'97 A4 remote entry add-on

[ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com (Fluhr)]

Last month, I asked the q-list about the possibility of adding the remote
entry system to my father's '97 A4.  Several listers (Ti Kan, Mike Jurkowski,
Mark Quinn, SharfR@aol.com) were kind enough to respond, and I want to
thank them for their help.

In the end, it cost about $200 to add the factory remote entry feature to
my father's '97 A4.  Apparently, Audi changed the remote entry system in
1997, and most (perhaps all) 1997 and beyond A4s come with the system
installed in the car, although not necessarily enabled.  You need only
buy a remote entry keychain fob and have the dealer enable the controller
in the car.  The dealer must use a VW service tool to enable the controller,
(i.e. it is not the two-key reprogramming trick) so you cannot get around
going through the dealer for this.

The particular fob for my father's car cost $140 (ouch!), and the procedure
for enabling the controller was $60 ("1 hour" dealer labor...which probably
only took 10 minutes).  So, for $200, my father now has the factory remote
entry system enabled on his '97 A4 (which was special-ordered without the
sunroof/keyless entry option).

It was not an easy thing to get accomplished, because both dealerships we
took the car to obviously did not know anything about the A4 remote entry
system.  I finally had to explain the system very carefully to the service
manager at the second dealer, and have them call Audi technical support
twice before they understood what I was asking them to do.  If you want
it done to your A4, I suggest you talk with your service manager very
carefully, and make sure he understands the situation.

Thanks again,
Eric
'85 Coupe GT
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Eric J. Fluhr                                Email:  ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com
630FP Logic/Circuit Design                   Phone:  (512) 838-7589
IBM Microelectronics Div.                    Austin, TX