Freelander Immobiliser Problems.

[Dosair]

Hi Guys, Dosair here, I've just joined.
I have a 2000 Freelander and sometimes the immobiliser will not reactivate and we have been left stranded. If the car is left overnight and you come back to it, it starts fine. My wife has a habit of not locking the car and I understand that if it is left unlocked, after about 5 mins the immobiliser disables the starter relay etc. and alarm gets confused.
I would like to know how to deactivate the immobilser completely and just have the central locking enabled?
This problem is really ****ing me off. I have tried all the usual tricks when it wont start like locking it and reopening it again etc.
I need this sorted asap before we get stranded again. A Krooklok is much better......if anyone wants to steal it , they will anyway!!
Regards,
Dosair.

 

[ratty]

Hi Guys, Dosair here, I've just joined.
I have a 2000 Freelander and sometimes the immobiliser will not reactivate and we have been left stranded. If the car is left overnight and you come back to it, it starts fine. My wife has a habit of not locking the car and I understand that if it is left unlocked, after about 5 mins the immobiliser disables the starter relay etc. and alarm gets confused.
I would like to know how to deactivate the immobilser completely and just have the central locking enabled?
This problem is really ****ing me off. I have tried all the usual tricks when it wont start like locking it and reopening it again etc.
I need this sorted asap before we get stranded again.
Regards,
Dosair.

Does your missus have a big set of keys or bulky key ring? Sounds silly but there is a reason for the question.

Do your keyfobs look like this?

 

[LR GUY]

not to state the obvious but maybe the fob battery is low? when you open vehicle do you get a beeping noise from instrument pack?

regarding immobilisation, u could posssibly have the market setings changed to a market that not set for immob

 

[Dosair]

Hi LR, Thanks for that, the main battery is ok as the car starts when you just tickle the key and the key fob opens and closes the doors no problem. When it has stranded us outside the house, we locked it with the fob and came back to it in the morning and it was fine. I have heard that you can have it recoded to deal with this.
I will try that. I dont get any beeping noise from the instrument pack.
Thanks,
Dosair.

 

[Dosair]

Hi Ratty,
The fob does look like that and the bunch of keys isn't that big, maybe four keys on it, not a bunch like Prison Warder would have!
Thanks,
Dosair.

 

[ratty]

There is a receiver ring around the ignition barrel that detects the presence of the key. If your fob (plip) is faulty it wont work or if you have too many keys on your key ring you cannot get the plip close enough to deactivate the immobiliser.

Try holding the fob right up to the ignition barrel next time it happens. If that doesn't work then try the spare fob.

If you have your immobiliser permanently disarmed it may invalidate your insurance.

 

[Dosair]

I will try what you suggest and let you know how I get on.
Thanks for your help.
Regards,
Dosair.

 

[Optimus Prime]

or any other chipped key will cause interference. can't have my wifes zafira key on my bunch, or come to think of it, both keys for the freelander together or it just don't start

 

[Dosair]

Hi Optimus,
I will try all these things and let you all know how I get on.
We left the car last night and the immob deactivated after about the third go this morning. I need to get this sorted out.
If you guys can think of anything let me know and I will let you know what cured it.
Thanks alot,
Dosair.

 

[markw]

hi dosair,

your problem sounds similar to the one my wife had on her freelander when we first purchased it. sometimes start first time, sometimes would nt start no matter how may times we tried.

we thought imobeliser too.......

as for the chip bit in key fobs load of b*ll*cks, thats what the buttons are for door locks imobiliser on door open imobiliers off.

if the car has been left standing unlocked just press the unlock button to turn off the imobiliser.

besides the point...... getting back to your problem....

try wiggling the key whilst trying to turn it, still a bit hit and miss but better than just turning. work for us short term.......

the problem with ours was the ignition switch behind the key barrel in the steering column, the part is about £15 from brookwells landrover, devon way i think,do a search on the net they were very helpfull and fast delivery.

easy to fit and a 15 - 20 job in total.

since changing ours no problems and every one kept blaming the imobiliser on ours too, even the dealers. i spoke to a fellow owner i knew and he usggested this and ours worked fist time every time since.

if you can't find brookwells let me know and i will send you the number etc.

hope this helps, it did for us.

cheers mark

 

[Optimus Prime]

as for the chip bit in key fobs load of b*ll*cks, thats what the buttons are for door locks imobiliser on door open imobiliers off.

I think the load of bollocks might be yours sir. There are two versions of imobiliser on the freelander. On the later version, you can unlock with the key not the fob, and drive away as long as the key is coded to the ecu.

without getting really boring, check page 30 of the owners handbook as follows:

Engine Immobilisation:

Engine immobilisation is an important aspect of the security system and is designed to safeguard the vehicle from theft, should the driver forget to lock the doors. Engine immobilisation prevents the engine from being started unless a valid key is inserted into the starter switch, and occurs automatically after the starter switch has been turned off.

