Hidden key entry

Jetta_Pilot

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Apr 14, 2005
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West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
I had not driven my car for three months. A couple of days was going to get something from inside the car.
Door wouldn't open, either using the remote or the handle.
I'm so glad I read the complete manual and remembered about the hidden key entry on the door.
That worked like a charm and allowed me to connect a charger to bring it up to full voltage.
 

BKmetz

Administrator, Member #10
Staff member
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Sep 25, 1997
Location
Illinois
TDI
2015 Passat, titanium beige, 6MT
Good point. I took these pics a few years ago to show my wife that her car does indeed have a key lock on the driver's side door only.

Your key fits in the slot. Pull the door handle out first, then insert your key and pop the cover off. The door handle helps hold the cover in place.




Putting the cover back on after also goes smoother if you hold the door handle out while popping it back in.

:)
 

Rico567

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Jun 13, 2003
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Central IL
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2013 Passat TDI SEL Premium (Turned in 7/7/18)
^^^^^^^^

This is a good pic for anyone to see who owns an NMS Passat. I knew about the emergency key entry, I just had never seen it.
 

740GLE

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Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Another one is if your kessy battery dies, hold the key next to the steering column sensor and press the start button. The key has an RFID chip that's trips the sensor to allow you to start the car and motor on.

Saw a youtube video of a guy doing it with a key without a battery start up the car and motor on (with a key battery warning).
 

Jetta_Pilot

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Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Another one is if your kessy battery dies, hold the key next to the steering column sensor and press the start button. The key has an RFID chip that's trips the sensor to allow you to start the car and motor on.

Saw a youtube video of a guy doing it with a key without a battery start up the car and motor on (with a key battery warning).
Pardon me for being very doubtful.
Or maybe I don't understand your sentence.
Someone started the car without a battery?
Or are you saying that the remote did not have a working battery?
 

jrm

Veteran Member
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Jul 24, 2013
Location
Oregon
TDI
2013 Passat SE with nav (totaled)
anyone else having a issue to where the door handle only pulls out easy if you push on this cover with your thumb while pulling the handle?
 

VeeDubTDI

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Jul 2, 2000
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Springfield, VA
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‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Pardon me for being very doubtful.
Or maybe I don't understand your sentence.
Someone started the car without a battery?
Or are you saying that the remote did not have a working battery?
Starting the car without the key battery. The car obviously won't work without a 12 volt battery under the hood.
 

740GLE

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Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
Pardon me for being very doubtful.
Or maybe I don't understand your sentence.
Someone started the car without a battery?
Or are you saying that the remote did not have a working battery?

no battery in the key fob, just like you can start a car without a key battery in non kessy cars.

I did the google search for you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3nH3CZFRNo
 

jck66

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Jan 4, 2001
Location
Greenwich, CT, USA
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12 Passat SE / 14 BMW 535d
I showed the "secret" keyslot to my brother-in-law, whose only complaint about his '17 (gas) Passat was that he would be stranded if his key battery died. The salesman apparently had no clue (and I looked like a genius)!
 

Jetta_Pilot

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Joined
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Location
West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
I've probably been around cars for many more years than some of you are aged. I'm pretty well versed in how cars work.

I did have an ancient car once that if the battery was dead you could handcrank it.
Believe it or not, but dash push button start was around the 1950's. One car had the push button under the accelator pedal, push the pedal and activate the starter.

As I said in my original reply post, it was probably the way the sentence was put that was not very clear, at least not to me!

Just for arguments sake, how often have you read some operating manual and wondered what the hell they are trying to say. There is a difference in the writers thought and the readers interpretation.
 
Joined
Mar 11, 2018
Location
Kitsap Cty, Washington
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2012 Passat TDI SEL
I think all keyless ignition cars have some type of fallback to allow you to drive when the battery is dead. Just have to dive into the massive owner's manuals. Our "keyless" Acura has a procedure as well.

I also learned recently that in a VW (with no physical interior locks) that opening the door handle twice will unlock and open the car regardless of main battery power. (since all we get is a button) As I recall it's cable driven.

I showed those pics on top of thread to my fiancé who had no idea. I knew about them but I'd never seen them off nor how to properly do it. Thanks!
 
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740GLE

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Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I've probably been around cars for many more years than some of you are aged. I'm pretty well versed in how cars work.

I did have an ancient car once that if the battery was dead you could handcrank it.
Believe it or not, but dash push button start was around the 1950's. One car had the push button under the accelator pedal, push the pedal and activate the starter.

As I said in my original reply post, it was probably the way the sentence was put that was not very clear, at least not to me!

Just for arguments sake, how often have you read some operating manual and wondered what the hell they are trying to say. There is a difference in the writers thought and the readers interpretation.
Push button start went away in the 50/60's, it was standard from the Model A on up, it moved from the floor to the dash.

As the original post was about dead fob batteries (not car battey), I assumed it was redundant to state the method of starting the car with a dead key fob battery. Cause you know, no matter amount of magic with a fob will start a dead car battery (other than bumb starting it on the 6MT).

I'll make sure to go into full detail every post covering every minutia of detail to limit the ambiguity and reduce the confusion.

Thanks for correcting my ill ways :D
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I also learned recently that in a VW (with no physical interior locks) that opening the door handle twice will unlock and open the car regardless of main battery power. (since all we get is a button) As I recall it's cable driven.
This is even more important as they stripped away the rear door lock switches in newer Mk7s.
 
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