VW Component Protection Active – What's This? And How to Fix?

In a Volkswagen car, you will not want to see the "Component Protection Active" phrase typed on your screen of the infotainment system. If you see this, there are two possible options: you have installed the infotainment from some other vehicle or there is a big fat glitch in your car that is pretty hard to manage without professional help.

Component protection active message highlights

• Common reasons:infotainment glitch, infotainment from another car
• How to fix:go to the dealer
• Possible consequences:no way to use the infotainment screen
• Priority level:Medium
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Impossible
• Repair price range:$800-$1,200

Also, recently, I published another article that can be of some interest to you - about the transmission in emergency mode message in VW.

What does it mean when you see Component Protection Active?

This phrase can pop up on the screen of the infotainment system of your Volkswagen. It will not block the ability of your vehicle to drive - all other functions will be working properly.

But still, you will have several important limitations:

• you will not be able to listen to the music;
• the touch screen will not be working;
• you will not have access to several important settings;
• the navigation display will not be working;
• you won't be able to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The phrase will appear right above the screen and you will see the main radio screen but nothing will work. You will not be able to press any button or change any settings because of the blocked touchscreen.

The only thing your infotainment will be able to do, in this case, is to turn it on and off. That's all.

What are the reasons for the Component Protection function?

There are several modules in your vehicle that use the component protection scheme. These are the SRS unit (the one that controls the airbags), dash, ACC (adaptive cruise control unit), power supply control unit, and the infotainment system. Each time you turn on the ignition, the vehicle checks that each of these modules is OK and works well.

If there is something wrong, the car will still work but it will also show some warning light or throw some error message. And when it comes to the infotainment system, the warning is the message saying "Component Protection Active".

Here are the reasons why you may see this message:

1) You actually installed another infotainment system

Each modern Volkswagen infotainment system has its own security system and its own code. If the vehicle detects another code or no code at all, it will not allow you to use the infotainment system. Most mechanics agree that VW (and many other brands) made it to avoid infotainment stealing.

Well, I don't think this was the only reason, but yes, it sounds pretty reasonable. If you install another infotainment system, new or used, you will need to reprogram the vehicle to accept its new code. Without that, you will not be able to even listen to the radio.

2) There was a power issue in your car

If your battery is not that healthy and you accidentally leave your car with the external dash camera on, chances are that the battery will completely die for several hours. If the voltage drops much, your electronics may go mad or it may even get burned.

So, when you eventually get into your car and turn on the ignition, you can see this message on the screen that doesn't allow you to turn on the radio. The car will most likely not start because of low power. But it may still start if the power drop was temporary.

3) Low and dying battery

In the previous section, I told you about the drop in power that could be the result of almost any issue with the vehicle. But if the battery is dying, you may expect your electronic modules in the Volkswagen to act as weirdly as you can imagine.

Low power may influence almost any electronic module in your car and glitches may be of a different nature. So, you can eventually turn on the car to see the message about component protection without actually replacing a single module in your car. Just because the battery is bad and gives low voltage.

4) Control modules failure

This message can also mean that something is wrong with one of the control modules. This can be the BCM - body control module, or ECM - engine control module. All of these electronic units run their own checks when you turn on the ignition in your vehicle or just when you unlock it. And if the module is faulty, there is just no way to solve the problem eventually.

Unfortunately, solving this issue is not that easy. You will not be able to diagnose such a problem with just a simple OBD2 scanner.

What can you do to solve the issue?

There are some DIY things you may try before you go to the dealer and take your wallet out of your pocket. These actions may help you if the infotainment system in your vehicle is original and you haven't replaced it.

Let's see what you can try:

1) Turn the vehicle off and then on again

It may sound funny but this may help if the message on your screen is just a minor temporary glitch. Try this - it won't cost you a dollar of your money!

2) Disconnect the battery for several minutes

Disconnecting the battery will reset the electronic control modules that may initially have triggered the problem. Sometimes, this will help the modules rethink their behavior and start working properly.

3) Check the battery voltage

You may also use a charger to charge the battery or jump it with another vehicle to make sure the voltage is OK.

4) Use your OBD scanner

You may try using the OBD2 scanner to see if the problem is on some specific code. Maybe, the scanner will tell you about some issues with wiring or connections.

5) Run the component compatibility test

In some newer Volkswagen cars, you can run this test without any scanners just from the menu on your dash. On other vehicles, you will need a scanner and some good software to run this test. After the test is completed, turn the vehicle off and on again and things may be better.

Will dealers help you?

There is a big myth that if your Volkswagen says "Component Protection Active", no one will be able to help you. That's not true. Volkswagen mechanics can easily locate the problem and reprogram the units to allow your vehicle to get rid of this annoying message.

But some of them will require evidence that you haven't stolen the infotainment system from some other Volkswagen car. If this is the new infotainment, just take the receipt with you. If it's original, tell them to check its code and make sure it's original.

But dealers are able to solve this problem, anyway. They will use their super-functional scanners and software and reprogram the faulty modules. Also, they will try and find the actual problem that triggered the message, in the first place.

Can you buy another infotainment for your Volkswagen?

Of course, you can buy another infotainment but I'm still concerned about the used modules from scrapped cars. In most cases, the sellers from eBay or scrapyards will not give you proper documents and receipts and you will struggle to prove that you haven't stolen this system. So, if you have an independent mechanic who can reprogram your Volkswagen after the installation of the used infotainment system, then you are good to go.

In other cases, you will need to buy a new infotainment system and this is, in my opinion, another reason why car manufacturers care so much about additional safety systems and component protection. They just want you to buy a new screen when your old one is destroyed by something.

Forgive me my skepticism about modern car manufacturers, but my experience as a car mechanic tells me that this is more true than many of you will be thinking when reading this article.

Final thoughts

If you see the Component Protection Active message on your screen in the VW car, it may mean two things: you've replaced the infotainment system and now it's not compatible with your car, or you just have issues with some electronic modules or the voltage in your vehicle.

In this article, I've presented several ways on how you can try and solve this problem. Also, if you have a solution for this issue or have anything else to add, please write in the comments below!