How-To: Volkswagen Key Fob Battery Replacement
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Trey is an automotive enthusiast and has a huge passion for Volkswagen and Audi vehicles of all kinds. His enthusiasm started with the MK5 GTI, and he has massively expanded his knowledge over the years. When Trey is not delivering high-quality and in-depth content, we can usually find him working in his garage on his modified Genesis coupe. Trey created VW Tuning several years ago, and he is the primary visionary behind the content.
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Does your Volkswagen fob not have the same amount of range as it used to? Are the buttons not working and you’re having to use the emergency key? You’ve come to the right place. In this article, we will be providing all the necessary information to get your Volkswagen key fob functioning as new. Luckily it is very simple and may take you a few minutes.
How to Replace Your VW Key Fob Battery
Before going into how to open your VW key fob, here is a list of things you’ll need:
- Brand new CR2032 battery
- Small flathead screwdriver
Seriously, that’s it. We advise getting multiple CR2032 batteries so you don’t have to go to the store when you need to replace the battery again. On average, a key fob battery, or CR2032, will last anywhere from 3-4 years with normal use.
Before jumping into replacing your VW key fob battery, we have to mention that there are two different types of key fobs: the older model and the newer model. (pictured below) The older VW key fob model has a few more steps to replacing the battery. It’s like Volkswagen learned and wanted to make it much easier for their consumers to replace the key bo battery on their own. So let’s jump into it.
Older Volkswagen Key Fob Battery Replacement
Given that the older model key fobs are a little more difficult to replace the battery, we’ll start with it. First, press the button to eject the emergency key. Where the key popped out, there will be a line separating the key fob in two. Simply wedge your small flathead screwdriver in between and wiggle until the fob starts to separate. Once the key fob is separated into two pieces, you can put the top half, or the part that has the emergency key attached, to the side. The other half will also be separated by a line. Use the screwdriver and pry open those pieces until you see the battery. Once the battery is exposed, pry it out with the flathead and replace it with a new CR2032, positive side up.
Once that is done, now you just have to put the pieces back together and test out your key fob to ensure it took the new battery.
Newer Volkswagen Key Fob Battery Replacement
This is the easier one and it shouldn’t take you any longer than 2 minutes, literally. Just like the older model, the first step is pressing the button to eject the emergency key. Near the back of the key, you will realize that there is a line separating the top of the key from the bottom of the key. All you have to do is push with your thumb, you don’t need a screwdriver, and it will just pop right off. The battery will be exposed. This is where the flathead may come in handy to pop out the battery and replace it with a fresh battery, positive side up. Once you have replaced the key with a new battery, pop everything back into place and you’re on your way. Make sure you check if the new key took the new battery and there you have it, three simple steps.
How-to: VW Key Fob Programming
Usually, you shouldn’t have to reprogram your Volkswagen key fob when you replace the battery, but we want to make sure to put this on there just in case. The majority of the time a key will have to be programmed is when an old key is lost and a new key is purchased. There are just five simple steps. You must have two keys for your vehicle before doing this DIY: one that is already programmed and the new key. For this guide, we’ll keep it simple and call the already programmed key, key A, and the brand new unprogrammed key, Key B.
Programming a Volkswagen Key Fob
- Take the key B, insert it into the ignition, and turn it into the “on” position. Do not turn the engine on or even crank the motor.
- While the car is in the on position, step out of your Volkswagen and close the driver door. Take key A and insert it into the door lock, turn it to lock the door, and remove key A. Yes, it may be a weird thought to lock the vehicle with a key in the ignition. Keep following along.
- With key A, hold the unlock button on the fob itself for one second.
- Once unlocked, open the driver door and turn key B, in the ignition, to the off position. Remove key B from the ignition. Now it should be programmed to your vehicle.
- To test this, close the driver door and test key B to see if pressing the buttons on the fob unlocks and locks your Volkswagen. If not, repeat steps 1-4 carefully again.
If the above steps do not work, reach out to your dealer. They should be able to walk you through the steps to program your new key over the phone. If you don’t have a spare key to reprogram, the dealer will have to program your key anyway.
Volkswagen Key Fob Battery Replacement Conclusion
We understand it may be difficult to do this without a visual, so here is a great video on how to replace the battery in your Volkswagen key fob. This is a DIY that you don’t need to go to the dealership for. Sure, the dealership probably, hopefully, won’t charge you to do this, but why not do it at your home. We hope this guide has helped!
If you would like to read up on more Volkswagen informational content, here is an article we wrote on “What is the DRL light on Volkswagen’s?”
