Keys

[Dexter Morgan]

I only have one key for me Range Rover

I want a second one so that if I loose or break the one I currently have I can still at least get into the car. Called the mean stealer in Leicester and got a chap who wasn't 100% helpful and said he could only get me "key 3" if the key I had was "key 1" being as the 10 year old white label is no longer on the back of the key I couldnt tell him much more than its a flick out blade with a remote fob.

Basically what I wanna know is:

-Is going to the dealer with my only key and ordering a new one same as for £126.52 my best option?

-Can I just head up into town and get a new blade cut, or are even the blades alone a dealer job?

-Is the key or fob coded to the door or central locking as well as the ignition.

-Can I go into town and get a blade cut and mounted on a (for example only) ford key fob and use it to open the car instead of paying for a key and remote fob for a high price at the dealer thats only gonna hang on a wall at home and never used unless I loose the orginal?

[steve_a]

What model range rover...?

You can always just get a key cut. However depending on the model it may not mean that the alarm is off or the immobiliser unarmed.

Typically you need to get a blipper paired with car, that means the key and car at a garage (probably a main dealer). The older 2 button lucas ones I think you can get a second hand one and it can be tied to the car. The newer ones you need the serial number of the blipper I believe, this mostly means a new one and so is about the price you quoted.

If it is the new style then you can use a simple key to unarm the car by using the EKA code, but it sounds like a faff, you need the code and then it says to wait 10 mins for the alarm to turn off before you drive it.

I think the old style you can just use the spare key and all is well.

[Matt Neale]

I only have one key for me Range Rover

I want a second one so that if I loose or break the one I currently have I can still at least get into the car. Called the mean stealer in Leicester and got a chap who wasn't 100% helpful and said he could only get me "key 3" if the key I had was "key 1" being as the 10 year old white label is no longer on the back of the key I couldnt tell him much more than its a flick out blade with a remote fob.

Basically what I wanna know is:

-Is going to the dealer with my only key and ordering a new one same as for £126.52 my best option?

-Can I just head up into town and get a new blade cut, or are even the blades alone a dealer job?

-Is the key or fob coded to the door or central locking as well as the ignition.

-Can I go into town and get a blade cut and mounted on a (for example only) ford key fob and use it to open the car instead of paying for a key and remote fob for a high price at the dealer thats only gonna hang on a wall at home and never used unless I loose the orginal?

You can get a key cut that will physically fit the lock, yes - however, the key also contains a transponder - that's the bit that disarms the immobiliser. It needs to be matched to the car so that both the car and the transponder have the same electronic code - without that, the immobiliser won't mobilise and the vehicle won't start.

The fob (the bit with the battery in it) is a transmitter which arms/disarms the alarm (and normally the central locking etc). Although it's linked with the immobiliser, the two are effectively separate systems. You may end up only using the spare remote if you lose the original, but you'll still get into the car and start it with the key.

Matt

[Dexter Morgan]

It's a 98 P38 Signature. And my key I'm guessing it the older style, three buttons, lock, unlock and the release to flick the key blade out with a little red light on the top right hand corner

[BogMonster]

The two keys have a black battery cover and a grey battery cover IIRC. Key one is one colour and key two is the other colour, thats how to tell them apart, I can't recall which is which and don't have the info to hand but the person you are dealing with should have. Be warned that the grey one looks nearly black so they are hard to tell apart unless you are looking at two side by side. You need to have one of key 1 and one of key 2, if you try and program two key 1s (for example) to the same spot on the alarm ecu then only one of them will work. You need three things to order a new key from Land Rover;

1) vin number

2) which key you are after i.e. 1 or 2

3) part number for the actual key (the dealer can check this in Microcat)

[David Sparkes]

It's a 98 P38 Signature. And my key I'm guessing it the older style, three buttons, lock, unlock and the release to flick the key blade out with a little red light on the top right hand corner

Read this page, then ask for more detail about any parts you don't understand.

http://www.landywiki.co.uk/index.php?title...ys_and_Security

Note that this reflects the situation several years ago.

I don't know whether Ford (in particular) maintained all the key options. I've been told that all 4 aren't available now, but the source was in America.

It would be useful if you let us know how you get on.

-Is going to the dealer with my only key and ordering a new one same as for £126.52 my best option?

If you want the remote facility, Yes. If you just want a blank key you can probably get one cut 'anywhere'.

-Is the key or fob coded to the door or central locking as well as the ignition.

Yes.

Do you have the EKA for your car?

If not, you can get information from Land Rover Dealers, but with the following provisos.

Nowadays they will charge you for the information.

The information reflects the original fitment. This information should be updated by the installing Dealer if a new lockset was fitted for any reason.

Thus it's a gamble whether the information in the database is correct.

If you order a new handset based on the information, but find the lockset has been changed and the new handset doesn't work, there is no recompense, you have lost your money.

Certain Independents with the appropriate Rovacom (Blackbox Solutions) module can read a locked BECM, and thus access the EKA that is inside it. Unless one of them contributes here, the detail of what this module can do is best obtained directly from them.

HTH