Getting Keyed off with my Key fob!

Hi Guys and Girls,

MOT time, so replaced a drained bat (poor condition old bat plus cold nights). Then found that the Key fob (twin button model) had stopped working so reverted to using the key to unlock and lock the car (1995 'N' Tdi disco 300).

Never thought of checking the immobiliser so went off and changed the bat in the Key fob... but now still nothing.

I can unlock and lock any door with a key, but don't have central locking.

The electric windows, radio or heater don't work. I can have hazards and the ignition will come on. Dash lights show Immobiliser active - which I assume is whats stopping me start the car. Is it normal to loose all the other bits like central locking, windows and radio etc with an active immobiliser?

I've done some reading about resync -which I've spent hours trying (key in door, hold down, turn key and the press button 4 to 10 times etc) with no joy.

I've also read about the Key code: but can't get that to work either. My handbook gives me three codes.
1) CATS (e.g 1234)
2) Radio (same as CATS)
3) KEY (e.g 5678)

I'm confused as neither of these work. I'm locking the door, holding the key right over for 5plus sec. returning to center, and pushing over to the unlock position all the way the needed number of times then the same on the other side for the next number. Each time - listening to the 'click' of the lock switch. When I'm done. I get no 'beep' to tell me I've got it wrong nor does the central locking or any other issue change. Immobiliser is still active, and I can't start her.


So now I'm stuck with a dead disco. Don't want to go to main dealer or keyfob company just yet as I don't know whats in store for me with regards the MOT that she needs - is there a fix out there?

Shut all car doors. Disconnect your vehicle battery. Touch positive and negative leads together. wait 10 mins. Reconnect battery. Press buttons alternating from one to the other. After a few presses it should resynch.

It isn't the procedure shown in the manual but works 9 times outta 10 for me.

mate remove battery again from fob. lock the car press both buttons on fob to get rid or any current left in it. hold them down for 10 secs replace battery press lock button 4 times.. then try the unlock button

i had my fob reconditioned by an auto electrician. he charged 25 quid and it worked a treat

Have had a go at all the suggestions; Done the book thing, the key code, the repeated pressing of fob buttons, disconnect bat again, terminals together, waited 10min and still nothing.

Ended up phoning the LR dealer - who was surprisingly helpful who advised me to disconnect the ECU in the passenger foot well... to expect the alarm to sound then disconnect the bat, reconnect ecu and re-attempt to start. If it didn't (which of course is my case now). Then I'd have to recover it to them to sort out.

Then just when I was disconnecting the bat so it didn't end up draining - I noticed a fuse box just behind the bat. Lifted it out of curiosity and noticed some heavy Amp fuses. One of which is blown - the closest one to the bat in the box (which is 100Amp). clear blow and a big gap. Any ideas what this is for?

Surly there is a way to completely bypass the stupid immobilizer on these. I know they are fitted as a security measure, but all I need is to bypass it so I can get the car MOT'd, back on the road - then pending MOT pass, I can fiddle around and get it reconnected and sorted.

Looks like the new year will bring no more LR fun than last year. I'm starting to wonder if a land rover is the best choice... so many little niggles. I'll still need to sort out a vacuum pump and a diff lock gate after all this, plus a driver seat fix.

The 100amp fuse is the so called 'fusable link' protecting the feed cables to the fuse boxes, replacing that will or should get your radio, windows, alarm, c/locking etc etc going.. After that, if you know that the fob is working ok then placing it near the ignition switch will re-moblilise the engine, if not then amongst other things there maybe a problem with the immobilisation transducer located at the switch.
If you have that problem then use your emergency key access code as shown in the owners handbook.
The CATS (computer Anti-Theft System) code is only for your radio/ cassette player which will have the flashing red indicator near the volume control if it's a CATS unit.