Immobilised in the deep bush. My worst fears.

[rangerdanger]

I've been losing key synchronisation on a more and more frequent basis, which I've been happily resynchronising by holding the fob button while turning the key in the drivers door lock.
My worst fears were realised today though. I had an overnight camp in the bush where I left the car unlocked overnight, then jumped in and tried to start. Engine immobilised...:o

No problem I thought. Got out, synched the key with the fob button while locking the car with the door key, unlocked it using the fob button and got back in. Pulled key out of the ignition, put back in. Still no joy.

Thought I'd lock and unlock using the fob, then give it another go. Stupid me, made the mistake of hitting the 'lock' fob button on the key and locked myself in the car. Unlock fob button wouldn't work. Tried unlocking by lifting the drivers side door button, but wouldn't work. Got the passenger side button to lift and crawled out with the alarm blaring.
Unlocked the drivers door using the key and the alarm stopped.

Resynched and tried again. Definite no go. Me thinks to myself.... must be a timeout period after setting off the alarm.

I then found I could resynch the key using the 'lock' button on the fob while locking the door. The door would then unlock OK with the fob, but if relocked with the fob a second time, the unlock button would not work.

I noticed also that I cannot resynchronise by pushing the 'unlock' fob button while unlocking the door with the key.

I sat for half an hour, meanwhile shoving the key in and out of the ignition key barrel vigorously a heap of times at while holding out my tongue and applying pressure on the key up, down, sideways, etc.

After half an hour, synchronised the key fob into the locked position, then unlocked using the fob. Got in, prayed, turned the key and the beast roared to life.

The car has been starting fine since but still losing synch occasionally.

The key battery is fine, the key buttons are fine and the red LED on the fob is lighting whenever the buttons are pushed, whether they actually operate the door locks or not.
I'm thinking it has to be either in the D/S door latch, ignition switch, key fob or receiver.

Definitely an experience I don't want to repeat. Any ideas or suggestions on troubleshooting?

[goingbush]

Dont know if its the same on a P38 but you can disable the immobiliser on the Td5 Defender with a Nanocom, so that the Key always works and the fob is a decoration.


Imobiliser is good in the city but knowing you wont be stranded in the outback if you lose the keys or get them wet is even better.

[Rupert Prior]

what year model is your p38? there are a few things that can be done, but it depends on what the original spec was as to what will need doing.for example, if yours is pre 1999, it may just need a becm reprogram and a new door latch. 1999 on, it could be a failing becm (but these are just a few of the posibilities).

[rangerdanger]

Rupert, thanks
It is a 1995 with a new BECM about 10 years ago. It has the emergency key access code disabled. Not sure what this means for me if it immobilised and the key fob loses synchronisation. It relies heavily on the microswitches in the door latch working I would think.

The fact that the key not synchronise by holding the unlock button and unlocking the door with the key suggests that perhaps the unlock microswitch in the latch is the culprit?

Thoughts?

Could I replace the latch myself without needing to access the BECM?

[benji]

I wonder if you could just replace the switches. They dont seem to be anything special.

[Offender90]

Dont know if its the same on a P38 but you can disable the immobiliser on the Td5 Defender with a Nanocom, so that the Key always works and the fob is a decoration.


Imobiliser is good in the city but knowing you wont be stranded in the outback if you lose the keys or get them wet is even better.

Couldn't agree more.

In WA, you have to have an immobiliser fitted for rego purposes... which brings me to my story.

Some years back, SWMBO and I took a week long trip up the WA coast in the 90. Spent day two snorkeling around Abrolhos Islands and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, couldn't have had a better day! Until we got get back to the car, that is... Unbeknownst to us, the immobiliser FOB joined us for the swim... (naughty little FOB, how dare it)!??

Now the car is parked in Geraldton, so that's good. It's just after 5, and the shops are all closed, not so good. That would be OK if we didn't have the night booked and paid for at a resort in Monkey Mia, some 400km due north.

The good news was that just prior to the trip, I had pulled the dash apart and knew exactly where the immobiliser was and even how to disable it... the bad news was it took the best part of 3 hours to pull it apart and put back together.

As luck would have it, our pilot chanced upon us in the carpark not 15 minutes into the job... He had some contact cleaner in his car, and a FOB battery that's the same size as ours. Apparently, we're not the only genii around that take their keys swimming on Abrolhos. We were the first he came across that were dismantling the dash to disable the immobiliser (or so he tells us - worked a treat for a bruised ego in either case, but I digress).

Half an hour of cleaning the contacts and drying out the buttons later, the car started and we were on our way.

Moral of the story, if you have an immobiliser fitted, try to have a way of bypassing it in an emergency... preferably one that doesn't involve 3 hours of labour to execute!

Bojan

[Rupert Prior]

from your description, and that you have had the EKA disabled (how you get door key over ride), it sounds like a door latch would be the way to go. the switches in the latch are normally fine, it is the linkages to them that break. i think the new latches are only the 1999 on type, so have to have the old connector fitted. it is also worth checking the becm as even a small amount of water will start corrosion on the boards (it might take 6 months but the they eventually die) a give away is the top alloy cover has white corrosion patches.

[rangerdanger]

Drivers door latch ordered and fitted. Synchronised the remote and everything unlocked and locked happily. Left overnight and it unlocked with the remote, but lost synchronisation again the very next time it was locked after a short drive. It will only resynchronise using the 'lock' button while locking with the key. Not sure if this is a how it is meant to be.

The BECM has a couple of very minor white corrosion spots on top. Not enough to suggest any moisture damage, but how do I tell?

Could there be something in the remote which intermittently loses connection with the remote battery while driving?
Would any faults be thrown up from the BECM?

Any ideas gratefully accepted.
Troy N

[Rupert Prior]

does the car remobilise if you unlock the car with the key in the drivers door? is the remote sychronisation the only problem?

[stickso]

I'm wondering if I should be worried about this. Mine regularly lose sync with the key but thought it was just a minor inconvenience.

[rangerdanger]

Rupert, it remobilises via the doorlock OK. It really is just an inconvenience now, especially when you have to resynch it every 2nd time it is unlocked.

[Rupert Prior]

it could be a few things, remote triggering by itself but out of range of the car, remote batteries or circuit dropping out, radio interference around the car, alarm reciever breaking down or a becm fault. try some new bateries of a known brand (not the chinese copies) check the date on the packet and make sure they are 3.2v each.

[rangerdanger]

Thaks Rupert, I discovered that the casing on the key was spreading apart and losing battery contact when the key was folded out. I've opened it up and glued it back together so hopefully that has fixed it. Thanks for your help.

[Rupert Prior]

i'm glad it was something simple.