Change Key Battery Warning

ddorrer · Feb 10, 2016

Well folks, the latest issue with my 2015 GSW.

This morning I got a "Change Key Battery" warning on my MIL. Seriously!!! This is a 2015 GSW with 10k miles.

My 2012 went 80k without any such warning.

Anybody else have this issue?

Matt927 · Feb 10, 2016

Yep. I think I changed mine within the first six months.

habsfan · Feb 10, 2016

There is an internal VW service bulletin at least in Canada, dealer replaced my key fob last week, batteries should last about 3 - 4 years or more

Nutty 5.0 · Feb 10, 2016

Ditto. Had to replace both of mine in the last month.

SVG · Feb 10, 2016

Replaced mine for the first time last week. I’ve had the car around 11 months~.

ChimneyJim · Feb 13, 2016

I never had any warning, it just stopped working this past week.

ihatespeed · Feb 13, 2016

open the battery compartment and look for signs of moisture, if it got washed/ went in the pool/ river rafting then you probably have a bit of moisture in it causing a slow battery drain. rinse out with contact cleaner and let dry on a sunny windowsill, I had to do this with both my fobs after they started eating batteries every couple weeks. both seem to have been resurrected no problem.

quattrothatcould · Feb 14, 2016

One of ours is doing this (had the car since April 2015).

Edit: Now both need them.

f0rum · Feb 27, 2016

Both my batteries went within a month off each other, lasted about 9 months.

friedduck · Mar 4, 2016

First went in about 6 months. I switched fobs and if the other goes as well i'm complaining to the dealer. Ridiculous.

habsfan · Mar 4, 2016

By the sounds of various posts it would appear that VW USA may not have the same service bulletin that VW Canada has about testing and replacing the key fobs for the Mk 7's. My dealer tested mine and replaced the defective one for free, and also gave me a free interior and exterior car wash.

CBRTDI · Mar 6, 2016

ChimneyJim said:
I never had any warning, it just stopped working this past week.

So how does one go about opening a locked door when the key stops working? Or when the car battery dies?

Shife · Mar 6, 2016

CBRTDI said:
So how does one go about opening a locked door when the key stops working? Or when the car battery dies?

It's in the owners manual. There is a key slot hidden next to the driver's door handle. There is a RFID chip in the fob that lets you hold it next to the column while pushing the button to start.

spicy_red · Mar 7, 2016

habsfan said:
There is an internal VW service bulletin at least in Canada, dealer replaced my key fob last week, batteries should last about 3 - 4 years or more

Do you have a reference #? When was this issued? I've just had to replace my battery for the second time in a year... of course car was just at the dealership and they said nothing was outstanding.
Thanks!

habsfan · Mar 9, 2016

Spicy Red
There is nothing on my invoice, but I had it done at Humberview VW in Toronto, work order #649029 , you can call the service dept at the dealership and maybe they can help you with the bulletin , service dept is 416 259 7656. At the very least it is part of the bumper to bumper warranty for the Mark VII

Saggio · Mar 9, 2016

10 months into owning mine and i just had to replace the battery too.

740GLE · Mar 17, 2016

wow, is push button starters are really worth this hassle?

makattack · Mar 22, 2016

740GLE said:
wow, is push button starters are really worth this hassle?

They sure are convenient when they work, but then, the computer security part of me says they aren't work the risk:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ty-flaw?_ga=1.188682856.1154899840.1458675739

Nevertheless, that didn't stop me from leasing a 2015 VW Golf Sportwagen TDI S/manual model. That said, I now have experienced the "low battery" warning on a 8 month old key fob. It went away, but I have plenty of those CR2032 batteries, so I'll look up how to open up the key fob and change it anyway. VW claims the megamos crypto vulnerability was fixed starting with the 2015 model year, but I haven't tested it...

Just opened mine. Wow, was it easy. Pretty much, extend the key, pry open the battery cover with fingers in the newly exposed cavity.

