VW Atlas Remote Start Not Working - Why? And What Can You Do?

Remote start is a very handy feature available in some modern cars, like the Volkswagen Atlas. With remote start, you can send a signal to your car to activate the ignition and start the engine without needing to enter the vehicle. This convenient feature allows you to have your car warmed up and running before you've even reached it.

The feature is also handy in hot weather because the AC can cool down your car, so you don't need to experience the discomfort of grabbing a scorching steering wheel. Sometimes, however, you might find that your car's remote start feature is not working. Why is this happening? And what can you do about it?

There are many different reasons why the remote start in your Volkswagen Atlas might not be working. The most common reason is a dead battery in your key fob. However, the issue can be caused by certain oversights, as well as certain safety features with how the remote start function works.

In this article, we will take a look at the different reasons why your Volkswagen Atlas' remote start function is not working. We'll also take a look at what can be done to fix these problems, and restore your remote start function as soon as possible.

Why is Remote Start Not Working in Volkswagen Altas?

Being stuck without your car's remote start function can be very frustrating, especially if you've come to rely on it. Before you can get the system working again, you will need to know the common issues that can affect your Volkswagen's remote start, and how to spot these issues.

Two main types of issues can affect the remote start in your Volkswagen Atlas. The first is issues with your key fob. If there's a problem with the key fob, it won't be able to send the signal that tells your Atlas to start.

The other type of problem that can affect your remote start is an issue with the car itself. This doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong with your car, but there are certain conditions under which the remote start feature will not activate. These are implemented as safety features by Volkswagen.

Now let's take a look at the problems that can keep your Volkswagen Atlas' remote start from working.

1) Low Battery in Key Fob

This is probably the most common cause of remote start not working, not only in the Volkswagen Atlas, but in all compatible cars. Remote start is activated using the key fob. When activated, the key fob will send a radio signal to the car. This radio signal tells the car to get started, triggering the starter motor, and starting the engine. If the key fob battery is too low, then it won't be able to send the signal to the car, and remote start will not activate.

2) Low Fuel

If your car has an illuminated low fuel indicator, then remote start will not activate. This is a safety feature that prevents damage to the engine, by preventing it from running and idling with low fuel in the tank.

3) Doors are Unlocked

This is another safety feature. If the vehicle's doors are unlocked, then remote start will not work. This is essentially an anti-theft feature. If the car were running unoccupied with the doors unlocked, it would be very easy for thieves or other people with bad intentions to access the car and possibly steal it.

A common way of getting around this problem is to lock the doors with the key fob before activating remote start. However, some Volkswagen Atlas owners have noticed that this does not seem to work for them. Usually, this is because the unlock button and the remote start button were pressed very quickly consecutively. Doing this can cause an input issue with the key fob, which causes the car to reject both inputs. You can get around this easily by making sure to press the two buttons with a slight delay between them.

4) The Trunk or Hood is Not Closed Properly

Similar to the last point, this is also a safety feature. When the car's trunk or hood is not securely closed, it creates an unsafe driving condition. The hood and trunk will need to be closed before remote start will work.

5) The Car Battery is Too Low

Similar to having a dead key fob battery, a low or dead car battery will prevent remote start from working. If the battery is completely dead, then the car won't be able to receive the signals from the key fob. It also won't be able to provide the electrical energy necessary to engage the starter motor and crank the engine.

If the battery is low but not dead, the electronic systems involved in responding to the key fob signal and starting the engine might malfunction. This is because a low car battery does not provide sufficient voltage to power many of the car's electronic systems.

6) Check Engine Light is On

This is another one of the Volkswagen Atlas' many safety features. Remote start will not activate if the car has detected any problems or issues with the engine. This means that if your check engine light is on, remote start will not work.

This safety feature protects the engine by preventing engine problems from getting out of hand when the driver is not around to monitor and respond to any unusual occurrences.

How to Get Remote Start Working Again?

Losing access to your remote start function is a very annoying problem. If you rely on it to warm up your engine or the cabin of your car in cold weather, or you need it to get your car to a habitable temperature when it's been sitting in the sun, then you'll miss remote start, and you'll be ready to do anything to get it working again.

As long as nothing is wrong with your car, getting remote start working again is very easy. Here's what you'll need to do to restore remote start functionality.

1) Change Your Key Fob Battery

You can check if your car has a dead key fob by trying out all the other functions on the fob. If all the other features are non-responsive, then you most likely have a dead key fob on your hands.

Fortunately, key fob batteries are cheap and easy to replace. Simply remove the plastic cover from your car's key fob and take a look at the 3 Volt battery inside. Using the part number on the battery, you can order an identical battery online, or you can purchase a replacement from any nearby auto shop.

2) Top Up Your Car's Fuel

If your car's low fuel light is on, you'll need to top up your gas tank to get remote start working again. You don't need to fill the tank if you don't want to. Simply add fuel until the low fuel indicator goes off.

3) Lock Your Car's Doors

If your car's doors are unlocked, then you won't be able to use remote start. To get the system working again, you'll need to lock the doors. This can be done easily using the key fob.

As mentioned earlier make sure to leave a delay between key presses. If you press the lock key and the remote start key with too little time between them, the car might ignore both inputs.

4) Close the Hood and Trunk Firmly

Similar to the point above, the hood and trunk of the car must be completely closed before remote start can be activated. Make sure to inspect the hood and trunk closely to confirm that they are both closed and latched firmly.

5) Fix any Engine Issues

This is not as easy or as straightforward as the other solutions, but make sure to address a check engine light as soon as it comes up. Ignoring a check engine light does not only disable your remote start, but it also leaves your engine open to developing further problems. It's generally good practice to deal with check engine lights and engine problems as soon as they come up.

6) Charge or Replace the Car Battery

This is another solution that is not quite so quick or straightforward. If you've noticed issues with your car's electronics, or random lights on your dashboard, then you might have a low battery. Dealing with this will simply require getting your car's battery charged.

If the battery is weak, and no longer holds a charge, then it will need to be replaced. Once you have a charged battery in your car again, you should be able to activate remote start with no issue.

Conclusion

When the remote start on your Atlas isn't working, you're probably dealing with a dead key fob battery. Some other issues that can cause this problem are low fuel, unlocked doors, engine problems, or a low car battery. Addressing the issue will restore remote start functionality to your car.