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Key recognition issue

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:14 pm
by mhalls
Hi,can anyone please advise me.

I have a 2001 Range rover p38 4.0 v8. My battery had gone flat & i have re- charged it. I now find that that i have key lock out & engine will not start. I have followed the handbook instructions but i cant get the key fob to work on the locking & the engine will still not start.On the dashboard it still comes up with key code lockout. Any suggestions welcome as i have only owned the car 3 months & have had no previous problems with any of its electrics. Thanks Martin

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 2:28 pm
by DaveEFI
Have you just one key? Has that got a replaceable battery? Some charge up when in the ignition - and those batteries can fail too.
Many keys have got a transponder chip in them - like on a touch card - and that should still work. But not sure what year they arrived.

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 3:29 pm
by mhalls
Thanks Dave i will check . i have 2 keys but the spare may well not be charged as well because i have"nt used it since i first bought the car. I will take the keys apart and try a new battery as a starting point. Martin

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:37 am
by unstable load
Go to RangeRovers.net forum and have a read in their P38 section.

There's a guy on there called MartyNZ who is based in Swindon, and he is a wizard with the P38.
He is on http://p38webshop.co.uk

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2018 9:15 pm
by mhalls
Thanks for info John.

I will get in touch with MartyNZ during the week & explain the issue to him & see if he can suggest anything or come & have a look if he wishes.

Martin

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 3:12 pm
by ChrisJC
You need to resynchronise the key and car with the EKA code. It should be with the vehicle paperwork, if not your Land Rover dealer will let you have it.

I found the process very fiddly, and easy to skip a number. I also think the manual is written for a left hand drive car, so all the directions are back to front, but I'm not sure about that.

If you mess up, it locks you out for an ever increasing amount of time.

I got it to work 3rd time lucky.

Chris.

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:11 pm
by Ian Anderson
Not got a Rangie but I found with others.
Turn on ignition
Press the lock button
Press the unlock button
Turn off ignition

This has always in the past re synchronised key and ignition for me

Ian

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 2:48 pm
by mhalls
Problem is now sorted but took a lot of time to get to the bottom of it.

Thanks for every ones input

Regards Martin

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 4:29 pm
by Ian Anderson
What is the secret, in case I hear of the problem in the future?

Cheers
Ian

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2018 9:39 pm
by mhalls
Ian,
I searched through all my documentation & found that at some point the cars ecu had been changed. so i found out what the key code lock number had been changed to. I then followed the procedure in the hand book by inserting the key in the lock, turning the key to the left 4 times, followed by the code number key turns & finally turning the key to the right after the sequence.

I then resynced the key to the car by putting key in the ignition turning to position 2 holding down the lock button.

The key fob now locks / unlocks the car & the car starts.

I was lucky as the cars ecu was changed by a dealer & had the paperwork to trace them.

The handbook procedure works but you have to follow it precisely.

Regards Martin

Re: Key recognition issue

Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:14 am
by unstable load
That procedure is called the EKA access method. It's the "manual" way of unlocking the car.
You may be heading towards an issue with your door locks if it repeats itself in the future. The locks have a few microswitches in them which connect to the BeCM under the right seat and they start to wear as they age, causing lots of grief with non starting and locking/unlocking issues.
Marty reconditions the locks, so if you start to have difficulties, give him a shout.