Whenever your Volkswagen attacks you with some annoying error messages, you aren’t likely to love that. You need to read the message, google it, find out the actual reason why this shows up, and solve the problem. Ignoring these messages is obviously not the best idea. But what if your VW says “Key Not in Range” while the key is in your pocket?
The “Key Not in Range” error message appears when the vehicle can’t communicate with the key fob because of a weak battery, problems with antennas, and issues with signal. The problem may also bother you because of the issues with the car battery, alternator, or voltage regulator that affect every single electronic unit in your VW car.
Here’s what I will cover in this article:
- What are the primary reasons for the “Key Not in Range” error in your VW?
- How can you try and solve the problem on your own?
- How can you start your VW if the key fob is not recognized?
- When will you need professional help with this problem?
Reasons and explanation of the “Key Not in Range” problem in VW
Almost all modern Volkswagen cars come with a keyless entry and engine start system that is often called KESSY. Although this is quite a convenient and smart system, it doesn’t come without its flaws. One of the very common problems is the “Key Not in Range” error message that you can see quite often on the dash of your car when you are trying to start the car or when it’s idling on the roadside.
This is the sister message of “Key not Found” but the latter is more often displayed in European cars while the “Key Not in Range” is a typical American error message. The reasons and fixes for these two types of error messages in Volkswagen cars are identical.
Here are the most common reasons:
1. The key fob battery is dead or low
Well, I know this is something you’ve already checked and maybe even replaced. But spend a minute and don’t skip this section.
First of all, you should understand that key fobs in cars with keyless entry and engine start system drain batteries way faster than traditional key fobs with metal keys. They are always active and will drain the battery for 1 year or 9 months, on average.
Another problem is that your spare key fob can also have a low battery even though you didn’t use it. The battery still powered the chip all this time, so it was drained and may die at the same moment when the main key is dead. This shows that you need to replace batteries simultaneously in both keys.
Also, your key fob needs quite a strong battery. You can buy in a supermarket some no-name battery that has the needed voltage but when it’s loaded, the voltage may drop. So, sometimes it’s worth checking whether the battery you installed in the fob is too weak or not.
So, here’s the list of possible fixes for the key fob battery problem:
- replace the battery;
- if it doesn’t work, get another battery and replace it again;
- replace the battery in both key fobs because the spare one is likely also dead.
2. Something interferes with the key fob signal
I’ve noticed that many VW owners report problems with the KESSY but then admit that everything is fine once they stop charging their phones in the vehicle. VW key fobs and antennas of the KESSY are not known to be extremely strong in maintaining their connection and signal. Once something interferes, they may fail to connect to each other.
Here are some examples:
- the additional wire was used to connect the subwoofer and it goes through the zone of the KESSY antenna under the back seat;
- you plug in several gadgets and charge them in your car when you drive;
- your key fob is in the pocket together with another electronic gadget like a mobile phone;
- the key fob is located in the pocket of the jacket with some kind of insulation and the signal can’t break through;
- you put something like a laptop on the back seat and this makes the work of the KESSY antenna very weak.
These are just examples, it doesn’t mean that there are no other ways to interfere with the signal in your vehicle. Unfortunately, VW cars very often show this message and it’s impossible to compile the full list of possible problems.
By the way, the location of the antenna under the back seat is another problem. It takes a lot of power from the key to send signals so far away. In most other cars, the antenna is placed near the engine start button or at least somewhere closer to the driver.
3. Low 12V battery in your car
Another possible issue that can trigger the “Key Not in Range” message in your Volkswagen car is the weak 12V battery. Or maybe, it’s overloaded with something, and the voltage drops. For example, you may be listening to music turning on your subwoofer, all 8 speakers, and also having fun doing something on the touchscreen. This is a huge load on the battery and if it’s weak, the voltage will significantly drop.
In this case, the antenna will not get enough power and will not work or will start glitching. It means that you will need to charge the battery or even replace it before you can use the car again.
If you find out that the battery is under heavy load, turn off everything and try starting the car. If it starts, don’t turn the engine off again – let the alternator charge the battery. This problem is quite serious because having a totally dead battery leaves you zero chances to start the vehicle without any help.
4. Broken key fob
While this is not a very common issue with Volkswagen cars, it’s still worth considering that the fobs are not eternal. They have issues with their lifespan because they often fall onto something hard, hit something in your pocket, or rest in the cupholder bumping over its walls at every corner.
Sooner or later, the fob will have a problem with powering the chip even if you replace the battery. Some connections may be lost and the fob will be just dead. You may check it by getting the second fob and trying to drive with it. If the problem persists, you will need to search for other possible reasons.
5. KESSY problems
This is the final reason because the keyless system in Volkswagen cars almost never malfunctions. It has issues with communication with a fob but it rarely glitches heavily and throws error messages just because of some internal failures.
If you tried everything but nothing worked for you, you may need to go to the dealership or a repair shop and ask them for help. They will use an OBD2 scanner and find out if there is a problem with the KESSY or if there is some other issue that triggers this annoying message.
Starting your Volkswagen with a dead key fob
Whenever you see the “Key Not in Range” error message, you may find it impossible to start the car. You press the engine-start button but nothing happens. So, what should you do?
You can try several things to start your Volkswagen in this case.
First of all, if you need to open the door and the key fob is dead, take out the metal key, and insert it into the small hole in the plastic cover near the door handle (the hole is located at the bottom of the cover), press it, and you will see the keyhole under it.
Then, open the car and quickly get into it, press the engine start button with your key fob and it press the brake pedal simultaneously, The car should start.
If it doesn’t work, you may also hold the key fob near the steering column. This will help you deliver the signal even if the key fob battery is completely dead.
Another way to try and start the car is to put the key right onto the back seat, in the center of it.
If nothing worked, you can call for help because there are no other ways to start the Volkswagen car with a dead key fob. Of course, you can still try to find a battery and replace it.
When will you need professional help with this error message?
In most cases, when you see the “Key Not in Range” error message in your Volkswagen car, you will be able to deal with the problem on your own. Just follow the tips that I’ve outlined in this article and you’ll be OK.
But if nothing works, you may need professional help the sooner the better. Here are your options:
- you may call a locksmith – this is not the cheap option but this person will come to your place and solve the problem;
- also, you may call the dealership – this may be worth it if your car is still under warranty or you have some kind of Volkswagen road assistance privilege;
- you may call the nearest repair shop and ask them for help – very often, these guys can help you and even come to you if needed.
But before you call someone, you should try all DIY methods because repairing or replacing the key fob in a Volkswagen car is certainly not the cheapest service you will ever get. I’m sure that in 99% of cases you can solve the problem with no costs or just with little expenses.
If you have your story to share about the “Key Not in Range” problem in VW cars, please write it in the comments below.