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Activity Key behavior with Approach Unlock

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Old Sep 7, 2023 | 06:32 PM
  #11  
Dogpilot's Avatar
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I had ordered mine with the vehicle, but it was deleted from the order later. Anyhow, I did find one on eBay for $300 or so. After the vehicle arrived I showed up with the key to pick up the car and have it programmed. The dealer could not figure out how to program it. I did poke around on the web and finally found that it is no different than programming any key to the vehicle. I went back to the dealer, no they said I didn't have the module. OK, I check, the module in question is the KVM module, under the driver's seat and every car that has the new style fancy key has one. I had that as well. I asked two more dealers, both looked at my VIN and responded not possible. I went back to the original dealer let the seat go forward, pulled up the hatch, pointed to the KVM module and told them not to tell me that again or I will melt down. So they then give me a speech that they do not install customer supplied parts. Armed with my original order, said, "If so, then you had your chance to do that. I ordered it, you did not supply it." They took my three keys and sheepishly go back to the service area and come back with the trio and pronounce the set working correctly. $225 please. They also charge $225 just to hook the computer up to your car to read codes. Get a code scanner, well worth the $15.

I use it all the time. Since the supplied key is nearly the size, but thicker than my iPhone! "Are you happy to see me or do you own a Land Rover?" Joke comes to mind. Mine does do one thing my key seems not to. It will open all your windows and sunroof if you hold the unlock symbol for several seconds. Very cool on warm days. Weird, it also locks the doors after the windows and sunroof opens. No big deal, since the handle button works as it should. I have never left the regular key in the car, so it it disables it or not I do not know. I did change the band to a non-fruity rubber (makes your wrist smell) to a nylon velcro sport band style, like my Apple Watch. It also says Range Rover instead of Defender. Miscongeneration!




 
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Old Sep 8, 2023 | 09:27 AM
  #12  
DrPizz's Avatar
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Joined: Aug 2022
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From: Columbus, OH
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Originally Posted by Dogpilot
I had ordered mine with the vehicle, but it was deleted from the order later. Anyhow, I did find one on eBay for $300 or so. After the vehicle arrived I showed up with the key to pick up the car and have it programmed. The dealer could not figure out how to program it. I did poke around on the web and finally found that it is no different than programming any key to the vehicle. I went back to the dealer, no they said I didn't have the module. OK, I check, the module in question is the KVM module, under the driver's seat and every car that has the new style fancy key has one. I had that as well. I asked two more dealers, both looked at my VIN and responded not possible. I went back to the original dealer let the seat go forward, pulled up the hatch, pointed to the KVM module and told them not to tell me that again or I will melt down. So they then give me a speech that they do not install customer supplied parts. Armed with my original order, said, "If so, then you had your chance to do that. I ordered it, you did not supply it." They took my three keys and sheepishly go back to the service area and come back with the trio and pronounce the set working correctly. $225 please. They also charge $225 just to hook the computer up to your car to read codes. Get a code scanner, well worth the $15.

I use it all the time. Since the supplied key is nearly the size, but thicker than my iPhone! "Are you happy to see me or do you own a Land Rover?" Joke comes to mind. Mine does do one thing my key seems not to. It will open all your windows and sunroof if you hold the unlock symbol for several seconds. Very cool on warm days. Weird, it also locks the doors after the windows and sunroof opens. No big deal, since the handle button works as it should. I have never left the regular key in the car, so it it disables it or not I do not know. I did change the band to a non-fruity rubber (makes your wrist smell) to a nylon velcro sport band style, like my Apple Watch. It also says Range Rover instead of Defender. Miscongeneration!
but just to be clear, you need more than a $15 code scanner to program the activity key, correct? I still have my unprogrammed activity key sitting in the drawer until I decide my best path forward. It's my understanding that I need a [pricey] GAP IID tool to do it myself.

 
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Old Sep 8, 2023 | 09:46 AM
  #13  
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From: Flagstaff, AZ
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Yes do not confuse the GAP tool and a code scanner. My comment is they charge the same to read your car for codes as they do to program your key. At least with a $15 code scanner you can see what the "Check Engine" light is all about. Kind of another rant, how many computers on this and nearly every other vehicle and we have an idiot light telling us to "Check Engine!"

Yes a GAP tool will let you program your keys to your KVM module, whether activity key or the oversize fob key. It has some other cool functions, unfortunately at a high price. There are other hacking software suites that run on PCs. I have heard rumors, but never seen one in the wild myself. Should you be talented in programming, one can do this directly through the code and a CANBUS converter. I have CANBUS on my aircraft as well for certain a quasi network. Quite the pain in the butt. They were so cute, all the fuel functions through CANBUS and everything else through AtoD converters. CANBUS is just a communications backbone for interconnecting multiple computers in the car, boat, airplane. I have also seen other makes that use the same KVM module have a stand alone programmer. Of course each manufacturer will tweak the module's internal ROM to be compatible with its specific vehicle. I found that the KVM module's part number to be the same over a number of JLR products.

