A thought about VW Keys and the immobilizer

Should we be able to remove (Kill) the immobilizer on our cars


  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .

JoeBleed

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Location
Macclesfield, NC, USA
TDI
Jetta, 2005 A4, Reflex Silver
Personlay, i would hlod the car dealer that sold you the car responsible for it. They shouldn't sell a car with only the valet key. At least one main key, but in my opinion, they should come with two main keys since that is what they came with new. If you hadn't bought it, it would have been a god time to bargen with it, or demand them before you bought them. but you have it now, so they will problaby not care. Try anyway.

Being a 2002, the skc tag may be in the owners manual or spare tire well. You may not have an owners manual either since you didn't get the keys, but worth mentioning.

If you find the skc, you can order the keys pre-cut from impex. and program it with a full version of vag-com. (someone in your area can probalby help with vag-com if you don't have it)

If you can't find the skc, the only other options are to get a vw dealer to do the keys for you or have a chip tuner, or someone with vag-taco retreave the skc for you and program new keys with vag-com after that.

I don't know anyting about prices really. never had to have any done.
 

ReferenceDesign

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Location
Atlanta, Ga
There are affordable ways to get the job done. Vag Products has a reader for $60 US. He also sells keys for $40 COMPLETE. That is the blank blade, the three button remote and the IMMO chip in the flip head.

I did discover that the key does not work for the "T" remote 2001.5 1.8T but those were only run for 1/2 MY.

I have scanned half a dozen cars with this tool and have 4 bit codes from all of the clusters.
 

cvalentine

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2003
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2003 Golf, 2014 328d
Mmmm...VAG-Taco

FL2AK-tdi never did get around to buying a vag-tacho, and it's a long drive between Anchorage and Juneau.

Pay close attention to post #13, the newer style remotes sold by vagproduct are not cross-compatable with the older remotes.
 

katzw

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 28, 2007
Location
Vancouver
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI Wagon
One side note to consider:

2006 Thanksgiving Long Weekend, Sunday Morning:
I came down to my beloved car to see the lock punched (again.. 5th time) and thought "oh crap, not again" ... Then I opened my door and found the ignition chamber on the floor... The bastards broke into 5 other cars.. pulled the steering columns apart, everything, and they stole 2. My car was still there, and I thank my immo for that. Getting insurance to understand that my car needs to be re-started at the dealership though, that was a bit iffy... "We won't pay their door rate" "Well, actually, you will because it's part of my coverage that you return my car to working order." MEH! :p
 

ReferenceDesign

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Location
Atlanta, Ga
cvalentine said:
FL2AK-tdi never did get around to buying a vag-tacho, and it's a long drive between Anchorage and Juneau.

Pay close attention to post #13, the newer style remotes sold by vagproduct are not cross-compatable with the older remotes.
You are right on the keys. I still have them and I keep trying different cars to see which ones might work . They are the newer 2001 style with the D ring. The key/IMMO on them seem to work. It is just the remote that I can't seem to match.

The dealer wanted $100 do do one car so the $60 for the VAG-tacho was a gamble that paid off. Now I have SKC for all the jettas. It failed to read the SKC on the 2000 audi A4 only because there was no SKC! No IMMO dumb s%$#.
 

tdwesty

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Location
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
TDI
'04 Jetta TDI GLS Spice Red, 1.6TD Westy
And, in other interesting news.

roughly the same location on the switchblade key. It is not accessable without doing major damage to the key (irreparable) on the switchblade key.

3) On immobilizer 3 cars, a key that is not seen by the cluster in around 4 months of daily start cycles, will be dropped by the system. It assumes lost or stolen, and will remove that key from the memory for system integrety's sake.

Gus
Two things - are you sure you can't remove the RFID chip from a switchblade key? I've seen pics online of the case split apart.

Point 3 - this seems a ridiculous design. So one must remember to use a Valet key every 4 months to avoid losing it as a backup key? This could explain why the valet key I got doesn't work... So if my wife & I are mugged, and both lose our keys, we're screwed if the valet key hasn't been used in 4 months. Great design, VW.

Just makes me want to disable the immo even more.
 

JoeBleed

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2005
Location
Macclesfield, NC, USA
TDI
Jetta, 2005 A4, Reflex Silver
This is not true at all from my experience. I have all my keys. I'm the only driver. I keep the valet key on my key chain as a spare in case i lock my main key in the car or lose it somehow.

The other key i keep locked in my safe so it isn't laying around for someone else to grab. I've pulled it out before after it sitting in there for over a year and swapped it with my other keyfob and it worked fine. I do this once a year or so to try and keep them from wearing out so fast.

If your key didn't work when you got the car, the keys may have been rejoined by the dealer doing some work and they didn't have them all.
 

TheDPR

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Location
SW Virginia
TDI
2001 Beetle
I currently have 01 Beetle with a busted key where the metal "key" part physically broke off from the remote portion. I went for awhile sticking the end of the metal part into the plastic just to get the car started and then pocket the remote while driving but that was a PITA. So, I opened up the fob, removed the rfid chip, and glued it on to the metal part, took a wing nut and attached it to the end of the metal part, and now I have a makeshift key that sort of works.

I tried to reinforce/protect the rfid chip with electrical tape but covering it up prevented it from working. Now it sits out in the open, scaring me to death that I'm going to lose it.

The ideal situation for me would be to disable the Immo entirely and just get a few more keys cut so I have extras (this is my ONLY key right now).

In principle the Immo system is good for a new car, but honestly who's going to steal an 01 VW? The manufacturer should set the Immo to expire after 5 years. I'd love to get mine disabled.

Anyone near Roanoke/Blacksburg Virginia able to do that? I bought the car used and have never been to the dealer once; I'm not about to start now.
 
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