02 Jetta "Immobilizer" problem.

My dad and I have been working all evening to try to fix this. The car will crank but then it shuts itself off. You can even rev it up before it shuts off. The item in question is called the "immobilizer" and we have tried every fix we can find. It kicks in when the car system thinks the key does not match electronically. Our last option is to take it to the dealer who has played dumb and acted like they have no clue what is going on with our car (even though the flashing car with a key icon is in the manual and the technical readouts available online).

Does anyone know anything about this? We have tried many different things from attaching a battery charger and leaving it on with a constant 12 volts, to various key reprogramming attempts. I know I can take it (edit: have it towed) to the dealer, but they are playing dumb and I think they are gonna take us for a ride as we live far from the dealer.

[edit on 3-8-2010 by Novise]

It was fixed by fully disconnecting the battery and leaving it that way for about 18 hours (That's just how long we happened to leave it that way). The dealer will act like they have no idea and just tell you to bring it in. I'm very glad to say you can fix this yourself.

reply to post by Novise

This one really helped me solved my problem. I just want to acknowledge it. Thanks for your information. I often rely on car repair manuals but I can say that nothing beats information based on actual experiences. thanks a lot.

im into vw's
ive owned 3 mk3 gti's
all of them have had alarm and imobilizer issues.
i know on mk3s its usually a faulty alarm control module.
it can be fixed by bypassing the unit or buying a new one.
im not sure if its the same with mk4's

check vwvortex.com for endless supply of information and diy's for vws