Completely out of the blue, my 2022 Defender no longer sees either of the key fobs, and won't start up. It comes up with the message to place the key "as shown", which is under the steering column, but that doesn't work either. Has anyone else seen this problem and/or have any ideas how to get it started?

 

I have not seen that in our MY22 Defender, but that happened to our 2019 Discovery. It was a low battery in the key fob. If I replaced the battery with a new one, it would work great.

I obviously can’t say that’s happening here, but it happened more frequently than I expected with the Discovery…like every 6 months. (I have no idea why the battery would drain that fast.)

I hope it’s something that simple. Good luck.

 

Do the buttons on the keys work?

Will it start with the app?

 

Just like a computer, when all else fails reboot:
Disconnect the negative battery terminal (under the front passenger seat, accessed from the back seat, pull the cover off). Wait a few minutes, then reconnect and try again.
I keep a wrench in the car at all times specifically for this purpose.

 

Not the key fob batteries. Firstly, it would be weird for both to fail at exactly the same time. Secondly, I found a rather bizarre sequence to successfully start the vehicle:

1. Place the key in the recess below the steering column as instructed;
2. Press the start button and wait 1/2 second for the failure message;
3. Press the start button again - engine starts.

But that didn't work if the key was anywhere except the slot under the steering column.

Thirdly - a couple of hours later, for no apparent reason and with no additional actions other than a long discussion with Land Rover support that ended with the decision to tow it to the dealer, it started working perfectly again with both key fobs.

So now I'm not sure what to do. Obviously I'll cancel the transport. Maybe I should take it to the dealership anyway, even though it appears to be working fine.

 

Probably good advice - I'll try that if it stops working again.

 

Yes - the buttons on the keys worked fine, but the proximity unlock did not work (it's now working again).

I did not get around to trying the app start until after the keys started working again.

 

I have this paranoia about all things Information Security. I wonder if someone didn't try to do a key fob intercept and it tripped the Defender's security system. Along the paranoia lines, I doubt if JLR would disclose much about this tech, but if the way the security tokens are passed between the fob(s) and vehicle has a certificate which depending on design is either expired, serialized, whatever and if something jumped between signals trying to hack it - it perhaps locked the fobs out.

The battery trick should have done a reset. Or perhaps the iControl would have worked.

Whatever, just my wild-arsed guess. (Not that it will help resolve anything other than I'm a big fan of the "battery reset" or Dealer reset). Then again, my IT skills end with changing the paper in my printer....

 

Yes, I have suffered the exact situation in my P300 2020 D110 and the engine started following putting the key in the slot and executing the exact three steps which you note. And yes, then it worked fine ... for a while.

I recall it happened three or so times over the past year.

 

It has happened to me a couple of times but the key was in my pocket next to my cell phone.