Start the Car With a Dead Key Fob Battery

Last updated: June 12, 2026

The Bentley Continental GT (Mk3, 2018–2022) shares its MSB platform and electronics with the Porsche Panamera, yet for ignition it follows the simpler push-button route: when the fob battery dies you hold the fob flat against the START/STOP button so its inductive coil wakes the transponder. The W12 or V8 fires even with a completely flat coin cell.

Start the Continental GT Mk3 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 display 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 Mk3 with the emergency key blade

1. Press the release on the fob and pull the metal emergency blade out.
2. The driver’s door barrel hides under a cap on the handle; lever the cap 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 powered inductively by the coil behind the start button — not by 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 Mk3 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. Remote and keyless functions return at once with no coding.

Frequently Asked Questions

It shares the Panamera platform — does it have a key slot too?

No. Despite sharing electronics with the Panamera, the Mk3 Continental GT uses a START/STOP button, so you hold a dead fob against the button rather than inserting it in 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.

Does the rotating display dash affect starting?

No. The Bentley Rotating Display is purely cosmetic for the centre vents/screen and has nothing to do with the start procedure.

Why did the alarm sound when I used the blade?

A mechanical unlock reads as forced entry until the transponder is verified. The alarm cancels 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.