thedjm

I've looked in the manual, searched Google, but can't find anything.

I leave my vehicles to be washed at a service location and take the key with me.
When I return later, the service is gone and the car is locked.

Unfortunately with Audi's "advanced" key, there doesn't seem to be a way to lock the car without the key! The lock switches on the door are disabled without the key.

Has anyone figured out how to lock to the vehicle without the (advanced) key?

EF99

Not sure I understand. How do they service/wash your vehicle if they don't have the key to move the car to their wash bay? Do you leave them the valet key from the glove compartment?

I was told by the dealer that the advance keyfob costs over $300 to replace so it's a good idea not to leave it with anyone.

Edit: I guess it's called the emergency key, not the valet key.

zulujams

I don't have the advanced key, and haven't tried yet on the B8, but on older VWs I could lock the car from the passenger side controls but not the driver side controls. This is to help prevent locking the keys in the car, but sometimes you want to lock a key inside, such as picking up the car after service hours with your spare. Maybe this will help even for advanced key users.

LeoR604

Can't you leave them the physical key and you take the fob with you? They can lock the car and then throw the key in the trunk.

BobbyJim

Well today my wife accidentally took the key with her while I stayed to park the car. I left it unlocked, and only came back with the key about 15min later. I was half expecting the car to have eventually locked itself, but no, it was still open.

UmIsThisThingOn

You need either the electrical part or the physical key to lock the car.
You should be leaving the fob half with them and take the physical key so you can lock the trunk, the GB and the rear seats. Unless of course they're detailing the trunk, then leave it unlocked in the GB.

It only locks with the fob, or in the case of Adv key, when you use the fob or touch the door handle square when the key is w/in a certain proximity of the door sensor.

I know other models do this (Cadillac) but not so for us lowly Audi owners

zulujams

I checked locking the car from the passenger door control--nope. Sounds like you fancy guys can press the door handle to lock if you have the key nearby. If anyone does ever need to lock the key in the car, you should be able to do this with the driver door shut and either the trunk or a different door open, put the key where desired, then shut whatever is still open.

UmIsThisThingOn

With Adv key, if the key is in the trunk or interior of the car it will not lock.

It's smart like that.

borutp

Correct - tested

EF99

There is one case where the car will automatically lock after a timeout period (60 seconds), and that is when the car is locked to start with, then it is unlocked, but you do not open any door or the trunk or hood within 60 seconds (see bottom of pg 42 of the manual). After that 60 second timeout it automatically (re)locks the car.

I guess the idea here is if you accidentally unlock the locked car as your're walking away from a locked car (for example the unlock button is accidentally pressed in your pocket), the computer presumes you meant to lock it, and does it for you. In this scenario it will lock the car regardless of whether the master key is in range or not (I tried it both ways).

Otherwise, if you park the car, shut it off, and get out (for example in your garage), but don't give the computer any indication you wanted to lock it, the computer figures you intended to leave it unlocked.

I guess it's best there is no "always lock the car after x seconds of being parked and closed," to prevent a case where for example you go to the store and the master key fell out of your pocket while in the car, and you don't realize that until you come back to the car and can't get back in.