# Help me! Damaged Keyfob and immobilizer activated



## F.SonicSmith (May 23, 2002)

I have only one key to my 2004 VW Touareg. I bought it new but lost the second key somehow, years ago. My one remaining keyfob took a spill today down a 20 story elevator shaft (Don't ask how, just call it an unlucky bounce!). The keyfob was recovered but it is damaged. The hatchplate is missing over the battery compartment as is the battery. My Touareg is parked at my workplace's parking garage with a 6'8" clearance. 
When I go to get in the vehicle, the switchblade glides into the lock manually and opens the door, but the security system "immobilizer" activates. There seems to be no deactivating it. Therefor I can not start the vehicle. The demobilizer is activated. My local dealership, where I bought the vehicle, is offering me no solutions. None at all. Any help????


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## F.SonicSmith (May 23, 2002)

I should have added that thanks to my parking garage's 6'8" clearance and the immobilizer being activated, there is no way for a tow truck to get the vehicle out. I need to find away to make my keyfob operational. The dealership tells me that after a short time without the battery, the keyfob would need to be reprogrammed and the car would need to be reprogrammed and that such simply can't be done. To listen to them, there is no solution.


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## F.SonicSmith (May 23, 2002)

*Re: (F.SonicSmith)*

Now I'm being told by the dealership's service gal who talked to a "technician" that my only solution is to remove the shifter housing and using a long screwdriver, to look for a "little white or yellow button to the left of the shifter" and to move the "little button" from left to right to get the vehicle in neutral and enable towing. I told her that I have no idea how to remove the shifter housing and her response was "Well, he will only tell you what I just told you", and she also told me he was unavailable for me to talk to him directly. 
I don't want to damage things worse as I have no clue how to remove the shifter housing. So, if this is in fact my best solution, can anybody help me with plain simple advice as to how to go this route without inflicting damage prying off the shifter housing???


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## s4_250hp (Mar 22, 2005)

*Re: (F.SonicSmith)*

I'm sure you have tried this, but have you put a new battery in the key remote, thus the Touareg would "recognize" the key again??


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## s4_250hp (Mar 22, 2005)

*Re: (F.SonicSmith)*

The battery is a common "cr2032" battery found at most grocery/drug stores. Just FYI


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## FSonic (Jan 20, 2009)

*Re: (s4_250hp)*

As mentioned, in it's fall down 20 stories of elevator shaft, the hatch over the battery along with the battery became lost. Further, once the keyfob goes without power for any length of time, it loses it's programming. Further than that, the tiny embedded circuit that is instrumental to deactivate the immobilizer doesn;t even rely on battery power!!! The elevator tech looked all over he said, and couldn't find them VW tells me the hatch cover has a ground wire and simply sticking a battery in and taping it down won't do any good. Further, my research into the Immobilizer 3 system indicates there is a tiny glass bead embedded into the keyfob that is responsible for sending a tiny signal to the steering column antenna that makes the whole system synch. In other words, the lack of a battery may not be the problem-the tiny chip does not depend upon battery current apparently. 
I found my original key code that came with a plastic valet key. Is there any possibility the dealership can program a new key fob with just this info (they seem to be telling me no, they need to hook up a computer to the VAG-Com and withdraw the code from the vehicle. 


_Modified by FSonic at 8:22 PM 1-19-2009_


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

*Re: (FSonic)*

If you know someone with a VAG Com and the dealer is willing to give you the SKC, you could program a new key for your Treg. I have seen directions on how to do it, but the dealer needs to give you the Secret Key Code to finish the deal. The Treg needs to be hooked up to the VAG Com in order to do it. So that is why the dealer is telling you they need the car to program the key.


_Modified by Yeti35 at 8:00 PM 1-19-2009_


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## FSonic (Jan 20, 2009)

*Re: (Yeti35)*

I see that VW now has something called a "GEKO" system in which even the dealer is not privy to the SKC and has to get it from an embedded broadband connection from VWoA itself while running VAG-Com. 
Remember my problem-the garage with 6'8" clearance and immobilizer activated. It seems to me my only solution (other than finding someone capable of running on-site VAG-Com with access to VWoA (not very likely) is to get help removing the shifter housing and disengaging the vehicle from drive to neutral manually. That way I can get the car out of the garage and towed to the dealership. Can anyone give me step by step guidance to do this? Please!


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## s4_250hp (Mar 22, 2005)

*Re: (FSonic)*

I think you are correct, the only way is to get it into neutral. You may post your problem on clubtouareg.com as well. Someone there may be able to help you. Sorry I could not be more help...good luck!


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## FSonic (Jan 20, 2009)

*Re: (s4_250hp)*

Well, after calling come tow truck companies I'm being told that one (Camcar in Columbus) has special tow trucks that can get in the garage and further, using a two wheel dolly, can get the vehicle out even with it locked in park. So, I think there may be light at the end of this, $400 to $500 later ($100-$125 tow and then the dealership charges for new key, cutting, and VAG-Com programming).


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## treg4574 (Apr 14, 2004)

*Re: (F.SonicSmith)*

You should be able to start and move it with the valet key. I hope you still have it.

