]

I heard form one of the German sites, they will NOT ship to the US - but not all hope is lost - I have a friend outside Frankfurt ... If you want one - let me know, I may order a few at once -

Roger Thanks for the offer... If it were my car I would probably go for it however the Q is my wife’s and she isn’t real keen on the mods... Her big concern is warranty worries and maybe rightly so...
Thanks again!!!

 

[Ohio Joe]

I received a Reply!!! and it goes like this!! Roger, you may have a source close to home!!!

Hello Sir,


I know you have contacted us through our Sub company Sprintbooster.us and I finally have gotten an answer on this item as far as fitment goes.
I have confirmed that the Q5 and Q3 will share the same booster from the manufacture. Please order this booster here and I would be glad to get this shipped out to you asap!

Upon ordering, Please choose referral Michael for sales rep.


http://gmpperformance.com/index.cfm?pg=detail&pid=371485



Regards,


Adam “Michael” O’Hare /// Sales Assistant

GMP Performance
710 Pressley Road
Charlotte, North Carolina 28217
Ph: 704-525-0941 x 257
Em: [email protected]
Web: www.GMPperformance.com