2025-2026 Audi A5, S5, Q5, SQ5 Digital Key Delete TSB

Owners of certain 2025-2026 Audi A5, S5, Q5, and SQ5 models may encounter a frustrating issue where their digital key cannot be deleted or fails to operate correctly. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 2078471/5, released on December 17, 2025, addresses this specific problem, providing diagnostic steps and a repair procedure involving a software update.

This bulletin also applies to 2025 Audi A6 Sportback e-tron, S6 Sportback e-tron, Q6 e-tron, Q6 Sportback e-tron, SQ6 e-tron, and SQ6 Sportback e-tron vehicles. The primary concern is a software fault that impacts the functionality and management of the digital key system.

Symptoms

Owners experiencing this issue will typically notice one or both of the following conditions:

• "Unable to delete a digital key in the vehicle or on the smartphone." This means the digital key cannot be removed from the vehicle's system or from the associated smartphone application.
• The "digital key also does not work (cannot unlock/lock or start vehicle)", even when specific conditions are met. These conditions include the vehicle being online, having sufficient satellite reception, and the ignition not having been turned on using the digital key prior to the malfunction.

If you find that your Audi A5 digital key cannot delete or is otherwise unresponsive under these circumstances, your vehicle may be affected by this software issue.

Technical Background

The root cause of this digital key malfunction is identified as a software issue within the onboard supply control unit. This critical control unit manages various electrical functions in the vehicle, and a fault in its software can disrupt the proper operation of the digital key system.

Diagnosis and Repair Procedure Summary

Addressing the issue where an Audi A5 digital key cannot delete or function involves a specific sequence of diagnostic and repair steps outlined in TSB 2078471/5:

1. Initial Verification: The service technician will first ensure that the vehicle is online and receiving a valid time signal. They will also confirm that the ignition was not activated using a digital key, as these conditions are prerequisites for proper digital key operation.

2. Battery Reset: If the digital key still cannot be deleted after the initial checks, a 12V battery reset will be performed. This involves a Terminal 30 reset for a minimum of 10 minutes to clear temporary electrical states.

3. Observation Period: Following the battery reset, a waiting period of at least 24 hours is required. During this time, the vehicle must remain online, as deletion attempts for the digital key will be performed automatically.

4. Software Update: If the problem persists after the observation period, the technician will check for the availability of TSB 2079690, which details a combined software update, specifically version "00 Combined software update 03.10.00/C (28.13.01) KD2". This update is crucial for resolving the underlying software fault.

5. Key Deletion and Re-creation: When performing the software update from TSB 2079690, it is critical to note a specific instruction: ignore any directions within TSB 2079690 that suggest deleting the digital key before the update. Instead, the digital key must be deleted after the software update is successfully completed. Subsequently, the technician will follow the precise instructions in TSB 2079690 for deleting and creating the key user and digital key.

Important Warnings for Owners

Owners should be aware of the following regarding this Technical Service Bulletin:

• Warranty Coverage: "If the vehicle is outside of any warranty, this Technical Service Bulletin is informational only." This implies that if your vehicle is still under its original warranty, the repair should be covered. Owners with out-of-warranty vehicles may incur costs.

Warranty Information

For repairs performed under warranty, Audi provides specific codes for technicians to use:

• Service Number: 9710
• Damage Code: KD02
• Claim Comment: As per TSB 2078471/5

The following labor operations are associated with this TSB:

• 0151 0010: Software update, including connecting a battery charger. This operation is linked to specific Standard Repair Times (SRT).
• 0151 0040: Fixed rate for the software update, encompassing all necessary preliminary and follow-up work, such as bus sleep cycle management, calibration drives, and additional tasks (130 Time Units).
• 9785 0999: Loosening and securing the earth strap (20 Time Units).
• 0150 9999: An additional lump sum for extra attempts, applicable per each documented flash cancellation (50 Time Units).

Audi's warranty policies and procedures govern all claims, and claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty. Notably, for combined software updates, time stamps are not required for billing under warranty, allowing technicians to work on other vehicles concurrently. Non-productive personnel may also perform the combined software update.

Owner Action

If you own a 2025-2026 Audi A5, S5, Q5, or SQ5 and are experiencing issues where your digital key cannot be deleted or is not working, it is recommended to contact an authorized Audi service facility. Reference TSB 2078471/5 when discussing the problem with your service advisor to ensure they are aware of the specific technical guidance for this issue.

Source: NHTSA ID 11027387