immoboliser issues.....

Hi all,

Firstly I am a female owner with not much mechanical savvy so please try not to laugh at me and feel free to treat me like an idiot - I wont be offended!

I own a 2002 disco td5 auto, my pride and joy, until last week when I came out from work and couldn't start the buggery thing (got into it fine as never leave the door locked, engine just wouldn't turn over). Assumed battery but couldn't jump start.....

Called RAC out who couldn't get it going either, as it was just after a period of heavy rain, suspected a leak into the roof sensor thingy so the key fob wasn't connecting. At this stage the car had locked itself and the only way to access it was the non battery key, which would unlock the door, but then set the alarm system off every time.

Anyhow, the Rac called out a recovery truck to tow it to my garage - luckily he was a 'disco' man and using the non battery key fob, did a sequence of key turns which seemed to turn the immoboliser off, allowing us to enter the car and use the battery powered key fob to start her up. We turned her over several times with no issues so I drove home thinking problem solved.......until the next morning when she locked me out and every time I tried to get in using the 'none' battery key the alarm system went off.

So we now have a very large obstruction on our driveway, and parked in a position that will be very hard to get it out to put on a tow truck.......!!!

Anyhow my question is, was the recovery truck driver either lucky, or a magician - or is there a sequence of key turns that anyone else know about that can help us open the drivers door without the alarm going off, so that we can at least start the thing to get it to our landy garage?

Thanks for listening!

ps by some miracle we have the key code but annoyingly doesn't seem to help when we have tried to re programme the key.

Do you have the owner's manual, if so read the section on how to enter the car using the Emergency Key Access code, which is a 4 figure number. I get the feeling that somehow the bloke knew the code and used it. I am assuming you have a note of these numbers. This might get your car back on the road temporarily at least.

Are you sure the battery in the fob is OK?

Thanks, we do have the 4 fig code and have tried reprogramming it ourselves as per the user manual, but to no avail. There is no way he could have known the code as we didn't even know it at that stage, as was in the cars paperwork sitting in a file at home.......very odd.

The rac man tested the key fob and said there was power - having said that the red light no longer flashes on it but was like that when he tested it.

Welcome
Firstly being an Idiot is not exclusive to being female you know.

Maybe he got lucky and used a generic number that some use (the range rover is 1515 i think comes to mind) No clue if the Disco is the same. Plus (on RR) you have to wait for it to ask for said code, I would suggest you read the security part of the manual and that there is another way I.E key in ignition and press button on fob, you do have to follow the EKA code positively, deliberate and slowly.
From your comments this magic man did it there and then so you watched him and he didn't do anything else?

But I dont know Discos.

Good luck with it you are nowhere near the need for a can of petrol and matches............................Yet.

J

marjon said:

Welcome
Firstly being an Idiot is not exclusive to being female you know.

Maybe he got lucky and used a generic number that some use (the range rover is 1515 i think comes to mind) No clue if the Disco is the same. Plus (on RR) you have to wait for it to ask for said code, I would suggest you read the security part of the manual and that there is another way I.E key in ignition and press button on fob, you do have to follow the EKA code positively, deliberate and slowly.
From your comments this magic man did it there and then so you watched him and he didn't do anything else?

But I dont know Discos.

Good luck with it you are nowhere near the need for a can of petrol and matches............................Yet.

J

Click to expand...

Thank you for making me laugh!!!

He literally turned the manual key 4-5 times clockwise (sadly I can't recall the entire sequence but he said I could google it), then opened the door and put the battery powered key fob in and started it up!

The problem is we can't even get the key in the ignition, as we can only open the driver door with the manual key, whereby the immobliser/alarm system kicks in.........maybe he just got lucky then?

Not considering the petrol/match option yet, but am tempted to get out the steel toe capped boots and a heavy duty tin opener!!!!!

Welcome!

Many owners change the EKA code to something that is easy to enter, like 1 1 1 1 etc as code entry can be error prone.

I assume by a number of key turns you mean in the driver's door lock? Did you hear the "beep" at the beginning and end of the sequence? If you have tried to enter the code yourself, at what point does it seem to fail?

You could also try unlocking by holding your battery fob as close as possible to the RF receiver in the roof, near the rear sunroof. Has been known to work.

Can you contact your "Disco man" to ask him what he did?

Good luck.

Sadly I did not note the number of the recovery truck so have no way of contacting 'disco' man....

I will go out and try it again - of course the key code could have been changed somewhere along the years.

Would anyone be able to tell me the difference between the 4 figure key code and the longer emergency access key code? I have only tried the 4 figure code but wondering if the longer emergency code could hold a clue.....

