A  recent call to the Autobiz Helpline, was for a VW Polo R line 2013 6R that the owner wanted to get a remote for the central locking. The customer had bought the car second-hand, but the vehicle came supplied with 2 plain transponder keys and no remote control. She returned to the supplying car dealer to get a remote for the vehicle, but was told this model never came with that function.

Feeling disappointed, she then contacted her local VW dealer to book it in to have a remote fitted. After checking via the VIN, they also told her the same story: This model was never intended to have remote control locking, so you cannot have this feature on this model.

Desperate to have remote locking on her vehicle, she started researching an after-market kit and called to have a quote to fit this. When the installer rang the Autobiz Helpline for diagrams to install the kit, we asked why.  We have never seen a Polo 6R without remote central locking.

After some research, every key supplier and remote database came back with the same result: This vehicle should have OE remote locking and remote keys where available.

We took on the task of coding a new remote for the customer. A Silca 3-button remote was ordered, and an attempt was made to code
the key in.

Using an Autel MaxiIM IM608 PRO, our preferred locksmith immobilizer programming tool, we set about coding the key. This programmer uses the online server that does not require the security access you would normally need when coding OE keys, as it is done in the background on the Autel cloud service.

Coding the transponder went as planned. When the next operation to assign the remote to the vehicle was unsuccessful, we went into the special function menu and activated the remote function. The remote-control learning process was repeated, and the system now locked and unlocked via the new Silca remote.

This proves that independent garages can be a good alternative, if not better than a dealership.

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