Immobilizer 1H0 953 257 B: Reprogramming & Replacement

I've been trying since this morning to program a new additional key for the WFS (immo2) in a 1997 Ibiza TDI. However, the WFS control unit breaks the communication with VAG-Com after entering the login code (from Seat) .
I followed the instructions provided by SEAT, in short:
- Insert the old key (which still works) into the lock.
- Ignition on.
- VAG Com connected to control unit ID 25.
- Login (11) with Seat Code

Then the system breaks the connection .

The workshop had previously also experienced the same problem with both the old 1551?! and the new 5052 models.
Does anyone know about this problem, or even better, a solution to it?

Sure, here's the translation:

'Thanks a lot!'

Hi,

It's likely that the login code is simply incorrect.
Get the 7-digit login code from the designated person and...
http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/key-matching-4digit.html

Best regards, Rainer.

My initial thought was that the login code was incorrect, but the workshop manager said that would result in an error message. Can anyone confirm this?

I will definitely request and try out the 7-digit WSC login CombiCode.

I'll get back to you when I know more. In any case, thanks for the input!

The error message indicates a communication failure.

Get a new PIN. If that doesn't work, try disconnecting the battery and connecting the battery cables (away from the battery) together. This will discharge the capacitors in the control units, and when you reconnect the battery, everything will do a nice 'cold boot.' However, you might need the code for your radio, as it might think it has been stolen.

-Uwe-

Uwe@Ross-Tech wrote:

...to connect the battery cables (away from the battery).

Or, you can simply turn on the indicator lights. This is a gentler approach than directly connecting the cables. It's especially recommended for people who have a system with a large buffer capacitor (>=1F...), as the capacitor can be damaged otherwise. But this method is also gentler for everyone else.

Regards,
Guste.

I was able to reproduce the communication failure today on another Ibiza, which strengthens my suspicion that the workshop is using the wrong code, even though I personally held the application form for SEAT today and the chassis number and WFS ID were correct.
It's probably not going to be possible to get anything done before the weekend anyway, but the workshop manager will contact SEAT again on Monday (or is it possible for individuals to contact them directly?).
I will continue to report...

Or you can simply turn on the indicator lights. This is a bit gentler than directly connecting the cables. This is especially recommended for people who have a system with a huge buffer capacitor (>=1F...), as the capacitor can suffer otherwise... But this method is also gentler for everyone else.

OK, I hadn't thought about an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) system, as I don't have one myself. But if you have a system with a huge buffer capacitor, I agree – to avoid sparks. I could imagine that with >1F, the battery cables could weld themselves together! However, this isn't an issue in a regular car without such a 'system'...}

The 'standlicht' method doesn't work on the newest vehicles with a 09-load module (like Audi A4 8E, Golf 5, etc.) because all the lights on those vehicles are controlled by that module. You can't discharge anything using the 'standlicht' function if the battery is already disconnected. In this case, if you have large buffer capacitors, you might consider discharging them with a 'load' (a resistor? a 12V light?) connected between the cables.

-Uw

I think my car probably doesn't have any such special features, and I haven't installed any 1F C's either; it would be quite overkill for my Panasonic CD radio, which costs 100 Euros .
Thanks for the heads-up, you never know.

<edit>
Regarding WFS, there's still new information. This morning, I had the opportunity to try a false login on another Ibiza 6K Cupra. In this case, the VAG number was 1H0 953 257 A instead of B, as in my case, but the effect was the same: the communication breaks down (login fails due to a dropped connection or similar).
That makes it clear to me that the workshop definitely has the wrong login code, and they will only get money for the new key when they obtain the correct code for me; it's that simple. I already have a key.

Okay, then I'll go by again tomorrow morning and ruin their Monday .

By the way, how is it possible that a VAG workshop can be so incompetent? Is diagnostic training voluntary for them?

By the way, how is it possible that a VAG workshop can be so incompetent?

That's a very good question! And it's a very big problem for the Volkswagen Group (VAG).

-Uwe-

I went back to the dealer who provided the key today. He has since contacted Seat (AMAG Switzerland) again, and apparently, the login credentials are correct.
So, I gave up on that workshop and went to the next one, where I encountered some pretty hard granite. First, the guy working there, who was wearing clothes that had absolutely nothing to do with working in a garage, got really annoyed when I told him that the adjustment could be done yourself (do VAG people actually live in their own world?). Then, when he wanted to charge 40 CHF for the adjustment and claimed he needed to go online with Seat (which isn't even applicable to my 'old' model) to adjust the control unit, I got pretty angry and explained to him how things actually work, and I gave him a bit of a lecture about VAG and what they should actually be doing, and whether that could even be called service!
Apparently, he wasn't thrilled that the customer had more knowledge than he did, and he mumbled something about scheduling an appointment in about a month (regarding that 40 CHF matter). I then told him that it was a pretty sad thing that VAG was offering, but I would find *him* even sadder, the one who had the opportunity to acquire that knowledge but only shows the customer a cold shoulder. Oh, and for anyone near Basel (Switzerland), the previous workshops were:
- ASAG Allschwil (accommodating and friendly, but unfortunately incompetent).
- Garage Kägen, Reinach (very unfriendly and stubborn, and this wasn't the first time).

<edit>
I was just reading in 'a' documentary about problems with part numbers 1H0/7M0 953 257, specifically related to automatic baud rate detection. I quickly tested it with 9.6k, but unfortunately, it didn't work .
</edit>

I'm sorry, but I may have overlooked something.

Did you check the battery voltage? Plug in a charger.

Do you also have the workshop code and the importer code, in addition to the seven-digit code?

Regards,
Guste.

I only have the 4-digit login code, not the 7-digit one. Battery voltage? Normally, diagnostics and troubleshooting are possible without any issues, so I'm ruling that out for now. I'll still measure the battery voltage tomorrow, just to be sure.

gerbi wrote:

I only have the 4-digit login code, not the 7-digit one.

Okay, then forget about the WSC and the importer...

gerbi wrote:

Battery voltage? Diagnosis is usually possible without problems or interruptions, so I'm ruling that out.

"Mööööp!!! Wrong. A voltage of at least 12.5 volts is required to write to an EEPROM. A lower voltage is sufficient for diagnostics. However, if the voltage is too low, saving the values (i.e., writing to the EEPROM) will fail... I don't know what the control unit will do in that case. I could imagine a connection interruption, though."

I don't know whether the device already writes values to the EEPROM when logging in, or whether it actually does so only during the pairing process, but it's at least a starting point if the pin is correct.

Good luck!
Guste.

Okay, it's definitely worth a try! I'll keep you updated.

<edit>
The battery voltage this morning was approximately 12.4VDC, and after a short period of engine running, it was ~13.3VDC. In both cases, the same problem occurred (login lost due to a dropped session).
</edit>

Okay, the new key has been adjusted!
A small workshop in a neighboring village, equipped with a VAS tester and staffed by a skilled technician, was able to access the control unit and adjust the keys. This contradicts the claim that the control unit was defective. Furthermore, the work was completed in approximately 2 minutes, while another workshop (a Seat 'central' location in the region) spent about a day on the task without success.
As far as I understand, he changed the soft coding from 00002 to 09600, seemingly in connection with the baud rate problem (please correct me if I'm wrong).
To make matters worse, the instructions in the service folder still contained an error, which the technicians at the other workshop would likely have stumbled upon next, great!

Conclusion:
- Key has been adjusted.
- The accommodation is perfectly fine, as expected.
- The larger the workshop, the less competent the employees .

Anyway, thank you again for your help and ideas.