L322 TDV8 2007 "Key in Ignition" message with key removed

L322 TDV8 2007 Vogue

Since recharging a dead battery the message "key in ignition" appears even when the key is removed. The gong sounds when I open the driver's door as if the key was still in the ignition. Systems such as the A/V etc remain on and it continues to play with its fans/computers etc even when the key is removed. I can't lock the car with either the fob button or with the key in the door, only the driver's door locks. The engine starts and runs and switches off correctly.
I've tried two on-line methods to reprogram the key fobs but neither worked.

Any help and/or a recommendation for a garage in central Scotland who could assist me would be much appreciated. I've already had a very bad and expensive experience with a well-known LR dealer in Stirling so I need someone competent and honest.
Thanks in advance.
Jim

Disconnect the battery again, negative first. Leave it for about twenty minutes or so and try again. Reconnect + first, then neg and see how it goes.

Sometimes they need a tickle, a bit like re-starting a computer after it starts playing funny buggers

Hope you didn't charge it on the car while it was still connected did you? They tend to not like that either. You will need your codes to re-prog stereo and what not.

Doo said:

Disconnect the battery again, negative first. Leave it for about twenty minutes or so and try again. Reconnect + first, then neg and see how it goes.

Sometimes they need a tickle, a bit like re-starting a computer after it starts playing funny buggers

Hope you didn't charge it on the car while it was still connected did you? They tend to not like that either. You will need your codes to re-prog stereo and what not.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion but the battery was of course disconnected while being recharged which took some 12 hours. I've ordered a replacement since it died again whilst trying the various procedures suggested for resetting the key fobs. I'm not convinced the key fobs are the issue here as I've had no problems with them since I got the car a couple of months ago. The problem is that it doesn't acknowledge the removal of the key from the ignition so leaves all sorts of things running. Does anyone know if the key fobs are disabled whilst the key is in the ignition, if so it would explain that symptom? Does anyone know how the system determines the presence or absence of the key in the ignition?

If its anything like the p38 the internals of the lock can stick, a good squirt of contact cleaner not wd40 and wiggling of the key let it dry and then some graphite lock powder, worth a try.

One thing that does kill ignition barrels is a bunch of keys hanging off the ignition key! This puts extra strain on the barrel & internals.

Once had a mate that told me he sometimes had to restart his car after a sudden acceleration... I had a look, said I can fix that for the price of a pint. Ok said he, fix it. I simply removed his car key from the bunch and told him to try it.... It was indeed fixed, lol The sheer weight of keys caused the ignition key to turn back, switching off the engine.

He was a tad embarrassed that it was such an easy fix

However, as suggested by brian, get switch cleaner/contact cleaner & spray a bit in the key slot, work the key in & out a few times. DO NOT use WD40, 3in1 or any other oil based stuff. The ones suggested are alcohol based & it evaporates leaving no residue.

I still wonder if the ECU is keeping the relay closed and needs a disconnect to reset it though... It happens.

brianp38dse said:

If its anything like the p38 the internals of the lock can stick, a good squirt of contact cleaner not wd40 and wiggling of the key let it dry and then some graphite lock powder, worth a try.

Click to expand...

Brian, hereafter to be known as "Genius Brian". Thanks for the suggestion, I'm just back from town with my horribly expensive new battery and clutching a can of switch cleaner. It's dark and not conducive to battery replacement so I reconnected the recharged old one and sprayed the switch cleaner liberally into the ignition and gave the key a good wiggle about. This seems to have done the trick! The system seemed to acknowledge the removal of the key. The fob still wouldn't operate the locks and the setup process with the ignition didn't work until after I'd carried out the procedure with the driver's door lock. Then I carried out the procedure with the ignition and the system locked and unlocked the doors indicating success. The car locked using the fob remotely and is now ready for its battery replacement tomorrow, weather and muscle tone permitting -it's a bit of a beast but I've done it before on my other L322 though I had an assistant so my role was mostly grunting.
I'll report back on how that goes, meantime, many thanks to everyone for the assistance, especially "GB"

Great result, Pencil dust next then

Doo said:

One thing that does kill ignition barrels is a bunch of keys hanging off the ignition key! This puts extra strain on the barrel & internals.

Once had a mate that told me he sometimes had to restart his car after a sudden acceleration... I had a look, said I can fix that for the price of a pint. Ok said he, fix it. I simply removed his car key from the bunch and told him to try it.... It was indeed fixed, lol The sheer weight of keys caused the ignition key to turn back, switching off the engine.

He was a tad embarrassed that it was such an easy fix

However, as suggested by brian, get switch cleaner/contact cleaner & spray a bit in the key slot, work the key in & out a few times. DO NOT use WD40, 3in1 or any other oil based stuff. The ones suggested are alcohol based & it evaporates leaving no residue.

I still wonder if the ECU is keeping the relay closed and needs a disconnect to reset it though... It happens.

Click to expand...

Doo, see my reply to Brian. You confirmed it was right for me to resist the temptation to reach for the WD40 can and get the proper stuff. I take your point about the bunch of keys, I'll be removing mine forthwith. By the looks of the scratches below the ignition previous owners must have had similar weights attached which may account for the issue.

A wise man in the car trade told me a long time ago that every used car comes with a package of free gifts -all of the reasons it was sold- so I've been looking out for these since I got it a couple of months ago. So far I've found three -this ignition issue, the dud battery and a modest fuel leak from the injector area on the right side of the engine. The latter I'll leave to the garage since I just can't get into the rear nuts on the cover plate, the replacement battery deals with free gift number two and you guys have resolved the ignition key issue. So far so good

Glad it worked, only realaying info and experience gleaned from on here from some more experience than me.

brianp38dse said:

Glad it worked, only realaying info and experience gleaned from on here from some more experience than me.

Click to expand...

Battery replaced successfully but I'm not quite out of the woods yet, the seats no longer work!
I'll need to get those moving or develop longer legs as I'd moved the driver's seat right back.

Peasemould said:

Battery replaced successfully but I'm not quite out of the woods yet, the seats no longer work!
I'll need to get those moving or develop longer legs as I'd moved the driver's seat right back.

Click to expand...

Either they are connected with your ignition barrel issue or the fuse went... In my Jaguar XK8, the steering wheel moves away and up when I pull the key out and comes into my chosen position when I put the key in. So I should imagine your RR is the same. Perhaps the ignition isn't quite as fixed as you'd hoped, but just possibly the fuse went or the relay contacts need a clean.

Doo said:

Either they are connected with your ignition barrel issue or the fuse went... In my Jaguar XK8, the steering wheel moves away and up when I pull the key out and comes into my chosen position when I put the key in. So I should imagine your RR is the same. Perhaps the ignition isn't quite as fixed as you'd hoped, but just possibly the fuse went or the relay contacts need a clean.

Click to expand...

Checked the fuses this morning. Fuses 20 and 21 cover the seats. Fuse 21 was missing. Not guilty plea from me. Fitted a fuse and the seats now work as expected. I'm sticking to my not guilty plea so it's a bit of a puzzle as to why the seats appeared to work before all this. No matter, all is now operational.
Thanks again to all for the assistance.

We like easy fixes, wish they were all like that.

Ah, Easy Fixes.........yes, I remember those.
(Sighs and gazes out of window)