Keyless entry - Why do I have to have it

[Lincolnshiredyke]

Seat have a “take it or leave it” attitude to its model configuration, in other words all models come fully configured and nothing can be added or removed. Keyless entry has led to an increase in car theft and Thatcham will now be including keyless entry testing in their security reports which will then impact upon insurance premiums. Keyless entry is therefore a feature that actually requires additional security to be taken in the form of Faraday bags or physical security like steering wheel locks.

So why is it that I must have keyless entry fitted and that it cannot be either permanently disabled or removed completely.

 

[Seriously?]

It appears that you can code out keyless locking ; there's discussions about it on various other VW related forums.

 

[Mike the_cupra]

My partner bought me a faraday pouch for a few pound. Works well, and is a nice accessory. I would think that the majority of premium-ish cars will have keyless now, so for insurance purposes we'll be in the majority. Shouldn't have a huge effect!

As for actually having keyless - I wouldn't be without it now. Opening the boot with a kick gesture comes in handy more often that you'd think!

 

[martin j.]

Just don’t lose the key and have to buy a replacement, the cost used to bring a tear to the eyes of my customers.

 

[Deleted member 123864]

There’s no need to buy a faraday pouch for Kessy keys. They don’t operate unless the key has been physically moved in the past minute or so.

 

[Mr Pig]

Because manufacturers need to keep adding features to their cars to try and make them look cool to buyers, most of whom are idiots. It doesn't matter that said features are pointless, useless or counterproductive. As long as they are cheap to implement but look clever.

 

[SRGTD]

Keyless entry is often discussed on VW forums. It was standard fitment on the 5 door mk7.5 performance Golfs towards the end of the mk7.5’s lifecycle; I think the GTI and GTD had it as standard for longer than the R, although many owners added keyless to their cars as a factory fit option.

On the Golf R forum, It seems that the vast majority of R thefts was the result of owners homes being broken into and the keys stolen, rather than the keyless signal being intercepted using relay amplification equipment. In fact, I don’t think there’ve been any forum members over on VWROC.com with keyless entry who’d suffered a vehicle theft.

As already mentioned above, on newer Seats with keyless entry, it’s possible to temporarily disable the keyless entry functionality, which will stop the key fob transmitting the signal. For anyone concerned about vehicle theft though, there are a few measures you can take to minimise the risk;

• It might be appropriate to review home security arrangements and upgrade if appropriate to minimise the risk of break-ins and car keys being stolen.
• Consider getting GAP insurance so if your car is stolen and not recovered, you won’t suffer financially from the effects of depreciation when getting a replacement car. Don’t buy GAP insurance from the dealer though as it’s horrendously overpriced. There are much cheaper GAP insurance providers out there!
• If you have a garage that’s large enough to get your car in but the garage is used as a dumping ground, clear the garage out and use it for your car so it’s out of sight of any would-be perpetrators. Invest in a shed for the things currently stored in the garage, have a garage sale or take a trip to the local recycling centre.
  
• If the functionality to temporarily disable keyless entry isn’t supported (on older cars) but you want to stop the key fob signal being intercepted, keep the keys in a metal container - like a biscuit tin, or use a Faraday pouch. Bear in mind that the protective barrier lining in Faraday pouches degrades with use and over time, so test the effectiveness of these pouches regularly - with the car locked, and the key in the pouch, try opening the car. If it opens, it’s time to replace the Faraday pouch.

I wouldn’t ever pay extra to have keyless entry / keyless start, but if if I was considering buying a car that had it fitted, it wouldn’t stop me buying the car.

 

[GaryPL]

As for actually having keyless - I wouldn't be without it now. Opening the boot with a kick gesture comes in handy more often that you'd think!

Does this work on the Leon?! I have a 2018 car with keyless entry and haven't come across it?

 

[Mike the_cupra]

I don't honestly know. It's in my manual, so I would check that. Having a higher riding car makes it easier so I don't know if its on the hatch/estates

 

[Seriously?]

Only on the Ateca and Tarraco I think. It's called Virtual Pedal .

 

[SRGTD]

Only on the Ateca and Tarraco I think. It's called Virtual Pedal .

Yes, it’s usually an SUV or MPV thing.

 

[Lincolnshiredyke]

The stupidity of keyless being a mandatory feature is that it cannot be permanently disabled. If it could then the owner could take the decision to get rid of it. My daughter has had keyless on her last three cars and when I have got something from her car I never know if it has re-locked.

Yes In could use a faraday bag but this defeats the objective of simplicity of entry. Currently I keep my keys in my pocket and just have to click to open the car without needing to take the key from my pocket. With a Faraday pouch I need to take the bag out of my pocket remove the key and unlock the car, so where is the time saving? Just more inconvenience! I could use a steering wheel lock, ideal for ease of driving off and where to you put it in the car afterwards.

