Keyless entry

HotSauce

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I've noticed my remote has very little range. I have to be practically touching the car, and at the driver's side window, to get the car to unlock, or lock. I replaced the batteries in it, and it helped slightly, but very little. What's the next step? The buttons seem worn, they are indented slightly. Now, keep in mind I'm used to the range for our 02 Audi, so am I just expecting too much out of my 97? Has technology really come this far?!?!
 
Hey my remote has a short range too. Sometimes if you hold the button down a bit, it can go for a farher range, but even with the batteries replaced it only has a range of about 20-25 feet probably. My buttons are worn too, but I think on eBay they sell the remote (without coding) brand new.
 
Yeah i know what you mean. When I bought my car from the dealer, they said they would charge you dearly to get it recoded because of somekind of unique coding to your car? I bet its easy for them to do. Anyone else ever lose their keys and had to recode a new one?
 
Here are two very interesting tidbits.

1. If you hold the back end of the remote against your chin and then press the button, you will have increased range. Don't laugh! I thought it was ridiculous, too. My girlfriend told me this and I thought she was having a blonde moment. So I did it just to tease her, and it worked! I had egg on my face as she laughed at me! It still works to this day; I have about twice the range when I do it that way. I don't know, or claim to have any idea, why it works, but it does. Try it!

2. The receiving antenna on some Audis is horizontally placed along the bottom edge of the back seat cushion. I read somewhere that an owner found the antenna and re-routed it upwards. He claimed a huge gain in range from that simple modification. I don't know if all the receivers are located as such and have this ability to be relocated, but it's worth a shot. If not, the chin method may be your only alternative!

I should note, by your description of worn out buttons, that the contacts on the buttons may be damaged beyond repair. Thus, a new remote may be the remedy.
 
[ QUOTE ]
K212 said:
Yeah i know what you mean. When I bought my car from the dealer, they said they would charge you dearly to get it recoded because of somekind of unique coding to your car? I bet its easy for them to do. Anyone else ever lose their keys and had to recode a new one?

[/ QUOTE ]
Recoding a remote is easy IF you have a spare key remote that works. It's a process that involves both keys. One is put in the driver's door lock while the other is in the ignition. I forget the exact procedure, but it's quite simple. A search may turn up the procedure. If not I can find it in my resources - I'm just feeling lazy tonight.

BTW: If you don't have another original key, then you must get the new key recoded by the dealer and he/she will charge you for the service.
 
Don't you hvae a spare key that you can try? ... I guess not.

Anyhow new keys can be coded by the user. There is another thread somewhere on the forum where I posted the "how to" do this for yourself. Do a search on...... ok, I looked here you go ASN

All you need now is another key /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Of course, you could just try walking a bit closer to the car. Radical, I know but hey, worth a try.
 
[ QUOTE ]
jdp1962 said:
Of course, you could just try walking a bit closer to the car. Radical, I know but hey, worth a try.

[/ QUOTE ]
I guess you didn't read the original post! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Any closer and he'd be inside the car! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
ImolaS4 said:
[ QUOTE ]
jdp1962 said:
Of course, you could just try walking a bit closer to the car. Radical, I know but hey, worth a try.

[/ QUOTE ]
I guess you didn't read the original post! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Any closer and he'd be inside the car! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_roll.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, you're right. Sorry, I was taking it from the second post, where 25 feet was mentioned.
 
I would love to get 25 feet out of it, but I do switch off driving my car and my father's allroad. With the Allroad, I tend to walk away, and turn my hand, and point back at the car, and press the "lock" button. With my A4 I do the same thing, but never hear the horn, assuring me that the car's locked, so I find myself having to walk back, and then lock the car. I'm not asking for much more than about 20 feet.