The engine is re-mobilised by a signal to the starter switch transmitted from a transponder within the key head. This occurs automatically whenever a valid key is inserted into the starter switch and turned to position '1'.

This is taken from LRL0559ENG - 2nd edition, 2002.

I did state in my original reply that there were two versions, perhaps your freelander had the earlier version.

 

[ratty]

as for the chip bit in key fobs load of b*ll*cks, thats what the buttons are for door locks imobiliser on door open imobiliers off.

if the car has been left standing unlocked just press the unlock button to turn off the imobiliser.

besides the point...... getting back to your problem....

try wiggling the key whilst trying to turn it, still a bit hit and miss but better than just turning. work for us short term.......

the problem with ours was the ignition switch behind the key barrel in the steering column, the part is about £15 from brookwells landrover, devon way i think,do a search on the net they were very helpfull and fast delivery.

cheers mark

Since chipped keys are a load of bollocks according to you then please could you explain how the key fairey makes the imobiliser on my vehicle work in accordance with the EU directive of 1998 relating to automaticaly setting immobilisers without input from the driver.

I await your explanation.

 

[markw]

when i had the similar problem with mine, i was given all the s**t of key imobilisers etc and the auto electrition that diagnoesd said all rovers and landrover of this type operated by the button activation via the fob not a chip. the blokes car is a 2000 model with the fob not a key with a chip.

the symptoms he describes sound similar to what i had.
so why chase imomiliser problems if it could be a lot easier and cheaper fix.

have you experienced auto electritions prices recently????

not every one wants to give out blank cheques....

 

[ratty]

when i had the similar problem with mine, i was given all the s**t of key imobilisers etc and the auto electrition that diagnoesd said all rovers and landrover of this type operated by the button activation via the fob not a chip. the blokes car is a 2000 model with the fob not a key with a chip.

the symptoms he describes sound similar to what i had.
so why chase imomiliser problems if it could be a lot easier and cheaper fix.

have you experienced auto electritions prices recently????

not every one wants to give out blank cheques....

I would sack your auto electrician then.

Blip your landy and unlock it. Sit there for 30 seconds without putting the key in or near the ignition. When the immobiliser light starts flashing again to say it has armed put the key fob to the top of the ignition barrel. The light will go out. You can then start your car. Magic. Your auto electrician is talking out his arse. 90% of rovers and landrovers have chips in their keys or fobs.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I will say again for anyone who does not have the good grace to apologise for their sweeping generalisation which was factually incorrect.

The earlier version land rovers and some rovers (definitely a p reg 214 which I had first hand experience of) had the immobiliser tied in with the unlocking function of the fob. Thus the car had to be unlocked with the fob, and then the key put in the ignition and turned to on within a certain time frame (can't remember what it is)

Then as captain ratty quite rightly states, the rules changed and all cars had to have automatic imobilisation (following some considerable pressure from the insurance industry, who got fed up with paying out 'cos all they want to do is take take take). Some manufacturers (such as Ford) had already incorporated this "chip in key" feature into their vehicles, as it could be found for example in a p reg fiesta (again by experience). For others, such as Rover, it took a little longer to filter through.

I hope this has clarified the issue. If you in anyway disbelieve me about the chip in key, we can arrange to meet at a timpsons key cutting shop of your choice, provided it's within a 5 mile radius of the dartford crossing and I'll get them to cut a blank key to my freelander, with no chip coding. then we'll go and try to start my freelander. When it doesn't start, I'll then try and start it with my chipped key, which it will, irrespective of how it is locked or unlocked (key or fob). If I'm right, you pay for the key, if you're right, I'll pay for the key.

You can then issue a public apology on Landyzone, or I will.

 

[Mark2]

Just getting a fresh bucket of popcorn and settling down comfortable in the 3rd row stalls

 

[Optimus Prime]

I should also like to draw your attention to the following paragraph which can be found in Haynes manual number 3929, Land Rover Freelander 1997 to Sept 2003 (R to 53 Reg), section 12.25, paragraphs 4 onwards, but in particular this bit:

The immobilser is disarmed as follows. The alarm handset (or key) contains a transponder microchip and the ignition switch contains a reader coil. When the ignition is switched on, with the handset (or key) close to the ignition switch, the reader coil recognises the signal from the microchip and de-activates the immobilser.

Originally, the chip was in the fob then it was put in the key.

Or maybe Land Rover, Haynes, Ratty and Optimus are wrong.....

 

[Optimus Prime]

Just getting a fresh bucket of popcorn and settling down comfortable in the 3rd row stalls

better get a blanket, I'm away to my bed now. Thanks for watching, there'll be another installment tomorrow.

 

[Mark2]

Will we need the 3D specs?

 

[ratty]

Will we need the 3D specs?

ssssssshhhhh. The shows started.




And no throwing popcorn or you'll be booted out.






oh and MarkW.......