Reprogramming Audi A3 Key

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 22:17

Evening all,

I followed a guide I found online for how to reprogram an Audi key and it seems to have really messed the keys up. They're now quite temperamental.

Could anyone provide me with a definitive guide?

And what the hell do you do if neither keys work? (not actually in this situation, but I'd like to be prepared for the worst)

dirtychinchilla

paradigm · 26 Feb 2013 at 22:33

You only need to be able to get into the car (so actual key, rather than fob), and to be able to turn the ignition on. So having no working fob isn't really an issue.

At least this is how it was for my Leon.

What generation of A3 are we talking?

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 22:41

Ah OK cool. Well you kind of need to press one of the fobs I think...

It's MK1, 2003.

Rotty · 26 Feb 2013 at 22:45

the self programming thing on the web only does the doors not the immobiliser

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 22:47

Oh right, is it not possible to do the immobilizer then? :-(

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 22:50

This looks good but would it work completely?

paradigm · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:12

You can't do transponders (for the immobilizer) yourself, only the RCL.

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:13

Can you accidentally unprogram the immobilizer?

paradigm · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:16

Not to my knowledge, but you can damage them if you've taken the keys apart. They are only a small glass capsule, and can be quite easily crushed.

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:17

When I say the immobilizer I mean disconnect it from the key?

paradigm · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:22

Not sure what you mean. The immobilizer is part of the engine ignition circuit. There is a reciever in the ignition barrel, and a transponder in the key. The transponder is a small glass cylinder which can be taken out of the key and is quite easy to damage.

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:30

Oh right, ok. What I'm confused about then is whether the key will turn on the immobiliser if I've programmed it myself as it tells me in those instructions.

Can I simply follow that guide and then not worry about it? Forgive my ignorance

paradigm · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:36

The instructions are for programming the remote central unlocking ONLY. They have absolutely nothing to do with programming a transponder for the immobilizer, because it's not something you can DIY.

Firestar_3x · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:38

No, you can program a new key to unlock the car but you can't program it yourself to start the engine.

*as above...

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:38

Ok cool, that's what I'd thought. Can I test if the key is activating the immobiliser? I guess it's working when the light flashes when you lock it?

Firestar_3x · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:39

The key icon will come up on the dash, if it goes out then all is well, if it stays on the car doesn't recognise the transponder and the car won't start.

paradigm · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:39

dirtychinchilla said:
Ok cool, that's what I'd thought. Can I test if the key is activating the immobiliser? I guess it's working when the light flashes when you lock it?

The immobilizer stops you starting the car, that's it.

It has nothing to do with locking, unlocking, hazard lights, or your teapot.

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:40

Firestar_3x said:
No, you can program a new key to unlock the car but you can't program it yourself to start the engine.

*as above...

Ah so I've missed something here. The immobiliser activates/deactivates if the key works in the ignition?

dirtychinchilla · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:41

paradigm said:
The immobilizer stops you starting the car, that's it.

It has nothing to do with locking, unlocking, hazard lights, or your teapot.

Haha thank you for the clarification.

Firestar_3x · 26 Feb 2013 at 23:45

dirtychinchilla said:
Ah so I've missed something here. The immobiliser activates/deactivates if the key works in the ignition?

If the car recognises the transponder in the key, they key might physically turn the ignition but that's only half the story, it also has to recognise the transponder in the key.