Many thanks

I would advise going on YouTube and search Discovery 2 EKA code. There is a very good video on there explaining exactly how to enter it. I am guessing the “key code” you have is not the EKA code, and it’s a code for programming keys only. If you have the original docs for the car, the EKA code should be in there. Failing that you either need to go to a main dealer or contact Historic Landrover with proof of ownership. Once you have entered the code properly, your need to reset some stuff with a Nanocom to turn the immobiliser settings off, or it will keep locking you out. Or put a new RF receiver in to rule that out. If it gets wet again though, your back to square one !!

meego said:

I would advise going on YouTube and search Discovery 2 EKA code. There is a very good video on there explaining exactly how to enter it. I am guessing the “key code” you have is not the EKA code, and it’s a code for programming keys only. If you have the original docs for the car, the EKA code should be in there. Failing that you either need to go to a main dealer or contact Historic Landrover with proof of ownership. Once you have entered the code properly, your need to reset some stuff with a Nanocom to turn the immobiliser settings off, or it will keep locking you out. Or put a new RF receiver in to rule that out. If it gets wet again though, your back to square one !!

Click to expand...

Thanks meego - I have the original 4 figure key no, but not working and suspect it is a receiver issue.

Could I ask what the longer emergency access key code is - in the original documentation it has the 4 fig key no, and also a longer 9 digit emergency access key code. What is this longer code for?

PopPops said:

Welcome!

Many owners change the EKA code to something that is easy to enter, like 1 1 1 1 etc as code entry can be error prone.

I assume by a number of key turns you mean in the driver's door lock? Did you hear the "beep" at the beginning and end of the sequence? If you have tried to enter the code yourself, at what point does it seem to fail?

You could also try unlocking by holding your battery fob as close as possible to the RF receiver in the roof, near the rear sunroof. Has been known to work.

Can you contact your "Disco man" to ask him what he did?

Good luck.

Click to expand...

Hi and thank you. When I try to enter the code it does the initial single beep after holding the key in unlock position for 5 seconds, but doesn't do the double beep at the end of the sequence (or even the single beep which indicates you have put it in incorrectly).......

elsie52 said:

Sadly I did not note the number of the recovery truck so have no way of contacting 'disco' man....

I will go out and try it again - of course the key code could have been changed somewhere along the years.

Would anyone be able to tell me the difference between the 4 figure key code and the longer emergency access key code? I have only tried the 4 figure code but wondering if the longer emergency code could hold a clue.....

Many thanks

Click to expand...

The EKA code could be 4 figure, but could be longer, for example mine is like 10 11 5 9 which I would call 4 numbers but 6 digits. This is getting complicated. My EKA code was scribbled in the back of the handbook as EKA, and I checked it later using the Nanocom diagnostics.

I've attached the EKA page from the workshop manual which is a bit more comprehensive than the page in the owner's manual.

Good luck.

Hi Elsie. If you put your approx location in your profile there may be someone near to you to help.
Griff

elsie52 said:

Thanks meego - I have the original 4 figure key no, but not working and suspect it is a receiver issue.

Could I ask what the longer emergency access key code is - in the original documentation it has the 4 fig key no, and also a longer 9 digit emergency access key code. What is this longer code for?

Click to expand...

The code has to be entered accurately and the key returned to centre every time. If not you won’t get the double beeb at the end. You also need to wait full 5 mins before opening the door and starting the car. There is always the chance a previous owner has reset the EKA code to something simpler !! You will need Nanocom to establish this, but it’s useless until you can get it mobilised. If this is the case, then it’s an issue I think.

PopPops said:

The EKA code could be 4 figure, but could be longer, for example mine is like 10 11 5 9 which I would call 4 numbers but 6 digits. This is getting complicated. My EKA code was scribbled in the back of the handbook as EKA, and I checked it later using the Nanocom diagnostics.

I've attached the EKA page from the workshop manual which is a bit more comprehensive than the page in the owner's manual.

Good luck.

Click to expand...

I have this as my eka 05101109, so what you are saying is that is could be 05 10 11 09?? (key no is 7744 which is what I have been trying). Also as 0 cant occur, would I just put in 5 10 11 9?! As you said, complicated!!!!!

Will have a look at the attachment, many thanks again!

Landmark2 said:

Hi Elsie. If you put your approx location in your profile there may be someone near to you to help.
Griff

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Thank you, you are all so kind. I am in Powys, mid wales.

elsie52 said:

I have this as my eka 05101109, so what you are saying is that is could be 05 10 11 09?? (key no is 7744 which is what I have been trying).

Will have a look at the attachment, many thanks again!

Click to expand...

I would try 5, 10, 11, 9
Watch the video I told you about before trying it.

+1 ^^^

I would say 5, 10, 11, 9 is the EKA, if it hasn't been changed.

Hate to rain on the parade here.
How did Mr Magic Disco know that then?? Cos he didnt as the OP has already said.

J

You

PopPops said:

+1 ^^^

I would say 5, 10, 11, 9 is the EKA, if it hasn't been changed.

Click to expand...

Whoop whoop, it worked!!! Thank you all so much and espescially PopPops - I could bloody hug you!! xx

Thank you all so much - I was quite worried about coming on here, but you have all been so kind in trying to help. One Discovery 2 happily purring on the drive and at least I know what to do if it happens again!!!!!

Thank you again, over and out........