Start the Car With a Dead Key Fob Battery

Last updated: June 12, 2026

The Bentley Continental GT (Mk2, 2011–2017) is a Volkswagen-Group car under its hand-finished skin, and it inherits the group’s neat back-up for a dead fob: rather than an ignition slot, you hold the fob flat against the start button so its inductive coil wakes the transponder. The W12 or V8 then fires even when the coin cell is completely dead.

Start the Continental GT Mk2 with a dead fob

1. Unlock and get in with the emergency blade first (next section), then sit down and close the driver’s door.
2. Press and hold the brake pedal.
3. Hold the flat face of the fob directly against the engine START/STOP button — the button houses the back-up reader coil.
4. Keeping the fob pressed there, push the button. The chip is energised inductively and the engine cranks.

If the dash says the key is not detected, press the fob flat and square against the button and try again — the read range is only a centimetre or so.

Unlock the Continental GT Mk2 with the emergency key blade

1. Press the release on the fob and pull the metal emergency blade out of the body.
2. The driver’s door barrel hides under a small cover on the handle; lever the cover off with the blade to expose the lock.
3. Insert the blade and turn to unlock. The alarm may chirp until the immobiliser reads the chip at start-up.

Why the immobiliser still reads a dead fob

The coin cell powers only the keyless proximity broadcast and the remote-lock buttons. Engine authorisation runs through a passive RFID transponder that draws its power inductively from the coil behind the start button — not from the battery. Pressing the dead fob to the button lets the immobiliser read the chip and start the car.

Replace the fob battery

The Continental GT Mk2 fob uses one CR2032 3V lithium coin cell. Slide out the emergency blade, then open the fob at the seam or lift the cover where the blade exits. Lift the old cell out, fit the new one + side up, and click the casing back together. Remote and keyless functions return immediately with no coding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Continental GT have an ignition key slot?

No. Unlike its Porsche cousins it uses a START/STOP button, so a dead fob is held against the button rather than inserted into a slot.

Where do I hold the fob — column or button?

Against the START/STOP button. The back-up reader coil sits behind the button, so that is where a dead fob must touch.

The emblem flips on the fob — does that matter?

No. However you hold it, present the flat face squarely to the button; the orientation of the Bentley emblem does not affect the read.

Why did the alarm sound when I used the blade?

A mechanical unlock reads as forced entry until the transponder is verified. The alarm stops the moment the engine starts.

Is it the fob or the 12V battery?

If the cabin stays dead and nothing wakes when you open the door, suspect the car’s 12V battery rather than the coin cell. A weak cell only affects the remote.

If a warning light stayed on after the no-start, look it up on autodtcs.com to confirm it was just the fob rather than an immobiliser code.