[rebop]

Thought this worth a separate post.

TWICE yesterday ( I would have ignored once) a light comes on the dash with the message "Is the key inside the car?". Nothing has changed. I am stopped or driving, key in pocket.

Car is fine, I stop, park, lock. Come back, unlock and its fine for a while then does it again.

Car is a month old. Doubtful key battery, but maybe. Manual says very little.

Any thoughts?

~Bob

 

[MPBQ3]

HMMM.... Same thing happened to me today....Maybe something with Sat signals?

 

[rebop]

Odd coincidence. Would not have thought of Sat signal, but maybe?

Called Audi. They thought low key battery. But its a month old. Perhaps.

~Bob

 

[Tanqueray]

Odd coincidence. Would not have thought of Sat signal, but maybe?

Called Audi. They thought low key battery. But its a month old. Perhaps.

~Bob

Well, anything is possible with the battery. So change the battery and see if that fixes it

 

[rnlabas]

Me thinks it's the battery too - same symptoms as usual. Age of car does not matter, batteries are 3rd party sourced, and a bunch of things can affect them. Sometimes just sitting in your pocket pushing a button by another key - especially when you're driving - can discharge the battery very quickly. Since the car is on, these functions are ignored but the juice is still draining. I've found several times just squatting next to me car will lock and fold the mirrors, meaning an extended push by something else in my pocket - turned out to be my money clip - causes it. The beep made me jump, and then I tried removing/rearranging things to see how it was being set...

 

[rugbychris77]

I've had that happen to me in my 2016 Q3, I find it only happens when I have the key in the same pocket as my cell phone, if I put the key in the other pocket no issues

 

[rebop]

No issues with it today. I'll keep an eye on it and replace the battery at the dealer likely. Not sure if anything needs a reset after a battery replacement, so will wait to be sure.

 

[rnlabas]

Btw, MOST Audi dealers will replace batteries for life - if not they're cheaping out on you ... but ask!

 

[rebop]

Found the source. 95% repeatable.

Key is in my pocket and covered by the driver seat belt receptacle. I have a passenger.

Start the car.

Open driver window and close (might be unnecessary, but...). Open passenger door and close. The warning will occur within 30 seconds.

I figure that after a door opens and closes, the car polls to see if there is still a passenger, and then if seat belts are connected. When it polls, it confuses the key.

What do you think? I hate keeping the key on my left, btw.

~Bob

 

[rnlabas]

This IS interesting as I keep my key in right pocket too, and also usually have no passenger. So I must repeat you scenario to see what happens - btw, only had that warning a few times when the key WAS outside the car ...