2013 Touareg Battery Dead, Can’t Unlock, Plastic Manual Keys Don’t Work

Ptburkis

New member
Joined
Jun 5, 2019
Location
Camberley
TDI
VW Touareg 2013 3.0TDI Altitude
Hi all,

As per the title, I’ve got a 2013 Touareg 3.0TDI (204ps) Altitude that’s just done 102k Miles.

The battery died yesterday after it broke down on the motorway after having a low fuel pressure issue (that’s a problem for another day!). However, in the process of waiting 4 hours for a recovery truck to come and get me, the battery drained. Then over night completely died.

So, the remote fobs do nothing. I then took the manual cover off the drivers side door and attempted to unlock with the manual plastic keys within the fobs, that doesn’t work either. It makes a little noise like it’s trying to do something electrical to unlock them and I see some lights on the dash, but the doors fail to unlock.

Sooooo.... what do I do?

There doesn’t seem to be another manual key hole anywhere
The only way to open the bonnet is via the release pull inside the car so I can’t charge the battery
There’s no manual way into the boot

Any ideas??
 

showdown 42

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Location
naples,FL
TDI
2016 TDI touareg
I'm interested in this one. I had an issue with the fuel door not opening and found out that there is no remote way to open it in the boot or car interior. We're talking about the 2011 on models. Would pose quite an issue on a road trip. Dealer have there ways,but never got an answer as to how they did it.
Your issue is even worse. Hope there is a simple answer.
 

Radman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 13, 2001
Location
Montreal
TDI
2014 Audi A6 TDI, 2014 Touareg TDI
I had the same issue last winter and the plastic key broke in the lock. Had to have a towing company come and use an inflatable airbag to pry the door then reach in with a long bar with hook to pull door handle.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
If you turn past the electrical portion, does it engage a mechanical unlock?

I know on B5s, you could backfeed power in through the oil level sensor to try and get power into a locked car. Not sure if that works on the T2...
 

ADS 55

New member
Joined
Oct 23, 2020
Location
Chisholm, ACT, 2905
TDI
2013 V6 TDi
Hi all,

As per the title, I’ve got a 2013 Touareg 3.0TDI (204ps) Altitude that’s just done 102k Miles.

The battery died yesterday after it broke down on the motorway after having a low fuel pressure issue (that’s a problem for another day!). However, in the process of waiting 4 hours for a recovery truck to come and get me, the battery drained. Then over night completely died.

So, the remote fobs do nothing. I then took the manual cover off the drivers side door and attempted to unlock with the manual plastic keys within the fobs, that doesn’t work either. It makes a little noise like it’s trying to do something electrical to unlock them and I see some lights on the dash, but the doors fail to unlock.

Sooooo.... what do I do?

There doesn’t seem to be another manual key hole anywhere
The only way to open the bonnet is via the release pull inside the car so I can’t charge the battery
There’s no manual way into the boot

Any ideas??
Hi. Any further info on this issue? Looks like I have exactly the same problem. Went to move the Touareg after it had been sitting for 2 days and couldn't open the doors. Initially thought it was a flat battery in the key fob. Used my second key fob, no difference. Changed the battery on the key fob - no difference. Removed the plastic manual key and the cover on the door handle - using the manual key was able to turn it ok, but only got a flash of the indicators and a small noise from the door but doors remained locked.
I assume now that it's a flat battery. There is sufficient power to flash the indicators and turn on the park brake light on the dash, but not to actuate the door locks.
A called out the NRMA (that's like road side assist). The mechanic said he couldn't help as door was locked and he had no way to open it without breaking the window.
Called a VW mechanic I use and he advised that as the vehicle was locked with the remote and battery has subsequently died (we assume), then the vehicle is deadlocked. That means even if you break a window, the door won't open from the door handle on the inside.
As I can't get into the vehicle, I can't open the bonnet or access the battery to charge or replace. And we can't tow the vehicle as it is in Park with park brake set.
Any thoughts on how I can open the vehicle and or access the battery to charge it or replace it. I understand that on this model it is located under the left front seat, although I've never accessed it before.
 

Mike in Anchorage

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Location
Anchorage, AK
TDI
2016 Touareg Lux, 2015 Golf Sportwagen SE, new 4 Sept 2017;2009 VW Jetta TDI Sportwagen (Ruby) sold to VW on 22 SEP 2017
Watching this thread hoping for reasonable solutions.
 

Gilty_one

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Location
Warman, Saskatchewan, Canada
TDI
2016 Touareg Execline 3.0 V6 TDI; 2012 Jetta Highline TDI
Trick. Try to open the rear hatch. For some reason, the designers allow the rear hatch lock to work (motorized door won't work).... then you can crawl through the vehicle to open the doors from the inside. Then you can open the driver's door to pop the hood and get a charger on the battery access points.

I found it annoying that the battery dies in extreme colds - or for when I'm away on extended trips - I plug in a trickle charger under the hood with the cord hanging out.

In my travels I've found that vehicles with the battery installed/mounted under the floorboard or seat seems to have issues when it gets cold. Or maybe its just bad luck on my part.
 

