Keyless entry

[blackie]

Afternoon everyone.

Well, picked up my new Passat on Tuesday! Really happy with it, although I'm still scratching my head to figure out one of the options on it: keyless entry.

A bit of background:
When I ordered the car, the dealer said that I'd have to wait 2 months for delivery. Having never ordered a brand new car before, I didn't think anything of it, until he told me that I'd lose money on my trade in car unless I gave it to him there and then. As I couldn't do without a car for 2 months, and since I couldn't afford to lose anymore on my old car, I was a bit stumped. Anyway, it turns out the dealer found a car with all the options I wanted, plus keyless entry, so I took it.

I was expecting keyless entry to be like the Renault Laguna version or Mercedes version where you get keyless entry, exit and keyless start, but it seems that the Passat literally only has entry.

I've asked the dealer for an explanation of what it is and how it works and he doesn't know. Nobody in the dealership knew either. The internet site doesn't let on. I phoned VW customer care and they couldn't explain it either (the woman on the phone thought I was asking how to start the engine!).

All in all a pretty poor service from VW - I don't believe that nobody within VW UK knows how this thing works, but do any of you guys know??

Cheers

[AndrewT]

Picked up my 2.0Tdi Sport DSG in November - ended up sourcing a car from a local dealer's stock - it came with keyless entry. When I collected the car the salesman couldn't work it and explained that there was nothing about keyless entry in the handbook.

Seemed to get it working OK - I leave the dummy "kessey" key in the ignition slot all the time, leave the keys in my pocket and start the car. The main difference with the VW system is that you have to physically lock the car with the remote.

Mine has now started playing up after 2,400 miles - the unlocking doesn't always work on the driver's door - it's booked into the dealer later this week. Frustrating! The parking sensors are also on the blink.

Apart from that glitch; the car is superb, mine has a lot of extras - DSG, leather, keyless, parking sensors, leather, winter pack with heated windscreen (should be standard!) and heated rear seats, electric blinds, auto hold, cruise and tyre pressure monitor.

Much better than my previous A4 in terms of value, interior room etc. However if VW are putting complicated technology into new cars they should brief and train sales and technical staff before launch.

[blackie]

Thanks for the reply Andrew.

One thing - you say that you have to use the remote to lock the car, but this isn't the case. You should actually be able to touch the door handle once you've shut the door and this should lock it. Admittedly, on mine it doesn't seem to work on the drivers side passenger door, but it works on all the others.

It was only through constant nagging of the dealer that they finally looked into the keyless entry issue that I found out that I didn't have the Kessy key (they were absolutely adamant that it didn't include keyless ignition).

I still haven't actually received any form of manual on how exactly to use the system (sometimes when I grab the door handle to open a door, the indicators just flash and nothing happens - I'm sure this is supposed to mean something!). Oh, but the dealer did send me a wiring diagram for use in the service shop!

[AndrewT]

Just got back from the dealer; the good news is I think I now know how to use the system, the bad news is that in trying to fix it they have broken the door handle so that you can't get into the car from the outside!

You are right about not having to use the remote fob to lock the car; to lock the car you need to press the small bump on the handle (sorry, couldn't think of a better description!)

Hope this helps

Andrew T

[JBlues]

Today is getting better - I've found this site!

I think I'm missing something and by the sounds of it so is my car. I got a new passat saloon 2.0tdi Sport with all sorts of daft things on it (yes I did ask for them - my fault!) including keyless entry and it was delivered in September. On arrival in the UK the garage spent 5 hours trying to lock the vehicle. They then sussed out it had been shipped in some kind of 'safe mode' and they downloaded some software from VW UK to enable them to 'wake' the car and use the keyless entry system. It all works OK but from reading your thread I too wondered why VW have only done half a job. Yes I can get into the car without a key (it's on my person) but I still have to use that key to start the car. As someone mentioned, Renault have a start / stop button. Should I have been given a 'Kessey key'? Is this just a dummy fob that does nothing but sit in the key reader? If so I have another stick to batter VW with. Whilst punching on the keyboard I have had repeated problems with the wing mirrors. Sometimes they fold, sometimes just one comes in and sometimes neither bothers to fold. VW have replaced the wing mirrors, put in a new ECU *?!?* (what eh?) and beggered about with the Engine Managment System and they finally announced last Thursday they had cracked it - oh no they haven't! Also, the parking sensors seem to like playing up too. Both the front and rear sometimes give a solid signal as if you're about to drive into a tank and yet there's nothing in a 12 mile radius of the car! Again, VW have messed about and again have announed all is well - no it ain't! Also, with the Winter Pack option I got, both wing mirrors are supposed to dim along with the rear view mirror when you get dazzled . I get two out of three. The near-side (passenger) wing mirror does not dim despite having new glass etc. Finally, the tyre pressure monitoring system is all well and good but it doesn't show which tyre has the problem, only that there is a problem and you have to check all the tyres until you find it! Again unlike Renault's system that does show you where the problem is. I think VW seem to be on some king of commitment diet - half measures all the way!

PS - I really love the car apart from the above!

[AndrewT]

Great to hear that I'm not the only 1 with keyless probs. Yes you do need a Kessy key - you are right, it is a dummy key that stays in the ignition slot so that you don't need to use the remote fob.

Also sounds as though my parking sensors have the same problem as yours.

I too love the car - being pragmatic I'm putting the experience down to teething problems.

Keep the forum informed as to how you get on.