Yes the new designs of keyless switch off if there is no movement but this only works when I get home. It may not have occurred to Seat but if I am shopping the key is moving in my pocket and it will be possible for a bad lad to link to it as I leave the car.

Keyless is an over the top useless feature.

 

[SRGTD]

Yes the new designs of keyless switch off if there is no movement but this only works when I get home. It may not have occurred to Seat but if I am shopping the key is moving in my pocket and it will be possible for a bad lad to link to it as I leave the car.

Keyless is an over the top useless feature.

On the latest Seats, you should be able to temporarily disable it in the same way as you can with VW keyless entry; step outside the car, close the doors, hit the lock button on the key fob, and within 5 seconds touch the lock depression on the door handle.

You can check that it’s worked by trying to open the door; it shouldn’t open and the car should stay locked unless you use the ‘unlock’ button on the key fob as you would with a non-keyless car. No need to carry a faraday pouch with you, although you do need to follow the above locking procedure each time you get out of the car, but that’s no real hardship as it’s pretty much the same as using the key fob to lock and unlock a car that doesn’t have the keyless entry function. The only difference is that you need to remember to touch the depression / dimple on the door handle each time within 5 seconds of pressing the key fob ‘lock’ button.

 

[sandancer]

Not sure if this works on the Leon but the following works on my 2020 Skoda Superb and my mates 2020 Ateca - › Lock the vehicle with the button on the key. › Within 5 s, touch the sensor on the door handle with your finger. Deactivation is confirmed by a single flash of the direction indicators. › To check the deactivation, wait at least 10 seconds and then pull the door handle. The door must remain locked. Keyless unlocking and locking is automatically activated once again after the vehicle is unlocked by using the unlock button on the keyfob

Edit....Too slow typing with sausage fingers - SRGTD beat me to it

 

[SRGTD]

@sandancer; ha ha. But I’d forgotten the important bit that you included in your post about the need to wait for 10 seconds to make sure keyless had been deactivated .

 

[Kirky]

The stupidity of keyless being a mandatory feature is that it cannot be permanently disabled. If it could then the owner could take the decision to get rid of it. My daughter has had keyless on her last three cars and when I have got something from her car I never know if it has re-locked.

Yes In could use a faraday bag but this defeats the objective of simplicity of entry. Currently I keep my keys in my pocket and just have to click to open the car without needing to take the key from my pocket. With a Faraday pouch I need to take the bag out of my pocket remove the key and unlock the car, so where is the time saving? Just more inconvenience! I could use a steering wheel lock, ideal for ease of driving off and where to you put it in the car afterwards.

Yes the new designs of keyless switch off if there is no movement but this only works when I get home. It may not have occurred to Seat but if I am shopping the key is moving in my pocket and it will be possible for a bad lad to link to it as I leave the car.

Keyless is an over the top useless feature.

Yeah central locking is pointless too and electric windows. Bring back winding windows and locking each door individually with a key. Who needs convenience.

 

[SRGTD]

Yeah central locking is pointless too and electric windows. Bring back winding windows and locking each door individually with a key. Who needs convenience.

Those pesky modern conveniences!

My first car didn’t even have sun visors - just a stick on sun strip across the top area of the screen. It didn’t have electric windscreen washers either - they activated by having to press a pump action plunger on the dashboard. I for one wouldn’t want to go back to a car without the modern conveniences that we take for granted these days.

Back on topic; if the OP doesn’t like keyless entry, then there other cars available they could consider, or as discussed in other posts in this discussion topic, if you have - or are considering getting - a new or late date VAG car that has keyless entry as standard, it can be temporarily disabled.

 

[daniel_ley]

I specifically opted for keyless as an optional extra (back when you could) with my 17 plate Leon.

My new one is being delivered on Monday, FR Black Edition, and it doesn't come with it anymore and I'm gutted as it's a great feature. Even just having a push button start makes the car feel a bit more luxurious, and I'm really surprised it's not standard, although I know it is on the brand new Leon.

 

[Kirky]

I specifically opted for keyless as an optional extra (back when you could) with my 17 plate Leon.

My new one is being delivered on Monday, FR Black Edition, and it doesn't come with it anymore and I'm gutted as it's a great feature. Even just having a push button start makes the car feel a bit more luxurious, and I'm really surprised it's not standard, although I know it is on the brand new Leon.

Strange it's not on that model as that model is very well specc'd.

 

[martin j.]

It’s not that great a feature, now if it automatically swung the door open as I approached? Gadget for gadgets sake.