If one key fob charges OK and the other does not, the odds are the problem is within the key fob that is dead rather than anything to do with the ignition hole and its charging wiring. I gather that in some key fogs, the solder joint into the pc board where the battery holding clips attach, over time, crack.

The crack is near impossible to see - think it opens up and closes with temperature actually.

The fix as mentioned above, is just to resolder the joints regardless of how good they look.

 

Well took a very close look at the PCB for my non-working key. All looked OK until I looked at a small transistor (marked t08 on top) on the battery side of the board. This component, which I right beside the battery, was a little askew on the board and when I examined it very closely I could see that, definitely one contact was broken and when I moved it, I found that another was damaged/bent and by the time I finished moving it back into its position it was also definitely broken.

Found the component (an NPN digital transistor, PDTC144ET made by NXP) online and have ordered the minimum number i.e. 5 for 25P ($0.38) so heres hoping that when its fitted I'll have 2 working keys.

 

Thank you for the update.

Your discovery is something new for me. It seems the robot that did the soldering was out of wack around the battery as well as when doing the battery. My thoughts are that there are a whole batch of weak circuit boards out there; (maybe all of them), as that is the sort of thing that takes years to catch up to and hence the problem is never really fixed as it takes so long to discover it.

Instead a new design takes over and new problems are created instead.

 

unrelated, bbyer you had the p/n for the new key cut by itself if I recall do you?

 

The key blade part number for my 2005 LR3 was CWF500011SW.

The price to me from my local Land Rover dealer was about fifty dollars Canadian; this was back in July of 2011.

The price included cutting of the blade in the UK such that it was suitable for my vehicle.

Regarding part numbers, your vehicle may be different as apparently there are at least two different blade profiles.

 

Update on this. Despite finding what may be the problem with the PCB I have failed to be able to repair it. Finding the component and buying it was easy, but the problem is doing the soldering. The component is a very small surface mounted one and being a transistor, very sensitive to excessive heat and I failed to fit one intact.

Was worth the try as the transistors were just a few cents each, but I'll have to resign myself to buying a new key from the dealer.

 

Thanks for the update - it is appreciated.

I suppose the only other alternative is to spend a few hundred thousand on one of the PC board robot machines.

 

Hello all - new here.

Having had 4 SWB Defenders over the past 25 years, but having now to part exch my latest one (1999 vintage!) for a Freelander as the chassis had gone, all I can say is - what on earth was ever wrong with a good old door key and separate ignition key?! Having read this forum and elsewhere, looks like I'm taking on a world of woe, as the Freelander I'm buying (2009) only has one key, so I could have an unusable vehicle if one morning I find the battery's gone on it, or I've lost the key!

 

Hello all - new here.

Having had 4 SWB Defenders over the past 25 years, but having now to part exch my latest one (1999 vintage!) for a Freelander as the chassis had gone, all I can say is - what on earth was ever wrong with a good old door key and separate ignition key?! Having read this forum and elsewhere, looks like I'm taking on a world of woe, as the Freelander I'm buying (2009) only has one key, so I could have an unusable vehicle if one morning I find the battery's gone on it, or I've lost the key!

 

Wow, more thread necromancy.

Anyway, the key in the remote has absolutely noting to do with starting. Sure, unlocking and locking, but you can manually unlock the truck with the key if needed. The actually starting does not use the part of the key energized by the battery.