Smart key system problem

Hi. I have a 2014 Freelander 2 which I bought a couple of months ago. The other day I had an error something like " smart key not found, refer to owners manual". I tried the spare fob and got the same message. Changed batteries on both. I thought that fixed it as it worked once. But then same message. I was also getting a message something like "start engine or system will power down in 3 minutes" . I don't think I've seen that before. I had to get into car using manual key which is a real faff. Also it set the alarm off. Then it took a while for car to start even with fob placed under steering column as per owners manual.

Any ideas? I wondered if it's a sign the car battery needs replacing, but there's no other signs of issues with that which I can see.

Thanks
Stuart

Hi stuey, did you ever get to the cause of the issue with the smart key ? As I've got the same issue but only have one key !

Robin 2 said:

Hi stuey, did you ever get to the cause of the issue with the smart key ? As I've got the same issue but only have one key !

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Difficult to test both keys if you only have one. How old is the vehicle battery, and how old is the key battery?


It's also worth remembering not to buy a car (unless it's very chealp) with only one key. A vehicle is supplied new with two keys, so you have to question who has the other one if you've just bought a car with one. It's not unheard of for a previous owner to steal the car back with the key they kept, so it's sensible to get a replacement key and have the missing key removed from the system to prevent that from happening. It's also part of most insurance theft cover that the owner is in possession of both keys. If you don't have both keys to send to the insurers if the vehicle is stolen, they could very well refuse the claim. As insurance fraud is increasing, this issue will become more of an issue as insurers will try to get out of paying more and more.