Hang on, this is going to be long.

Does anyone have an idea about this:

The car is basically like a Golf 5 with a Micronas instrument cluster.

I buy the car where only one key works; the other gives an immobilizer error — but okay, I can live with that.

I move the car around a bit at home, and one morning the last working key also starts giving an immobilizer error. I order equipment to read the files from the ECU so I can do an immo-off in the ECU, so the car doesn’t just become a big paperweight. But of course the car still shows an immobilizer error when starting, although it starts and drives.

I then buy another instrument cluster, since I think that’s the fault as well, and because I have it I can measure it and do some testing. I also think that reading out the login code and adjusting the mileage will be just as easy as in the old Golf 4 days. It isn’t quite that simple.

Of course I’ve been on YouTube before changing the cluster, where they say you need to save the ABS long coding. I do that, naturally, before swapping them. I don’t really know why I swap them, since I know the new one will also show an immobilizer error because it isn’t coded to the car or the keys. But it seems to work as expected at first.

I reinstall the old instrument cluster, and now the ABS unit has lost its coding. I think that’s fine — I’ve saved it — but now it won’t accept the old code again. I’m told on another forum that it will only accept the coding once it can compare it with the VIN in the instrument cluster. But if I go into VCDS under Alternative ID in 17 and 25, the VIN is stored. However, if I go into 17, measuring block 081, it can’t be read; it should contain the VIN and transponder code. I can read 081 on the “new” cluster, but it’s blank there.

And that’s where I am now. The ABS is not coded, but it works, although ESP doesn’t work. I’ve disabled ABS in central electronics so it doesn’t go “beeeeeep” all the time while I’m trying to get the rest working.

I have a fault code in 25 (immobilizer) called:
1 fault code found:
01176 – Key
004 – No signal/communication

The same fault code appears with the “new” instrument cluster.

I’ve had the original instrument cluster out on the bench and connected it to a power supply and the car’s reader coil, which I removed from the car and connected as well. There it could read the key again — sometimes, not always. Then I think it must be the wiring from the cluster to the reader coil in the car, so I replace it, but that doesn’t help. I measured the resistance of the reader coil and compared it to one I have from a Golf 4, and the measurements are the same.

I then find out that I have the login code for the instrument cluster through my ECU readout — great, I think, then I can relearn the VIN and code the keys again afterwards. I log in and it’s accepted, but when I try to relearn the VIN, VCDS can’t read that block, and neither can it read the block for adding keys.

I can’t install and code the “new” instrument cluster because I’ve found out it’s for a DSG car, so I won’t waste time on that. The goal is to get the original one working again.

Does anyone have any suggestions for something I can try?

M Olsen

Basically the key is down, you need to scan the tranponder or you need to check the ignition ring to see if it is picking up transponder if not then, chances are it is dead.

If both keys work intermittently the chances are the reader ring around the barrel is dead, if you want a immo off I can do it providing it is allowed.