Disco 2 Different behaviour for keys?

A bit of a weird one... I have noticed my keys have different behavior. I noticed that one of the keys works normally and I can even start the vehicle if i unlock it with the key (had set it up to disarm the immobiliser from the key incase the receiver stops working). The second key doesnt start the car if i unlock it from the barrel. Also it has added behaviour that if I unlock the car and wait a couple of minutes it will rearm the immobiliser and will have to unlock it again to be able to start the car. Both keys are genuine Valeo chips however it might be that I added the second key myself through nanocom relatively recently. However i dont see such key specific settings. Any ideas?

Both batteries in both keys good?
You should be able to lock the door with both keys, but if the alarm is "on" and you unlock the door with the key the alarm will go off as you open it. No matter which key you use. Unless you have disabled the alarm.
If you disable both the alarm and the immobiliser then you should be able to do everything with just the metal key.
If you open the car and do nothing for a while, the little red light on the dash will start flashing and the car will only start if you either de-immobilise it with the button on the key, or you insert the key with the circuit board in it into the ignition and turn the key.
Peeps say the one with the circuit board in it only needs to be "close" to the ignition switch. Well it is not the case with mine, I have one which acts like an old fashioned fob and one that is just a key. If i put the key in the ignition and it won't start, I just plip the button on the other key then start the car.
all good fun!

I have set it up so that the immobiliser is turned off even if the car is opened using the barrel (there is a thread in this forum on how to do it, this avoids the need to use the eka code if the receiver in the roof is ruined) the behaviour im describing is very consistent so i doubt it is just the battery but wont hurt to change it i guess. Im not sure about the behaviour you are describing with the key near the barrel thing as that would mean that there is a transponder in the key, and discovery 2 keys dont have that

So what's the purpose of the winding that's around the ignition key barrel if there's no transponder in the fob?

Bennehboy said:

So what's the purpose of the winding that's around the ignition key barrel if there's no transponder in the fob?

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No idea buddy but there is no transponder in there. There is actually space for one as the fob itself is used in other models like the BMW Mini which does use a transponder

mad85 said:

No idea buddy but there is no transponder in there. There is actually space for one as the fob itself is used in other models like the BMW Mini which does use a transponder

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My spare key has the circuit board in it. It will start the car, no matter what.
One of the buttons on the outside of the case is missing, so I don't use it except in an emergency, the microswitch under the missing button has to be activated with a finger nail.
The space for the old style transponder is indeed there as you say, with nothing in it, but there must be something on the circuit board that does the same or a similar job, as without it, you cannot start the car. Unless you do what I have described, press the unlock button then start it with the key within about 30 seconds, before the red light on the dash starts flashing again.
But with the red light flashing, a proper key will still start the car.

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking maybe one of my keys might not be from a discovery then?

mad85 said:

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking maybe one of my keys might not be from a discovery then?

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I think Rover 75s use the same shape key too.

I have seen that some other Rover keys could be coded into the ECU but only give a partial solution - could be that as said.

The odd key is 100% rover 75 key and it misses the rezonator for the remobilisation exciter coil and that's how it behaves, there are cases when they are sold as D2 keys which is a kind of scam. The D2 fob has the part which is pointed with arrow and the rover key doesnt have it hence the immobilsation thing

sierrafery said:

The odd key is 100% rover 75 key and it misses the rezonator for the remobilisation exciter coil and that's how it behaves, there are cases when they are sold as D2 keys which is a kind of scam. The D2 fob has the part which is pointed with arrow and the rover key doesnt have it hence the immobilsation thing
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Thanks for clearing that up for me!

Checked the key and indeed it is missing the component that you mentioned

sierrafery said:

The odd key is 100% rover 75 key and it misses the rezonator for the remobilisation exciter coil and that's how it behaves, there are cases when they are sold as D2 keys which is a kind of scam. The D2 fob has the part which is pointed with arrow and the rover key doesnt have it hence the immobilsation thing
View attachment 262136

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Thanks for clarifying this, which has puzzled me for some time!!!