Question 1

What is the cheapest way to replace my 1997 Audi A8 key?

Accepted Answer

Call a mobile locksmith first. The 1997 A8 uses a remote flip key, and on a car this age the dealer pipeline for key replacement is slow and often expensive. Dealers on late-90s Audis have been known to source replacement fobs from overseas suppliers or simply decline the job on older inventory. A mobile locksmith who works Audis can cut a replacement blade to your vehicle and handle the fob side on site, without towing, without a service appointment, and without a multi-day wait. If you still have a working key, getting a spare made now is the most cost-effective move you can make. Call us for current pricing because it varies by what exactly needs to be done.

Question 2

How much more does all-keys-lost cost compared to just making a spare?

Accepted Answer

More involved, more time, more cost. When you have a working key, adding a spare is a relatively quick programming job. When all keys are gone on a mid-90s Audi, the immobilizer has to be accessed and new key data generated before anything can be programmed. It takes longer and requires more specialized equipment. On a car this age, some of that immobilizer work happens at the module level, not just through the OBD port. The gap in time and cost between "I have one key" and "I have zero keys" is real. Get a spare made while the original still works.

Question 3

Are aftermarket fobs for the 1997 A8 cheaper, and do they actually work?

Accepted Answer

On a car from 1997, the aftermarket fob situation is actually less risky than on modern Audis. There is no component protection layer, no encrypted module signature requirement, and no ODIS validation step. The compatibility issue you run into is more basic: making sure the replacement fob matches the factory part number for your specific A8 build, since Audi used more than one fob variant in this generation.

The bigger concern with cheap aftermarket fobs on a 27-year-old car is physical quality. The cases, button membranes, and flip blade pivots on bargain fobs are often worse than a well-kept original. You can end up with a fob that programs correctly but starts falling apart within a year.

We carry fobs verified for this vehicle so you're not guessing on fit or function.

Question 4

My 1997 A8 fob locks and unlocks the car but the key won't start it. What's going on?

Accepted Answer

The remote and the ignition are two separate systems. The fob buttons working just means the RF side is alive. If the car won't start, the issue is either the blade cut not engaging the ignition cylinder correctly, or the transponder side of the key not being read. On a car this age, worn ignition cylinders are common, and a blade that's been used for decades can have enough wear that the tumblers don't fully engage. Start by checking whether the key turns smoothly or has to be wiggled. A blade that needs wiggling to turn is a mechanical wear issue, not a programming problem.

Question 5

The CR2032 in my A8 fob is new but the range is terrible. Is the fob dying?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. On a fob this old, poor range after a fresh battery usually points to one of two things: corroded battery contacts that aren't transferring current cleanly, or degraded solder joints on the circuit board from age and heat cycles. A CR2032 sitting in a 27-year-old fob can look fine but still underperform if the contact clips have oxidized. Clean the contact points, reseat the battery, and test again from different distances. If range is still short, the board itself may need attention. These are serviceable problems, not automatic reasons to replace the whole fob.

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