VAG 4th Immobilizer key matching Development and Risk
There are more and more problems about 4th immobilizer, what things we should know? Go on reading the following parts.
Let’s start with 4th immobilizer development, at the beginning; the original AVDI is the locksmiths’ only choice, it can match key for A6L, Q7 and Skoda 1.8T and more, but the car owner will be charged high fee, it costs more than 1600USD to make a new key if lost all the keys, and about 700USD to 800 USD to make key for Skoda, plus the AVDI hardware and software is rather expensive, the AVDI software is about from several thousands to 10 of thousands, therefore most locksmith can’t afford it. Followed some other more key makers, but they are as expensive too, and few users use them, so there is little feedback. During this period, the common issues are: improper operation crash the computer, the key fail to program, and result in zero piece of key in the car memory, fail to communicate the car.
Then VVDI is born, it integrates the features of AVDI and Data Smart3 + immo, and it is cheap, about 1200USD, then an increasing number of
VAG 5th immobilizer car owner are willing to make key, also more and more Intermediate Locksmiths join in VAG 5th immobilizer key making not only senior locksmiths as it was before. But there are also some unpleasant things happen, such as: the consumables raise price and the profit for the locksmith come down; more issues and feedback; When remove the ECU computer for Magotan CC, an increasing number of ECU is damaged; more and more Audi J518 data lost; more lost because of improper operation, rude operate and less experience.
At this stage, the service station feedback an important issue that the keys made by the self-employed locksmiths may not open the car when they are used to make key or programming. Therefore both the users and the device factories study the solution and work it out, that is to save the customers’ original EEPROM data, immobilizer data, if the cars fail to start after programming, just recover the data; besides, use the OEM key to simulate the factory key ID is another solution. If you backup this data, you will keep away from much trouble.
For example, the driver takes the key matched by the self-employed locksmith to program in the service station, and the key can’t open the car, if immobilizer system is locked, the most serious result is to change dashboard and engine, and fee is very expensive plus it needs about one month to fix. Then you must face much trouble. According to my personal experience, usually before I add key for the driver, I will ask them if they will take the key to program in the service station, then I have to use the original key, if you lost all keys, I will tell them the key I made can work well, but if you will change the immobilizer system, then they have to order the key to program. Original AVDI ,VVDI and Data Smart3 can backup the data.
Besides, backup data has more advantages, some vehicles is easy to lose the dashboard data, like VW Tiguan. After finish matching the key, if the driver said the dashboard data is lost and drove to service station, then it needs change the key and dashboard, even engine. If you didn’t back the data or declare to the driver before matching key, then the driver will ask you to bear the responsibility, even ask you to buy his car, on the contrary, if you backup the data, you will be easily recover the vehicle and own good reputation.
Another advantage to backup the data is that to match 0 key is allowed, to recover match for the vehicles that fail to communicate, write the data without removing dashboard, for example, when A6L Passat fail to start after the smart key finish matching, it allows to directly recover the data no need to be online and to remove the computer.