_Quote, originally posted by *F.SonicSmith* »_Further than that, the tiny embedded circuit that is instrumental to deactivate the immobilizer doesn;t even rely on battery power!!!

I think that is correct. I currently have both the VW and Infiniti immobilizer specs running around in my memory. Don't ask! and Let's hope I don't get them crossed up







I am thinking that the immobilizer chip on the VW is a tiny rice sized item that is generally epoxied near the top of the remote or key. It is a passive device so will work without a battery. Infiniti uses this same system btw.

_Quote, originally posted by *F.SonicSmith* »_The dealership tells me that after a short time without the battery, the keyfob would need to be reprogrammed and the car would need to be reprogrammed and that such simply can't be done.

The battery door is just a piece of plastic. This is true on both remotes (one model for keyless, one model for non-keyless) There is no metal or wires in the remote doors. So, that was a "line" from the dealer. 
Yes, it is a line of bull. My touareg is happy to see a remote sans battery cover. It works just fine. 
I am also not sure about the "line" that the key dies without the battery. It could have nonvolatile memory in it. It would only need a few bytes. That might or might not be true. I am not going to test it!
Only the V8 and V10 had the keyless start. If you had keyless, I would be buying a new battery and trying that. But since v6's lack the controller for keyless starts (sig says you have the v6) you are not going to get past the immobilizer issue anyway. 
Look at spockcats directions here. http://www.tm-techmark.com/tou...s.htm 
He shows how to get the center console off so you can get access to the shifter.
Open the center dash (really easy) and start searching for that release.
You will still have the wheel locked in position. But they should be able to pull you outside to load you on a flat bed without any problem.
The key code will just give them the "pattern" to cut into the physical key. That is nice but VW does store that info in the mothership computer. As you might have noticed, the correctly cut key just does not get you very far.








SKC codes are no longer easy to get even at the dealer level. I believe that if a dealer would go out of their way and call vw directly, they can still get them after a little bit of a hassle. Since the dealers make no money off of this and vw does not easily give the codes to their dealers... it is just not going to happen.
BTW... be prepared. You will pay a small ransom to get the new keys from the dealer. They do not need any of the old keys to do the reprogramming. They will go into the immobilizer and wipe out all active keys. It then asks them to present all keys that the vehicle is to recognize. They will program (in this case all news keys) one at a time into the immobilizer system.
This is why you have to have all your keys at any major service. If they run this procedure with only the one key... then that one key is all that would start the car. The keys that were not present would no longer be on the immobilizer authorized list.


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## FSonic (Jan 20, 2009)

*Re: (treg4574)*



treg4574 said:


> You should be able to start and move it with the valet key. I hope you still have it.
> Thank you so very much treg4574!!!
> I did find my valet key. It is plastic and very flimsy looking. I am not sure though that I understand-you say I should be able to start it and move it-does this flimsy valet key have the tiny glass bead embedded into it?


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: (FSonic)*


_Quote, originally posted by *FSonic* »_
Thank you so very much treg4574!!!
I did find my valet key. It is plastic and very flimsy looking. I am not sure though that I understand-you say I should be able to start it and move it-does this flimsy valet key have the tiny glass bead embedded into it?



That is exactly what he means. The key should act to start the car just like your regular key. Good call by treg4574. When I read your original post I didn't remember the valet key.


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## F.SonicSmith (May 23, 2002)

*Re: (spockcat)*

My ordeal is over and the Treg is out of the garage and to the dealership without the need for disassembling the shifter housing and getting the transmission in neutral thanks to that little plastic valet key. I should mention that yesterday the service gal told me that my '04 Treg would have come with two key fobs but no valet key and I believed her. Turns out she was wrong again and after searching through my den at home I found the forgotten valet key. Amazing that the damaged key fob and switchblade activates the alarm system/immobilizer and that the plastic valet key does not. When I slid that plastic key into the door without getting the alarm I got giddy, and even more so when I slipped it into the ignition and heard that nice little solenoid activate So, $510 and two days of time for the dealership to order the key fobs (price is for two new fobs and go figure, they don't stock any) and I will be on to the next headaches, brakes and the 70K drive belt hit. Again, thanks for all the help. Truly appreciated.


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## treg4574 (Apr 14, 2004)

*Re: (FSonic)*


_Quote, originally posted by *FSonic* »_Thank you so very much treg4574!!!
I did find my valet key. It is plastic and very flimsy looking. I am not sure though that I understand-you say I should be able to start it and move it-does this flimsy valet key have the tiny glass bead embedded into it?

You are welcome.
I thought the valet key was flimsy looking also. I tested it once to make sure it would work. The valet key is so thin, it is hard to get leverage to turn it!
Yes, even the valet key has the immobilizer chip built into it.
Best of luck to you. If you lose or bust another $250 key... I will have to dock your allowance. Oh wait, VW already did that for me.


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## DenverBill (Apr 18, 2003)

*Re: (treg4574)*

The valet key for my early 2004 will unlock the steering column, allowing you to shift into neutral, but definitely will not start the engine.


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