# Replacing Shell of Audi Key- pics



## mhmmm (Feb 7, 2013)

I thought I'd share how I did this, with some photos of the genuine vs. Chinese replacement. The one I bought was $9 shipped on eBay. This includes all shell pieces, the logo, and a blank key, but no electronics (or instructions for that matter). Logo-less ones can be had for even less. I wanted to replace the original key shell that was worn and had accumulated 10 years of grime. I just got the car, so it's not even my grime!

The first steps are well-documented: use small screwdriver in slot to separate 2 main pieces. A video can be seen on Youtube. Then flip apart lower body into 2 pieces. One side has the battery, the other side the circuit board.

The tricky part is removing the circuit board and transferring it to your new shell. The board is held in with two brass-colored pins. They are wedged well into the plastic case, and simply trying to pry out the board would probably break it.

Pins (already loosened in this pic):









Some people have suggested using pliers but I ended up using a soldering iron and driving it straight through the back of the case, melting any surrounding plastic and forcing out the pins. Be careful to aim correctly, and of course this kills your old case... There are some fumes from the plastic but well worth it 

Burned holes from iron:









You can then remove the board, put it in the new shell, and re-use the pins. I hammered mine in *very* carefully. Because the hammer head was too big to avoid hitting other components on the circuit board, I used a metal cylinder (X-Acto knife handle), to transfer the load from the hammer to the the pin heads. After this, move the battery to the new shell. Plus side down. You will find a small "pill" in your old case. This is for the immobilizer. Make sure to transfer this as well to your new case.

To replace the key blank with your real key, use an X-Acto knife to pry off the Audi logo at the edge (If you're careful, this can be re-used and you can get the cheaper logo-less shell). Remove the screw, and very carefully remove the plastic cover. Note how the key, button, and spring fit together. The two ends of the spring fit in place on the button and on the plastic case. The spring is then twisted two times and held in place by the two plastic shell pieces. It should be pretty self-explanatory. 

Key portion:









Re-assemble the original key in the new shell and screw it down. Now remove the sheet off the self-adhesive from the new logo and place it in. I noticed that it stuck out too far, and just removed the adhesive altogether. It seemed to fit in fine with friction and some of the tape residue.

Here is a comparison of the OEM and replacement logo (OEM one is inset):









They are quite close.

Once you've snapped the two halves together, you need to reset the electronics in the key. Next to your car, press either lock or unlock, and then unlock and lock the door manually in the key hole. Your key will now be reset.

Here is a comparison of the old and new:









Front of new shell:









There are a few differences between the two: 1) The new shell does not have engraved button icons. The paint may wear off after a while. 2) The OEM keychain attachment piece has metal rings that spin freely. On the Chinese one, the rings are fixed in place. 3) The OEM shell has a rubber seal which must help to keep out the elements. There is no such seal on the Chinese one.

Here is the seal, peeled out of the OEM shell:









Overall, I think that this was definitely worth the $9. I don't even want to know how much Audi charges for a replacement!


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

Great write up. Pics aren't working for me..


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## mhmmm (Feb 7, 2013)

now?


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## warranty225cpe (Dec 3, 2008)

mhmmm said:


> now?


Yup, thanks :thumbup:


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## TTC2k5 (May 23, 2008)

Nice DIY. :thumbup::thumbup: Thanks.


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## Neb (Jan 25, 2005)

just a quick note, if you wanted to keep your OEM shell, you can buy replacement buttons and just swap that out. That's what I ended up doing and it turned out good. It's a few more dollars (I think I paid about $20 from the dealer) but you still have the OEM shell with that rubber seal - which I'm guessing is important if you drop your key in snow or it gets wet etc.


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## mhmmm (Feb 7, 2013)

Thanks for sharing, good to know!


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## august_horch (Dec 6, 2015)

*Brass pins*

If you have a key fob where the circuit board is held in place with the brass pins. Just hold a soldering iron on top of the brass pin for about ten seconds and then extract the pin upwards with pliers. The pin is actually shaped like a little nail, when you heat it up it melts the plastic and extracts very easily.


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