kdkrone

We are researching a new Q7 and my neighbor, who has two of the last generation (2000 and 2015) said she had to tell us that she has had 4 episodes of malfunction which have locked her out (she has not found a common . She now keeps a valet key in the trailer hitch receiver. I have not spoken with her yet--she talked to my wife this AM.

Has anyone had this problem? Also, and I am sorry but I have only driven the Q7 without having paid attention to the fob, but where is the lock that the valet opens? Just a door lock? what about starting the vehicle with it? (And does anyone know what the cost of additional valet keys is?)

Thanks
Ken K

sal_b

No issues with the keyless entry in 8 months. If you leave the car parked for several days, the ability to touch the door handle to unlock stops working (as mentioned in the manual, but was confusing at first). When that happens, you can use the button on the fob to unlock the door.

I don't recall getting a valet key.

Opening the door w/o the fob requires removing a small plastic cover on the door handle. This is what you do if the fob battery dies. Starting the car w/ a dead battery fob can be done by putting the fob in a specific spot in the center console, near the armrest.

kdkrone

Thanks for the answer. How tricky is it to remove the plastic cover on the door handle and once it is off, what is done to get into the car to start it?

Thanks,
Ken K

Keyser Wi

I don't think there's a valet key. With Audi Connect you can set valet mode .. Unfortunately, that'll go away if you don't subscribe to Audi Connect Prime.

Keyser Wi

very easy to pop out the plastic cover. i think there's a video if you search it. to start the car you need the electronic key (key fob). the manual key inside the key fob only unlocks the door.

RickObe

The previous generations had a key slot in the dash for starting the car (even those with advanced key). Those models came with a separate valet key which was not a fob, just a simple key with a chip in it. You could unlock the door and start the car with this key. You could not open the glove box with this valet key if the valet lockout button was pressed. So the real purpose of the valet key was the ability keep the valet driver out of your glove box. In cars with trunks, it would also keep the valet driver out of the trunk. But since the Q7 has no trunk per se, the glove box lockout is the only purpose of the valet key.

On the other hand, the current model Q7 does not come with a valet key. To keep the valet driver out of the glove box, you remove the metal key from the fob, lock the glove box manually, and give the valet driver the fob with the metal key removed.

As pointed out earlier, if your key fob is battery dead, you must use this same metal key to unlock the car by removing the plastic trim piece from the driver door handle. This is done by inserting the metal key in the slot under the plastic trim piece and prying it off. You then use the metal key to unlock the car, and snap the trim piece back in place. Then to start he car, you place the key fob on the marked spot in the center console. The metal key by itself will not start the car.

I ordered an additional (third) key with mine. (This was for the Viper remote start installer.) The dealer told me they reduced the price because I was ordering it when the car was delivered, and charged me $207. I don't know what a third key would cost after delivery.

I never got locked out of my 2012 Q7, nor my 2017 with 10k miles. The car tries very hard to keep you from doing that. So I wouldn't worry about that part.

RickObe

The valet mode in Audi Connect is a totally separate thing. That is used to monitor the position and speed of the car when the valet driver has it. The purpose of a valet key is to keep the valet driver out of your glove box. In the new Q7, you do this without a separate valet key as described in my previous post.

(edit) However, Audi Connect Prime is relevant in that you can use it to remotely unlock the car from the MMI phone app if you get locked out.

I let my ACP free trial lapse, but I had the Viper SmartStart GPS installed. I can use that to unlock the car from the Viper phone app, and also use it to monitor vehicle location/speed when someone else (valet) is driving.

Eppieguy

I got locked out on my Q7 with 1 FOB inside the vehicle. I tried opening it with the other FOB and it wouldn't unlock the doors. The radio was playing and it was in "acc" mode. The manual was in it and so I had no idea at the time how to access the key hole on the door handle to manually open it. After walking away from it to calm down for about 30 minutes I came back to an unlocked vehicle. Very odd.

kdkrone

Hey, thanks to all for the posts---most helpful. I think I may look into the Viper Remote start after reading RickObe's post...

PROEDGEBIKER.COM

When i first got the car and went to pick up my kid, i thought i was doing something wrong when trying to lock the car while it was running to keep the AC on while i ran inside.

Really wish this was an option, 1st car i've owed that didnt allow this.