Thread: Locked out

My D4's handbook doesn't explain how the key is to be used. As you can't hear anything when you turn the key perhaps the main battery is flat.

Mobile again. Was a worn out battery in the key that wasnt holding charge.

Went home and got the spare- all good..

Ive pulled the faulty key apart and soldered in the spare battery and it works now

The plastic is mashed , but will do. ive got a spare case coming to transplant the circuit board into.

Played with the emergency key entry under the cover on the passenger door handle.

The owner manual (that I now have access to), says to turn the key CCW to open, the door will open and you put the key in the ignition to silence the alarm.

The key went in OK - Tried turning key and nothing happened. It turned slightly with a bit of force but it didnt unlock. Perhaps it is seized from never being used? Perhaps the ignition key/lock got replaced before I owned it and they didnt upgrade the doorlock. Might check with dealer?

Anyone used the emergency entry? How should it operate?

Originally Posted by Grappler

Played with the emergency key entry under the cover on the passenger door handle.
Anyone used the emergency entry? How should it operate?

It should operate like a normal key. The hard part is getting the cap off without breaking the tabs - easy once you have done it a few times but first time, a challenge and it sounds like you have succeeded on that front.

As to which way it turn the key, I think counter clock wise but it is either that way or the other way. It can be a bit stiff, but not such that one would break the blade. More likely it is frozen from lack of use over the last six years. I cycle mine at least once a year in part just to prove to myself I remember how to get the cap off.

Since you can get in, a possible first solution might be one of squirting some sort of lubricant in thru the key slot and hoping something gets slippery.

Probably a week of fooling around and you will be fine. I doubt the locks have been replaced; the concern is probably a result of lack of use.

A Land Rover dealer might find in the vehicle computer service history some change of lock billing but I cannot figure out how one would induce him to look. Also he is looking for the absence of a lock change billing so that is kind of hopeless. Ultimately someone would have to pull the door card off and that is not a fun activity either.

In view of the issues raised I though I would check my key opening.

The key went in the slot under the plastic covering and it came away no issues.

In accordance with the instructions in my handbook I put the key in the lock and turned it counter clockwise in accordance with the instructions in the handbook and of course nothing happened.

I then noticed that in the handbook that while the text instructs to turn CCW the associated pic has the key being turned CLOCKWISE not CCW.

I tried it that way and of course it did not open .

I thought that well the car is now 7 years old and probably the lock has not been used and the key is very thick and not likely to break so I first used a bit of force counter clockwise and nothing - then did the same clockwise - then with a little extra force the key moved a further 20 degrees and it unlocked.

So - the key needs to be turned CLOCKWISE like the pic and not CCW like the written instructions say - I have crossed out "anti-" in my book.

Why cannot LR get things like this right - if I remember correctly the complicated unlocking/immobilizer procedure was the same in my 98 Freelander - do the opposite to what the instructions say .

Garry

Mine loosened up nicely after many weeks of on and off use, whilst awaiting new batteries and fobs, but it did feel like I was going to break the key first time I used it.

Originally Posted by garrycol

In view of the issues raised I though I would check my key opening.

The key went in the slot under the plastic covering and it came away no issues.

In accordance with the instructions in my handbook I put the key in the lock and turned it counter clockwise in accordance with the instructions in the handbook and of course nothing happened.

I then noticed that in the handbook that while the text instructs to turn CCW the associated pic has the key being turned CLOCKWISE not CCW.

I tried it that way and of course it did not open .

I thought that well the car is now 7 years old and probably the lock has not been used and the key is very thick and not likely to break so I first used a bit of force counter clockwise and nothing - then did the same clockwise - then with a little extra force the key moved a further 20 degrees and it unlocked.

So - the key needs to be turned CLOCKWISE like the pic and not CCW like the written instructions say - I have crossed out "anti-" in my book.

Why cannot LR get things like this right - if I remember correctly the complicated unlocking/immobilizer procedure was the same in my 98 Freelander - do the opposite to what the instructions say .

Garry

Great advice Garry
I just tried again. As you suggest did opposite to the handbook instruction, and with what I would consider too much force the emergency access worked.
Well worth giving the emergency access a practice run, so when you get caught out, like me the other day, you know what to do. Probably would have saved a round trip to get the spare fob/key

Had the same thing happened to me, when my alternator failed it drained my battery flat so my keys would not work tried the key in the left side door would not turn much either way so sprayed wd40 it took quite a while rotating back and forth but eventually opened cw. No alarm went off due to the flat battery. Battery has recovered nicely now and everything back to normal.