[JBlues]

I'm not going mad then! Every time my car goes in they look at me like I need certifying. A small step forward this afternoon. I spoke to the sales guy at my local dealership and mentioned KESSY and he fell about. So I asked him to ring VW UK who have come back via the dealer and said that KESSY does exist and the key fob's have to be ordered as a part and cost £15 + VAT. The dealer is ordering me one but there is no way I am paying for it. There can be no other use for this than in conjunction with the Keyless Entry system. The dealer is trying to tell me that it is something quite separate! Seems to me it is like saying your car has power steering sir and power steering fluid is £15 a bottle if you want it!

Having done my own digging around it seems that KESSY stands for Keyless Entry Start and Exit System.

The latest on the parking sensors is that the dealership have admitted that they can do no more and will flag it to a team at VW UK who are assigned the job of looking into these faults with new models. They have confirmed that there are problems with parking sensors and folding mirrors.

Great being a guinea pig isn't it! Perhaps they would like me to sit in the drivers seat without a seat belt for impact testing too......

[AndrewT]

Just collected my car from the dealer - the plot thickens. I can now only open and lock the drivers door via the keyless entry, whereas before the car went in you could open all doors and the boot. However, I can lock the car by touching the outside of the handle.

The technician at the dealer is also confused!

Apart from that and the car having to go back to have the door handle resprayed 'cause they botched it, I'm glad to be back in the Passat!

Any further advice would be greatfully received.

[JBlues]

Andrew,

The keyless entry can be changed so that all doors open rather than just the drivers door. This is something I chnaged straight away on mine because it was delivered in the same mode as yours is in. You need to insert your fob so that the ignition lights come on but not start the car. Hold down the button on the bottom of the windscreen wiper stalf until the menu's appear and you can scroll down through the options using the rocker switch on the end of the same stalk. Basically it is in the handbook but does not mention keyless entry at all. If your car did not have keyless entry you can change the central locking from driver's door to all doors etc. As you have keyless entry fitted it also changes this side of it as well without the garage doing it. You can change all sorts of things in those menu screens to suit your own requirements including seem me home lights etc. I haven't explained this very well but it is all in the hand book - No 3.2 I think!

[AndrewT]

Thanks for your help - my car has the multi function wheel which means you change the menus via the buttons on the wheel not the stalk. Been through the menus and changed the setting to "all" - still no joy. However, it's back at the dealer again next Friday.

Been for a drive today and I still love the car!!

[JBlues]

Andrew,

Sorry. Misleading you. I have picked up my Kessy Key this morning from the dealer and hey presto it all works. However, do you have the See Me Home lights function set to on? Normally I would get out of the car, touch the bump on the handle for it to lock and then the lights would stay on for a minute or so and then go out. Now using the Kessy Key, when I open the door to get out the car puts up a reminder saying Remove Key, I haven't, locked the car as normal which is fine but the full beam lights stay on for a while then go to just the parking lights and they do not go out!

Do you get the Remove Key mesage when exiting the car and leaving the Kessy Key in the reader?

Also, do you have the See Me Home lights function on at the moment and how does this interact with the Kessy Key?

[JBlues]

Having thought a bit more about this I bet the See Me Home lights are not causing the problem it will be that fact that I have the lights switch set to the Auto-Lights function. If there is a key of any kind in the reader and it is dark enough then the car will keep the lights on appropriate to the level of light outside. So, my question is do you have any problems using the Kessy Key and the Auto-lights function on the lights dial?!?!

[AndrewT]

I leave my headlight switch on the "automatic" setting and have the lights coming home/leaving home function switched on - access is via the computer and you can alter the amount of time it stays on after you lock the car. I have reduced mine from the default 30 seconds to 10 seconds.

This seems to work fine.

[JBlues]

I have sorted this now. It turns out when turning the ignition off I wasn't then pulling the Kessy Key out or back to its holding postion that makes the interior lights come on and is essentially the 'key out' position. This is why the headlights were staying on! Doh!

All is well at the moment......should not have said that!

[Malcolm]

I'm thinking of buying a new car with this option. The main reason is to avoid carrying a key. Does this provide entry using a code on a keypad like some systems?

If somebody could give a complete overveiw of the system I would appreciate it.

[AndrewT]

With the Kessey system you still have to have the key in your pocket/hand for the system to work. There is no need to put a key into the ignition as the dummy Kessey key stays there permanently.

My Kessey is fixed and works well.

[blackie]

Malcolm, it's as Andrew says above - you still need to have a key with you, although you can keep it in your pocket. To unlock the car, you just have to touch a door handle/boot release. To lock it, you have to touch the handle again before walking away. I think the system is very good, even though I've got problems with one of my door handles (the system doesn't recognise my hand) and the dealer have admitted they don't know how keyless entry works!

If you're thinking of getting it, I'd advise you to do it, but I'd also advise you to check that your dealer knows exactly how it works as well since if I'd believed my dealer, I wouldn't have the keyless ignition feature (as they said it didn't have it, which it does) and that I'd be leaving my car unlocked all the time (since they told me that all you have to do is walk away and it locks itself when the key is out of range, which it doesn't). Oh, and don't expect to see anything in the owners manual - there's nothing there.

[JBlues]

As Andrew and Blackie have pointed out it is good and worthwhile having, especially if you are carrying stuff to and from your car a lot like children!

Probably the best resource for finding out how it works is also from Andrew and Blackie......and me now thanks to these two! I would still be going around with 50% of the system if these two had not enlightened me about the existance of a KESSY key!

Make sure you get part no: 3CO 837 587 A RYP, description: TASTER with your order!!!!!