VW owners use the innovative Car-Net app to access their cars remotely. This app links your VW car to your smartphone, allowing easy access to emergency assistance, security features, and maintenance assistance. You only need to download and activate the app to use its remote features.
Unfortunately, many users claim that the app fails from time to time. So what should you do if your VW Car-Net app stops working?
Herein I detail the reasons for VW Car Net not working and practical solutions.
Question: Why CarNet Isn’t Working
Your VW’s Car-Net isn’t working due to the following:
- Outdated Car-Net app
- Compatibility issues
- Subscription issues
- Phone running out of free memory
- Connection issues
- Server is down
- Faulty control module
- App crashing
- You don’t have the Car-Net feature
Outdated Car-Net App
Like other apps on your phone, the Car-Net app requires regular updating to ensure it works smoothly. Updating the app prevents hacks or breaches of the app from your device. Additionally, you should update the app to equip it with a new user interface that improves user experience.
Failure to download the recent updates for this app might cause it to malfunction. And if it connects you to your VW, the app might develop irritating glitches.
How to Fix:
If the app fails, look for recent Apple App Store or Google Play Store updates. Luckily, you’ll always see alerts from the app when new updates are available. Download the updates to see if the app will work.
Alternatively, uninstall the outdated Car-Net app and reinstall it. In this case, you force a reset on the app and update it to the recent version.
Compatibility Issues
The first thing to consider when downloading the app on your phone is compatibility. If your smartphone device is incompatible with the app, you won’t be able to install it. That means you won’t have remote access to your VW.
Moreover, App Store and Play Store often update or change app compatibility info. These changes cause an app that was compatible before with your phone to be incompatible. So accessing your car’s remote functions becomes impossible.
Fixes:
Check device compatibility before downloading the VW Car-Net app. If your device is incompatible with the app, try downloading and installing a previous version supporting your phone.
Similarly, you can download and install a previous version if the App Store or Play Store changes the compatibility info for the app.
If your phone isn’t compatible with any version of the app, you might need to buy a new phone.
Subscription Issues
The Car-Net app works on a subscription basis. However, the app offers a free 30-day trial to new customers. After the free trial, customers should pay $20 monthly and enjoy 3GB of data.
It’s not uncommon for new users to forget to pay the subscription fee after the free trial expires. Regular users might also forget to pay the monthly subscription fee.
The VW Car Net not working might result from failure to pay the subscription fee.
Solution:
If your free trial has expired, pay the required amount. If you’re a regular user, check the app’s subscription status and renew it if it expired.
You can also contact VW Car-Net Response Center if you need help renewing your subscription fee.
Phone Runs Out of Free Memory
Your iOS or Android device might have run out of free memory, causing the Car-Net app to malfunction. This might happen if your device has multiple programs or apps running in the background.
The Car-Net app might fail to open since these apps and programs take up a considerable part of the memory.
How to Fix:
Check and close all the active programs and apps to free up some memory. Doing so will stop all apps and programs from running in the background. Then reopen the VW Car-Net app to see if it’ll work.
You can also uninstall any unused apps. Besides getting more storage, uninstalling/deleting apps you don’t use makes your device more secure.
Connection Issues
The VW Car-Net app requires an active internet connection to open and load properly. If the app is not working, your mobile data or Wi-Fi might be the cause.
Your device might run out of data if you use limited data every month. If you’ve turned your phone to low data mode, the app might act up as it requires higher data usage.
If you use Wi-Fi to connect the Car-Net app to your VW, the router might be the culprit leading to poor connection.
Fixes:
Buy data on your device if necessary. If you’ve not run out of data, check if your phone is in low data mode. If so, turn off the low data mode.
Next, ensure the modem or router is working properly. You can unplug and plug the router cable or modem to reset it.
If none of the above works, alternate between phone data and Wi-Fi to see if you’ll solve the problem.
Server is Down
Your VW car net not working might result from issues with the server. If the server is down, you won’t be able to access your car from the app.
The server can be down if it’s under maintenance or has issues such as power outages.
How to Fix:
Check the status of the VW Car-Net official website to see whether the server is down. You can also look for status updates from the server’s social media sites.
If the server is under maintenance, wait 30 minutes to one hour. Then reopen the app to see if it works.
Faulty Control Module
Issues stemming from your VW control module might cause the Car-Net app not to work. If the engine control module (ECM) is faulty, it won’t connect with the app or allow its features to work.
The good thing is that a defective ECM comes with the following common signs:
- Car not starting
- Check engine light popping up
- Engine performance issues
If the ECM is the culprit, hire an experienced mechanic to repair or replace it.
No Car-Net in Your VW
Some VW owners don’t know whether they have the Car-Net feature in their cars. If you have a VW made in 2018 onwards, you can rest assured that your car has Car-Net. However, vehicles falling outside that range may or may not have this feature.
How to Fix:
Check your VW model online to see if it has the Car-Net feature. Alternatively, you can contact the VW Car-Net Response Center or dealership to know if it has the feature.
App Crashing Issue
Like other apps, the Car-Net app can crash and fail to operate. The app can crash due to the following:
- Low storage space
- Too many apps running in the background
- Weak internet connection
- Failure to update the app
- Issues with the phone’s operating system
Solution:
Close all the apps running simultaneously and reopen the Car-Net app. Then uninstall or delete apps you’re not using to free up the memory. Next, ensure you have a good internet connection.
If the app fails to work after fixing the above, update it to the newest version.
If the problem stems from the phone’s operating system, restart your iOS or Android device. Then check if the app works.
Final Thoughts
Several issues can result in the VW car net not working. These issues are outdated Car-Net app, compatibility issues, connection issues, your phone running out of free memory, subscription issues, the server being down, no Car-Net in your VW, faulty control module, and the app crashing.
Fortunately, we have provided ways you can address these issues. If you can’t fix the problems with your Car-Net app, seek help from the VW Car-Net Response Center, dealership, or a professional technician.