I was rummaging through our box of long-term car spares and found the set to our 2009 Audi A4 Avant. Not only is there a spare key fob (left) but also a plastic emergency key fob (right). Both plug into the dash and operate like the standard fob.
The emergency key separates into two pieces, a holster and key. Both must be fit together for it to work. There is a specialized sleeve in the glovebox to store the holster, and ideally, the key portion is stored elsewhere. It's fancy. But is this a good idea? Is it spare key overkill?
Mike Schmidt, Vehicle Testing Manager @ 18,700 miles
TheChameleon says:
04:08 PM, 10/27/09
In my world there is no such thing as spare key overkill! I am incredibly forgetful when it comes to keys. Also VW key fobs aren't exactly cheap to replace.
subaru123 says:
04:22 PM, 10/27/09
Now that you bring this up, I just realized my Prius has no valet (3rd key) key. However you can never have too many spare keys, uness your car is leased, because if you lose any of them, guess who's paying to replace them?
mike_se7en says:
04:46 PM, 10/27/09
So they make a holster for a plastic spare key and a specialized sleeve in the glovebox to hold the holster for a plastic spare key, but you can't keep the plastic spare key in the holster for a plastic spare key if you keep the holster for a plastic spare key in the specialized sleeve in the glovebox for the holster for a plastic spare key.
Am I not understanding something here?
adavis2493 says:
05:15 PM, 10/27/09
I never really understood this key. I have it in mine, and it usually just sits in the little holster in the glovebox.
Its like, if i had that sensitive of material in my car, I would either take it out, or park the car myself.
My question is, if you look at the center-console area where the shifter is, as well as the navigation controls, there is a grate of some sort. it has 3 diagonal lines on it. I am using it to put all my quarters, and dimes.
Is it the air quality control thing?
johnthacker says:
05:16 PM, 10/27/09
"you can't keep the plastic spare key in the holster for a plastic spare key if you keep the holster for a plastic spare key in the specialized sleeve in the glovebox for the holster for a plastic spare key."
As I understand it you can do that, but for added security can store them in separate locations.
clarkma5 says:
05:22 PM, 10/27/09
I'll still just take a normal key.
brn says:
07:48 PM, 10/27/09
Give me a keypad.
hurls65 says:
09:48 PM, 10/27/09
Well without getting into the pros and cons of that big plastic lump of a "key", the concept here is pretty simple... the emergency backup key is a tiny little plastic thing you can carry in your wallet (pretty much the same as the emergency key I have for my e46 BMW -- and that I assume BMW still uses) so it's always with you.
When you're stuck using that key, grab the little plastic holder thing out of the glovebox and you're off.
It's a bit clunky, but the bottom line is that you only need stash the wallet sized key somewhere you'll have access to it and you're set.
Ideally, the key portion is stored elsewhere... well if you store it in the glovebox, it's not going to help you get in the car when you lose your "real" key, no?
super_ongoy says:
01:00 AM, 10/28/09
yep no such thing as an overkill when it comes to spare keys. I dropped my keys in weirdest places (toilet after #2 and I just had to see if it flushed down), gap in the elevator and the bay, big gulp, beer... You won't believe the cost of replacing one of these fancy keys from the Germans.
ken428 says:
04:34 AM, 10/28/09
The key splits in two pieces because you need an actual key to unlock the car from the exterior. Normally if you key fob battery is in good shape, you will never need to use the small key because the car can complete an active RFID read to open the vehicle. However, If your fob battery is dead, you will not be able to get into your car without using that little plastic key in the key cylinder. The holster is so you can place the key back in the fob for insertion in the dash. The chip is probably located in the key and to start the car with a passive read that key needs to be in the holster. I bet you have a backup key in the normal fob also.
acbayard says:
06:28 AM, 10/28/09
Give me a crank starter in lieu of keys. No car thief will ever want to crank start my Audi.
sabastian says:
08:22 AM, 10/28/09
I thought this car was gone...We haven't heard about it in over a month!
cruiserhead1 says:
08:52 AM, 10/28/09
I enjoyed the Lexus spare (4th key). It was without a fob and fit into a nice, black credit card sized plastic tray. It fit into your wallet.
hurls65 says:
09:53 AM, 10/28/09
I bet you have a backup key in the normal fob also: yep the fobs have a metal key that pops out and which can manually unlock the doors in case of power failure
I thought this car was gone...We haven't heard about it in over a month!: I thought the same thing
sylvia says:
12:56 PM, 10/28/09
And if you lose this key... I hate to think what the replacement costs are. It's insane.
zoomzoomn says:
02:15 PM, 10/28/09
BMW does the same thing.
braco says:
12:52 PM, 11/ 3/09
I agree with ken428 this is an emergency back-up in case of battery failure on your primary fob. I also found this useful on my 330i while traveling in Europe, me and my wife would stop at random beaches just for a swim, so we'd lock everything in the car with the plastic key and go swimming with it; you can't do that with the real key fob and you certainly don't want to leave your stuff on the beach while you are in the water. Plastic key allows you to lock your key fob inside the car, which is not possible otherwise.