I remember when I was younger seeing the camel trophy truck and extreme offroading videos on TV and in magazines. Then came along youtube and that changed the world. I pretty much cancelled my petersons 4x4/offroad subscription. Stopped ordering CD's and DVD's of offroading .. I dreamed of a Land Rover or a Wrangler. I loved the Defenders and Discoveries but always considered those a "rich mans" offroading vehicle, and those jeeps.. man there were cool but they were all anyone talked about when you said "offroad"..

Fast forward a few years and I ended up trading a 74' Chevy stepside a 350, SM465, NP231, Rear locker and 37's in on a 4cyl, bone stock YJ. Spring break from school came shortly after and I decided to take the YJ to Panama City Beach. I remember parking under the drive up carport, going inside to the hotel and checking in. I went back outside to grab my luggage from the jeep and then to park it in the parking lot. .. but.. my luggage was gone. Someone had taken a knife or razor blade and sliced the top to pieces and stolen everything out of my jeep. Here i was , several hours from home, 19 years old and the only thing I had was my wallet and the clothes i had on me. .. Needless to say, it was a short trip. I ended up putting 33's and a hard top on that jeep eventually but to be honest, it was cold, and noisy and I hated that vehicle. I went through so many rear ends. I became a ring and pinion god thanks to that vehicle.

Many years later, im now married, with teenage kids and still drooling over trail rigs on TV and in magazines on the rack at the stores. My daily driven AWD explorer is a joke of a vehicle and the absolute worst vehicle purchase i have ever made. I still have a vehicle that I have always wanted and never had and it was the Land Rover..
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My father, god bless his soul is getting older. He's at the age where he's refusing to accept his age and the fact that he can't do things like he used to any more. He's a retired Chief Warrant Officer, miltary through and through. He's like R. Lee Emory.. except fat and a beard...and looks like santa clause. Well, Dad sold everything and moved into a RV and now travels around hopping from one RV camp to the next when he feels like it. He's currently been at the one he's at now for around 2 years. There is a land rover there that has been sitting for nearly a year. I used to watch the guy drive it every day. The guy comes and goes to the restort every year during the summer to camp out by the lake and then leaves. One day, him and his girlfriend got into a HUGE argument at the dock and she threw the keys to the land rover into the lake. It has been sitting every since. Recently, I joking told him that i'd give him $500 for the thing if he's just going to let it sit there and he said yes. I was shocked ****less. I immediately went to the bank, got the money and put cash in his hand, and he put a title in mine.

So, why did i go on with all this? To explain how I got to where i am now and hopefully get some insight/guidance on how to proceed.

I just towed the truck to my house, that was another $350, bringing my investment total to roughly $850, I managed to get the passenger door open, put a new battery in and while cleaning the vehicle out, I found a Valet key. It fit the ignition and will turn on the vehicle but not start it. It has a red flashing light that i figured was the alarm, which turns out to be the superlock/immobilizer. Which would explain why none of the doors but one opened. I have since ordered a new key from land rover for an additional $200 bringing my total now to $1050. But what now?

I have heard it HAS to go to the dealer and dealer only to have the key cut/programmed and some say that any locksmith/shop can do it as long as they have the correct computer. I have looked into the hawkeye and nanocom computers and will eventually purchase one, most likely a nanocom. The problem is still the immobilizer, I was reading that you cant even hook a computer up until the immobilier is fixed or disabled. I'd prefer the immobilizer be removed/turned of completely but would like to tkeep the factory alarm if possible.

So what do you guys think? What do I do at this point? It's going to cost me an extra tow bill to have it taken to the shop and another to have it towed back home. I have to go through all the fluids before i even try to crank/drive it. It's been sitting for a while.

I know I'm new here, but I have used the search feature and been reading, watching, reading, reading more, stabbing my eyes out, calling shops... I need some advice about my D2 from fellow D2 owners... There's so much info out there and it's all over the spectrum to one thing to another..

 

Couple ideas

If you are in the US, the alarm *should* be configured to turn on and off by turning the key in the drivers door. (it is possible this setting was disabled). Does your valet key manually lock and unlock the drivers door? If so I would think it disarms the alarm. Guessing not tho...

But if you need to program a key, it's pretty simple. You open up the key fob, there's a code on it (6 digits I believe) on the chip - get a genuine key don't screw around with an aftermarket one - and then you can code it "learn" the key to the car with a nano com type of system. Which you can buy for 600 or rent here in the stickies from a fine chap.

And let's see some pics !!!!!

 

This thread will help https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...let-key-44817/ But yes you will need to get a fob and get it programed, sounds like the valet key is functionally useless as the fob is what disarms the immobilizer circuit to allow the vehicle to start. I believe you can do that with the Nanocom, so you just need a fob and the Nanocom.

 

What year Dll?

So, when you turn the key to the first position...everything lights up on cluster...but, when you turn key to second position...it does not crank/turn over. Or, does it turn over but not start?

Funny, use to be able to use my valet key to start my 01...but my wifes 03 has to have key with fob.

 

Oh and by the way...if you are the same Mr Cooper that we have our mortgage through...my house payment will be a little late this month...and every month until it's paid off...or until l get rid of these three land rovers...lol.

 

Thank you for reading and replying to my long winded rambling. I like to write and get carried away sometimes...

The land rover is an 04 SE7. The valet key will go into the ignition, turn the accessories/dash/lights on but will not actually turn over or start the vehicle. I have tried the key in the drivers door but have not had any luck, not a beep, or indication that it has made a difference. Luckily, the window regulator was out ont he passenger side, i have since replaced it with one he had already purchased but the door panel is still off and the wiring was not connected. I believe this is why that door in particular never locked. The sunroof is now stuck open and I have to figure out how to resolve that issue. They worked a while back when i played with it where it was sitting, i apparently forgot to close it and now, it will not close at all. The sunroof is the least of my worries. Im at the point now where I need to actually be able to crank the vehicle for any more diagnostics/issues and inspections.

I am very sorry to inform you that I am not the same Mr. Cooper however, if it makes a difference, I mark your account as paid in full.

 

@mrcooper does the Valet key have a FOB or is it just a key ? I will test with my spare on my 04, it is not attached to the fob and see if the Disco will crank.

 

On further not, I did inspect the "valet" key and it doesnt appear to be a valet key as much as it is a regular key that has been removed or broken off from the original fob. I have purchased a legit, land rover key. I have the barcodes, etc. My main question is this... Do I HAVE to take it to the dealership, I really dont want to, I dont like dealerships and their prices are so high. It physically hurts to spend money there. My right butt cheek where my wallet is stored will ache for days and my heart feels sick. Will a key programmer such as hawkeye or nanocom disable the immobiliser system and program the new key? I cannot seem to get a definitive answer to this.

 

I will get some pictures this evening for you, but it's pretty much a bone stock 04 SE7. The white paint has turned green due to sitting for over a year and I have been cleaning and scrubbing in between rain showers and work shifts.

 

It appears to be broken off from an old fob. I have no FOB, no way to disable the alarm/immobilizer. I can put the key in the ignition, turn on the acessories and roll windows up/down, that's about it. I till not start the vehicle.