Hi Everyone. Looking for any suggestions after searching for hours over the past couple weeks for an explanation for a few issues I'm having.

I have a 2008 LR2 with 87,000 miles. I bought the car used a few weeks ago and started having problems almost immediately. About two weeks ago the TPMS Malfunction light came on, giving me the notification "Tire Pressure Monitoring System Fault." Checked all air pressures and everything was fine. Curiously, at the same time that the warning came on the key fob stopped working to lock/unlock the car. It might work occasionally to lock the vehicle, but then won't unlock so I have to enter the car manually every time. I've mostly been leaving the car unlocked for the past couple weeks.

I think these two things are possibly related because after having the TPMS Fault warning constantly for about a week, it suddenly changed to a "check spare tire pressure" warning. At that point, the fob started working as it should, but this only lasted for a day and both the fault warning and key fob have gone back to the original issue since then.

Finally, the car been increasingly hard to start. At first there were no issues, but over the past 2 weeks it has been cranking several times before the engine will ignite. Like I said, this has been an increasing issue, it started just cranking a couple times and then starting but now it will crank several times and sometimes I have to press the Start button a couple times before it will start. I'm not sure if this could have something to do with the fact that the car has been left unlocked (if there might be a possible battery drain?)... but I had the battery checked at AutoZone and they said it was fine.

I called a couple different LR dealerships and explained the problems to see if they could give me any suggestions before I cave and take it in. The first one said I would need a new key fob but that doesn't really seem like the actual problem to me and I don't want to throw money away to replace the fob if that isn't the issue. I also checked the RF from the fob at AutoZone and it said it was working fine. The second dealership said I would need to bring the car in to read the fault codes but they charge $140 just to read it, and who knows if whatever they do afterwards will solve the problems (or how much it will cost!)

Any ideas as to what might be causing the issues? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

I'm not an expert, but I have the same model vehicle with about the same mileage.

- On the TPMS fault, each TPMS sensor has a battery in it that is supposed to last at least 5 years. Then the entire sensor needs to be replaced because the batteries are not removeable. My sensor batteries haven't failed yet, but I'm braced for that to happen at any time. You can continue to drive with the sensors on low/dead batteries as it will not harm anything. The warning light will remain on and you won't get alerts if the tire pressure is low. I also read somewhere that some states may not pass you on inspection if the TPMS warning light is on, but I'm not aware if this is really true.

- On the key fob, do you have a second one that you can test and compare against? (the LR2 comes with two fobs when purchased new). That would tell you if the individual fob has a problem. If you don't have a spare fob, you should probably buy one anyway so you have a backup. Be warned that they are expensive (approx $400) and I think you have to buy it from a LR dealer who programs it. Also check with your dealer how much it costs to buy a fob if you lost all of them, as it might cost even more in the case where they don't have a working fob for reference (not sure about this).

- On the hard starting, I just had a recent repair where I replaced the starter ($800). For about 18 months before the starter just died, it did not start smoothly. It's also possible that bad spark plugs can cause rough/difficult starting. Your spark plugs should have been replaced by now, did the previous owner inform you about the maintenance performed?

- Part of the scheduled maintenance at the dealership includes applying software patches and recall items that cover a lot of issues. Your local dealer can run a report of all the dealer service your vehicle has received (using the VIN #). These routine fixes address a lot of problems so you'll want to confirm this first before investing in troubleshooting.

Hope this helps.

 

TPMS and the key fob use the same antenna & radio receiver in the vehicle...it's ludicrous that a dealer service person wouldn't know that. I'd suggest looking for a well-regarded local shop which specializes in land rovers and the like. Many of those guys make a good living by offering a rational alternative to dealer incompetence (and high prices).

 

Did you ever solve this? I'm getting the same problem. TPMS is indicating a system fault and my key FOB seems to be having trouble opening the door sometimes. I just assumed that the problems were unrelated and that my key FOB was just getting a low batter. It is nearly 9 years old...

 

I would expect the key FOB battery to be on it's last legs by now, probably need to get a new one (or two, if you want to have a spare). Mine went out a couple years ago. Probably need the dealer for that.

I'd probably start with the key fob, and then address TPMS. I have had no trouble with TPMS (2008, 100K miles), but I think those have batteries too.

You do need to top off the spare tire every few months...

 

On the hard starting of the LR2, Try this. Worked for me. When you get in the car, tap the brake pedal. This activates the fuel pump in the rear of the car. If you listen carefully you will hear the fuel pump start up when you touch the brake pedal. Wait a few seconds until the fuel pump goes off, then start the car. It should start right up. This is likely an indication of a fuel pump needing replacement. But I have gotten used to the start-up routine and have learned to live with it.

Another note in passing, Often I have gotten out of my LR2 and heard the fuel pump running. Hard to hear, but if you get down close to the drivers side back wheel well, you will hear a running pump. Quiet, but audible. Restart the car and rev the engine a bit then turn it off. Pump should stop. As I said, for now I have learned to live with it.