Weird KESSY issue

This issue has started over the last week. The first time I start the car the instrument cluster will say the key is not in range. I had no problem unlocking the car with the key in my pocket. I get the key out and put it next to the steering column, press the start button, and it starts up. Any time thereafter I can leave the key in my pocket and never get a complaint of key not in range.

My first thought would be to change the battery in the FOB, but other than the first start of the day there is no issue, and I can still lock, unlock, and remote start from 100 ft or so.

Anyone else seen something similar?

Fob battery? Have you tried replacing that? If it occurs again I’d try that before anything else.

You just pop off the cover to expose the battery. Good luck


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If you have cheap USB chargers in the car - sometimes they transmit interfering RF noise.

try removing them and see if this problem persists.

Start with key battery, if still occuring, try 2nd key (also with new battery), try removing any other keys if you have anymore. Then check antenna under the backseat.

To all, while I don't think it the fob battery I have replaced it today. We will see what happens tomorrow.

To clarify, this is only the first time trying to start that day. I drive to work, it sits for nine hours, I get in and no problem occurs. I park at home, next to the Touareg, where I started in the morning, and the problem doesn't reoccur. I have the same fob, in the same pants, with no other key fobs, nothing plugged into USB, only thing active would be Bluetooth. Fob is in a different pocket than my phone, and nothing behavioral on my part has changed.

If it still does it, on the following day I will try the other fob (which sits inside the house in a basket in a drawer, not near the car when this is happening).

you leave your key in the car over night? the fob battery may be recovering when you're at work, and then draining overnight.

kessy fobs uses more battery juice if it's in range of the car (and while driving). It's best to remove the car when not driving it.

I wonder if this is indicative of a failing battery. Not the fob battery, but rather the car battery. The fact that it will not work after the car has been sitting (ie. battery discharging) and then working fine after it gets some juice from the alternator leads me to believe you need a new one.

740GLE said:

you leave your key in the car over night? the fob battery may be recovering when you're at work, and then draining overnight.

kessy fobs uses more battery juice if it's in range of the car (and while driving). It's best to remove the car when not driving it.

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I think you misread. No, no fob or key is left in the car overnight. Car is sitting outside and locked, this time of year overnight temps in the upper 60s to upper 70s.

This morning there was no problem. Thinking of how a battery can drain and recover I'd think that there would likely be more of an issue as the day goes on vs the first time of the day.

roni024 said:

I wonder if this is indicative of a failing battery. Not the fob battery, but rather the car battery. The fact that it will not work after the car has been sitting (ie. battery discharging) and then working fine after it gets some juice from the alternator leads me to believe you need a new one.

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I wouldn't think so unless the KESSY module is more susceptible to voltage variations, then I'd think more of a ground problem somewhere. Battery is from 2/17, and there is no other indicators when starting, like engine turnover rate, that say there isn't enough juice. One time during all this I did manage to loose authentication during starting , which the car ran for two seconds. I then hit start again and it crank for about 5 seconds before I realized what happened, IMMO lockout had disabled fuel delivery. Shut it down, start it again with the fob next to the steering column and with half a second of cranking it started no issue. I have not replicated that one.

I have delt a lot with dying batteries in diesels, and in VWs, so unless it is the KESSY module itself then I'd not say this is it. Just weird the whole first time of the day, and my guess is no one else has seen it either based on the answers.

With the fob battery changed and it not doing it this morning maybe that was it. I'll update if the problem continues or gets worse.

My beetle had issues opening the passenger door and the hatch when i would drive it, my parents had no issues with it. After fighting with it for a couple of weeks, i changed the key battery, no further issues. My passat had intermittent issues opening the drivers door, changing key batteries didn’t help, changing keys didn’t help. I didn’t notice issues with other doors/trunk/ignition. It ended up being the antenna under the rear seat.

goodmonkey said:

I think you misread. No, no fob or key is left in the car overnight. Car is sitting outside and locked, this time of year overnight temps in the upper 60s to upper 70s.
This morning there was no problem. Thinking of how a battery can drain and recover I'd think that there would likely be more of an issue as the day goes on vs the first time of the day.

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Just trying to think outside the box and from experience with our kessy batteries.

Any chance you have your phone in the same pocket? I had an issue when the keys were behind my phone, but no problem when the keys were in front of my phone.

rmilchman said:

Any chance you have your phone in the same pocket? I had an issue when the keys were behind my phone, but no problem when the keys were in front of my phone.

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Not in the same pocket. Phone and key in pockets on opposite sides of my body. Could have the key out in hand, would not register until held up to reader on steering column.

No other issues this week since replacing the battery. I still find it weird, and from the looks of things no one else had the same symptoms.

I consider this issue closed.