Unless you want to diddle with your vehicle's systems. I would just bite the bullet and get the car programmed to the key. I really like the silly thing and use it exclusively about 90% of the time. The regular key is just too damm big! I guess I am supposed to carry some kind of man-purse.
 
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Old Sep 8, 2023 | 11:15 AM
  #14  
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From: Columbus, OH
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Originally Posted by Dogpilot
Yes do not confuse the GAP tool and a code scanner. My comment is they charge the same to read your car for codes as they do to program your key. At least with a $15 code scanner you can see what the "Check Engine" light is all about. Kind of another rant, how many computers on this and nearly every other vehicle and we have an idiot light telling us to "Check Engine!"

Yes a GAP tool will let you program your keys to your KVM module, whether activity key or the oversize fob key. It has some other cool functions, unfortunately at a high price. There are other hacking software suites that run on PCs. I have heard rumors, but never seen one in the wild myself. Should you be talented in programming, one can do this directly through the code and a CANBUS converter. I have CANBUS on my aircraft as well for certain a quasi network. Quite the pain in the butt. They were so cute, all the fuel functions through CANBUS and everything else through AtoD converters. CANBUS is just a communications backbone for interconnecting multiple computers in the car, boat, airplane. I have also seen other makes that use the same KVM module have a stand alone programmer. Of course each manufacturer will tweak the module's internal ROM to be compatible with its specific vehicle. I found that the KVM module's part number to be the same over a number of JLR products.

Unless you want to diddle with your vehicle's systems. I would just bite the bullet and get the car programmed to the key. I really like the silly thing and use it exclusively about 90% of the time. The regular key is just too damm big! I guess I am supposed to carry some kind of man-purse.
Thanks for the insight. Can't say I'm much of a programmer, and I personally don't plan to step into man-purse territory any time soon, so maybe I'll just get it programmed here locally
 
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Old Sep 8, 2023 | 12:03 PM
  #15  
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From: Flagstaff, AZ
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Apparently, according to my ever friendly service rep. The reason they have the, what would seem to be excessive, charge to read your codes is a result of JLR service rules. They must hook the vehicle up to an uninterruptible power supply, disconnect the battery to hook it up to the magic JLR computer. They do not want power interruptions while accessing the and programming the firmware. A failed load can literally ruin a module and corrupt it. I get that, however remote the possibility may be. Perhaps they should ask the phone programmers how they do it. Then again, many have strict requirements on battery charge or must be attached to the charger to do it, for this very reason.

I just did the massive updates of the databases on my aircraft's nav system. It had a "trip on the ground power cable" interruption. So I had a bunch of corrupted databases. I had to search to find the fix, which was kind of the "Vulcan Death Grip" on a magic combination of buttons while re-starting the Nav system, with the SD card in a different slot. That was a two day exercise.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2024 | 11:16 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by MickD
I added an Activity Key today using the GAP IID tool and it behaves differently than my Keyfobs.
- Approach unlock/lock doesn't work (I have approach unlock/lock activated via GAP IID and enabled in the UI)
- I can unlock the car using the button on the door handle, but I cant lock it that way

I'm curious, if anyone here has an Activity Key and Approach Unlock activated, does yours behave the same?
Did you ever get this figured out? Mine does the same thing. I reverted the CCF settings back to Disabled for both approach and walk away locking, and that restored my ability the use push button on the handle with the Activity Key again.

I also never got approach unlock to work correctly with any of the key fobs. It's not the end of the world but would be nice to have full functionality.

 
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Old Mar 5, 2024 | 06:29 AM
  #17  
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From: Northeastern USA
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Can I have the Activity Key added to a 2020 Defender X that I just purchased Certified Pre Owned? I have it on my Discovery V and really like it.
 
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Old Mar 5, 2024 | 12:11 PM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by lawlence
Did you ever get this figured out? Mine does the same thing. I reverted the CCF settings back to Disabled for both approach and walk away locking, and that restored my ability the use push button on the handle with the Activity Key again.

I also never got approach unlock to work correctly with any of the key fobs. It's not the end of the world but would be nice to have full functionality.
No, although i haven't fiddled with it. So when you disable the approach unlock/lock you can then use the button on the door handle to both lock and unlock? Mine will only unlock that way, it cant lock the car.

Other than that, my approach unlock/lock works with my normal keyfobs, just not the activity key.
 
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Old Mar 5, 2024 | 02:23 PM
  #19  
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From: CO
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Originally Posted by MickD
No, although i haven't fiddled with it. So when you disable the approach unlock/lock you can then use the button on the door handle to both lock and unlock? Mine will only unlock that way, it cant lock the car.

Other than that, my approach unlock/lock works with my normal keyfobs, just not the activity key.
I had to disable it via the CCF. Toggling it on Pivi wouldn't restore function. I spoke with Patrick at GAP about it and it's most likely a software issue -- the functionality may be partially there but not totally integrated as it was never released as a feature on these cars.
 
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Old Mar 5, 2024 | 03:05 PM
  #20  
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From: Cape Cod, Mass
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I have an activity key that I maybe have used three times in over 2 years. I go boating, skiing, you name it and i guess I don't need another thing on my wrist - though I could put it in a pocket and be less worried if it gets wet I guess.
 
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