ADS 55

New member
Joined
Oct 23, 2020
Location
Chisholm, ACT, 2905
TDI
2013 V6 TDi
Trick. Try to open the rear hatch. For some reason, the designers allow the rear hatch lock to work (motorized door won't work).... then you can crawl through the vehicle to open the doors from the inside. Then you can open the driver's door to pop the hood and get a charger on the battery access points.

I found it annoying that the battery dies in extreme colds - or for when I'm away on extended trips - I plug in a trickle charger under the hood with the cord hanging out.

In my travels I've found that vehicles with the battery installed/mounted under the floorboard or seat seems to have issues when it gets cold. Or maybe its just bad luck on my part.
Found a fix for my problem, Although not sure of the original cause. The remote definitely wouldn't unlock the doors. even with a new battery in the fob key. However, I finally managed to get the plastic manual key to work. Apparently in Australia (righthand drive market), you have to turn the key to the right and keep turning it until you think it's about to snap (ie. past horizontal). This unlocked the door, however the alarm still activated when you open the door. Then you need to put the key fob in the ignition slot. I still had plenty of power in the battery and the alarm stopped and the vehicle started immediately - so there was no flat battery. I still have no idea why the remote stopped working. Since then, I've driived the vehicle a few times and opened and locked it many times with the remote, and no problems. It's a mystery to me why the remote stopped working, but at least i now know how to use the manaual key.
 

Kenind

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Location
Indiana
TDI
2013 Touareg
I have this same problem of a dead battery and my plastic key is not turning the lock. I have managed to get it to turn clockwise but not a full 90 degrees. i did use some key lube. does it need to turn a full 90 clockwise to open and do i need to also make it turn counterclockwise? or is there another way to get power to the battery?
 

Kenind

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Location
Indiana
TDI
2013 Touareg
I did get the battery charged. I had ran a 12 wire from the battery to the connections for my trailer hitch a couple years ago. so I skinned off some insulation from that wire. i checked the battery volts and it was 9 volts. i put a charger on that wire and now the battery is up to the 12 volts like it should be, but the key fob still does not open the door. i did check its battery in my key fob and put in a new one but it still does not open it. I am back to using the plastic key. it still will not turn a full 90 degrees clock wire. standing in front of the car, the driver side lock is on the right.
 

JordanLee

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 7, 2018
Location
Vancouver/Seattle
TDI
2014 GSW
A reply I just made in another thread just to bump it’s reach.

Interestingly enough, I have had the SAME EXACT issues as the OP. I think there’s some miscommunication in the thread as I thought all T3 Touareg had KESSY.

We purchased our Touareg from a family friend and were aware that at one point in its life it had a large accident to the extent of both doors being replaced. My mother barely drove the vehicle and one semi cold BC winter knocked the battery off its feet. Nothing would open the doors even with the fob getting its battery replaced. I google’d the issue and of course many people highlighted how the plastic key is there to save the day. Lo and behold, I had ZERO luck with turning the key either CW or CCW in the tumbler. It just felt like it did nothing and I was twisting something far beyond its limits. I was adamant that the thing would not budge and unfortunately even the OP in those other threads on ClubTouareg said he had the same issues but everyone was telling him it was the fobs battery or that he wasn’t turning it hard enough, or that he needs a metal key. I then chalked it up to the doors getting replaced and the tumblers being mismatch or something amiss. I believe I somehow ended up getting the rear hatch open and physically climbed through the car to pop the hood, charge the battery and the fob worked as it should once it got up to 12v.

This then happened 3 more times before I educated my parents to hook up a trickle charger on this if they weren’t going to drive it for a few weeks at a time. After Googlin’ some more, I then ran into a thread that highlighted that the stupid emergency tumbler key hole is actually only energized when it has sufficient voltage. This absolutely blew my mind that VW would do this since it doesn’t make sense to make the emergency keyhole electronically actuated during a time of distress. I chalked it up to poor engineering and hoped it wouldn’t happen again.

Fast forward 3 years and now this vehicle has transferred ownership to my wife and I. I’m with a bunch of friends in Penticton BC at a local ski resort. My fob, phone and wallet have been essentially frozen in my chest pocket the whole day. I get to the car to warm it up while we load the ski rack and my heart drops. The fob isn’t opening the doors. My wife then educates me that the past 2 weeks the car has been pinging her to replace the fob battery.... perfect timing. I notice the red LED is not lighting on the fob and I’m horrified that I’m going to be stuck out here. I then attempt the infamous hidden keyhole and what do you know. The minute I turned it CCW, it spun SO easily and actuated the doors to open. The alarm goes off and I’m able to insert the fob into its receptacle and turn it over manually since KESSY was temporarily toast.

So a final word, the keyhole emergency back up is ONLY if the fob dies. The door locksystem is all electrically actuated and needs a specific min voltage to operate. If for some reason your car battery dies, you have no option but to somehow jump the vehicle’s battery. I’ve read that this can be accessed by unscrewing one of the license plate light LEDs and jumping the connection with a 9v battery, however stupid that sounds.

I hope anyone who Google’s this symptom comes across this post as no one has a clear idea whats going on and never updates the solution.
 
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