remote start compustar audi stopped working

Please help as I'm at a loss as to what to tell my installer. In January I got a compustar Pro P2WSSR installed on my 2001 Audi A6 2.7t. The installer is a compustar authorized installer and had said he had lots of experience. It took a really long time for him to do the install, and it had me wondering how many Audi's he had actually done. Anyway after the install everything worked great and I was very happy with the work. He used my valet key and put it in a box and there is a wire ring around my ignition for the bypass unit thing.

A couple of weeks ago on a cold morning I tried the remote start, and it came back saying it was started. When I got to my car the parking lights were on and the electronics were on inside but the car was not started. When I tried to start (without killing the power) by just inserting my key and turning it cranked but wouldn't turn over. I had to put my foot on the break to kill it, then it starts fine. Experimenting with it sometimes it doesn't crank hardly at all, and others it cranks and seems to turn over and start but then kills. Sometimes it won't start 2 times or so but then will the third. I finally noticed that when it tries to remote start the little key indicator on my dash flashes at me. If I put my key in and try and do the remote start, it starts everytime. This morning it was fairly cold, I tried remote start like 5 times, all the times it cranked, seemed to turn, then killed (and feedback said it started). Then I put my key in and did the remote start and it worked fine, so I'm thinking it is something to do with the bypass.

I talked to my installer, and he said that he thinks the chip in the burried key has its battery dead, or isn't getting enough power, and isn't getting enough power from the transponder when it starts. He made it sound like there is nothing he can do about it, other than try and get the chip out of my actual key and somehow attach it to the ring directly. Would that work? It sounds fishy to me that it would be the actual chip in my valet key, and not the wiring/setup of the bypass unit that he did. He said the only solution would be to get a bypass unit that doesn't need a key but they don't make one for my car. I know that people do installs on these for Audi's and have them working so do I need to find someone that has and have them look at how he did the bypass to see why it isn't working, or could it really be a problem with the actual chip in my valet key?

Remove thw key from the box and try it in the ignition, then you'll get your answer. I really doubt that the key is malfunctioning but is possible.

the key isnt malfunctioning. either the keylink is bad, the loop may not be close enuff on the tumbler(had this happen before), or there isnt enuff juice on the keylink or the relay pack to start it.

just some ideas.

what aftermarket keylink is it, DEI makes a good one.

put your good key in bypass box and try it.

BTW, exactly how is your installer "Compustar certified"?

Thanks for the replies. I guess I meant he was an authorized dealer, not certified, if there is a certification. I did some testing last night when it was warm out, and it definitely is the buried key or the relay. It would not start and the key light on my dash would flash when I tried to remote start it and it was consistent with this. Then I put my working key in the ignition and remote started and it worked fine. I did a few more times and everything was consistent like that. However on my last test without my working key in the ignition, they key light did NOT flash, and it did remotely start. So clearly there is either an issue with the buried key or the relay. I will try and find out what kind of relay he used.

I would like to know more about this, "or there isnt enuff juice on the keylink or the relay pack to start it." Where is the 'juice' coming from, is it stored in the key, and if so does it get recharged and exactly how, especially when hooked up to the relay. He mentioned he didn't think there was enough power in the chip or it wasn't getting recharged, but essentially made that sound like it was they key's fault, and not his install.

the key link if powered with a 12+ source may not be getting 12+. Iam not sure how he prepped it or if he prepped it at all for the car, some guys just sit it in the floor and start running wires vs. prepping it on a bench to the vehical and mounting it in a secure location and running the wires with the factory harnesses. the alarm is only as good as the install. So with that beig said you could have a bad 12+ source for the key link. Bad t tap or not getting at least 12+ and the installer testing it with a probe that lights up wether its 4v to 12v. Any of what he mentioned would go back to the keylink, before the key, depending on which way he started the trouble shoot. I know that I have not personally ever heard of the key going bad. Now a bad programed key yes but not a dead battery key.

I havn't had the pleasure of working on your car yet but it sounds like the DEI transponder interface is the problem. I can't get the dei website to work right now but I belive that the 556u that the installer use has to be hardwired into your factory transponder key ring. Not just place around the key cylinder like most other cars. Your key should be the factoy switchblade style key if so he would have to take it apart to fit into the 556u and maybe it has shifted inside the 556u. Another problem is that the installer programed voltage checking on your car. This method works on most cars. The way this works is the RS see the voltage before start and as soon as your cars start the voltage jumps and the RS stops cranking. On some cars the voltage before and after is not very much so the installer needs to reprogram either high or low sensitivity. Or just do tach checking and be done with it. Good luck

I sure sounds like to me that it is a tachless issue. I have alot of experience with the compustars and the new units have to be programmed through a programmer that plugs into the ignition. On that vehicle the installer probably hooked it up tachless. On the compustar's it will only try one on tachless mode not three times like when it is set to tach mode. It will leave the ignition and all of the accessories on for the full length of the programmed time. I am willing to bet this is the problem.