Good news: it's easy to replace. Bad news: all my 2032 batteries which I use for other devices (LED bike lights and accessories) won't fit well because the fob's apparently designed for CR2025 batteries.

DanCsTDI · Jun 10, 2016

Hey. Sorry to bump an older thread but I have had trouble with one of my keys. Got the warning replaced the battery. Then three weeks later the warning came on again. I switched it out again thinking that the battery was defective. Then it happened two weeks later. I opted to just use it. A day later the remote was dead. I switch keys and am seeing if this one holds out. Due for the first service in about a month. I'll prob ask to have the key replaced at that point. Seems like there is something wrong with it. Never got wet and it's been warm out the last few months.

dubStrom · Nov 30, 2017

CR2032 battery fits, and works fine

makattack said:
They sure are convenient when they work, but then, the computer security part of me says they aren't work the risk:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ty-flaw?_ga=1.188682856.1154899840.1458675739

Nevertheless, that didn't stop me from leasing a 2015 VW Golf Sportwagen TDI S/manual model. That said, I now have experienced the "low battery" warning on a 8 month old key fob. It went away, but I have plenty of those CR2032 batteries, so I'll look up how to open up the key fob and change it anyway. VW claims the megamos crypto vulnerability was fixed starting with the 2015 model year, but I haven't tested it...

Just opened mine. Wow, was it easy. Pretty much, extend the key, pry open the battery cover with fingers in the newly exposed cavity.

Good news: it's easy to replace. Bad news: all my 2032 batteries which I use for other devices (LED bike lights and accessories) won't fit well because the fob's apparently designed for CR2025 batteries.

The CR3032 is thicker, but it actually fits. The battery retainer tab won't catch, so the battery won't stay down while you close the fob. But, just get the two tabs on the leading edge properly tucked in, and apply more force than usual. Clips in flush, holds securely. No problem.
AND, you have more capacity in the CR2032 at the same exact voltage. SWEET!!!

2015vwgolfdiesel · Nov 30, 2017

Now what

I take it these are all *new* 2015 TDi sitting units.

Looks like the not round tires, Leaky problems etc., etc., was not the whole story.

demagxc · Dec 1, 2017

2015vwgolfdiesel said:
I take it these are all *new* 2015 TDi sitting units.
Looks like the not round tires, Leaky problems etc., etc., was not the whole story.

It's not just a "new" old stock issue. I purchased mine used at the end of 2015 and had to change the battery less than 6 months later. Also had to replace the battery in the spare key after a year and that one just sits on a hook in my house 99.9% of the time. No issues since replacing them. My guess is that there was a bunch of bad batteries shipped from the factory. Just a minor inconvenience. 2 minutes of my time and a new battery and a year and a half later both keys are going strong. No big deal.

2015vwgolfdiesel · Dec 1, 2017

demagxc said:
It's not just a "new" old stock issue. I purchased mine used at the end of 2015 and had to change the battery less than 6 months later. Also had to replace the battery in the spare key after a year and that one just sits on a hook in my house 99.9% of the time. No issues since replacing them. My guess is that there was a bunch of bad batteries shipped from the factory. Just a minor inconvenience. 2 minutes of my time and a new battery and a year and a half later both keys are going strong. No big deal.

Good to hear

I used one of my kefob ... other is stored high and dry

dubStrom · Dec 4, 2017

ihatespeed said:
open the battery compartment and look for signs of moisture, if it got washed/ went in the pool/ river rafting then you probably have a bit of moisture in it causing a slow battery drain. rinse out with contact cleaner and let dry on a sunny windowsill, I had to do this with both my fobs after they started eating batteries every couple weeks. both seem to have been resurrected no problem.

Put your wet fob in a jar with (uncooked) rice. It will suck it dry. This is good for USB jump drives, digital watches, and stuff. Really effective!! I rescued a high capacity USB3 jump drive that I went swimming with inadvertently this way (pocket dunk!).

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