this. Remotes Inc. was very, very interested in making me satisfied. When I told him that three dealers around here (Mobile, Birmingham, Knoxville) all said the same thing about non-OEM remotes/blades being impossible to work with...he simply apologized and refunded me my money immediately.

If you plan to buy a remote and have the key cut locally, I stand behind Remotes Inc (remotesinc@gmail.com ask for John) as selling new remotes that look exactly like what we have in our trucks.

 

Well got back from the dealer - they say they could not pair/program it. Whether or not they spotted the ringer remote from remotesinc I don't know. They did have the good grace not to charge me the $120 programming fee. Not sure if that really means that they didn't try. I *must* try and be less cynical! But at any rate, John at remotesinc said he will cheerfully refund me even though I got the blank cut.

It's still bugging me though....

 

It's weird that Remotes Inc and others make or sell things that some dealers don't recognize as programmable.

Is this a directive from LR in the UK to dealers to not allow the practice? Anybody know for sure? Anybody had a dealer program a non-OEM remote?

I have two new remotes. One from the dealer via OEM, and one from CL from a guy that got a new remote from his dealer and never had it programmed.

I'll post whether those two were able to be programmed.

 

I have a theory that those people who buy the full OEM remote from non-dealers are merely using them to repair their own cosmetic problem remotes - ie they are swapping the electronics over so there is no programming involved. This is because LR do not sell just a blank for cutting or a rescue kit for a damaged remote. They only sell a new one at $260 + $120 programming fee. Buying a remote on eBay for $129 then seems a bargain even if you trash the electronics inside.

I haven't heard from anybody in the know as to whether the official remotes that come from LR in the UK have some extra coding to the VIN # that the OEM remotes from China don't have and this is why the programming fails. If you Google for OEM Land Rover remotes in China you will get many hits back, so it may be there are variations in quality.

The fact that I couldn't program the key either suggests that it wasn't just my dealer spinning me a yarn about trying and failing too.

Anyway, I opened my wallet to allow $260 to float across the dealers counter and I'm going to try my own programming when it comes in....maybe if someone has a genuine but dead LR3 remote that they would care to donate for autopsy I might be able to get a couple of OEM ones to compare against....

 

Every key I have ever purchased from Land Rover has been like every key I've purchased from BMW. I need to bring a copy of my customer's drivers license and registration because the key they slide across the counter to you WILL start the vehicle.

The only thing that needs to be done with the new key, is to initialize them so that the remote door locks function. I have not needed a computer to carry out this task.

 

Nope, not for the LR3 - the dealer specifically said that they need to pair the key to the car with their SDD software and all the keys have to be present otherwise the missing ones get disabled.

They could of course be lying and they just "take it round the back" but I think there is a difference between the LR3 and other RR models. Unfortunately.

$120 worth of unfortunately ;-)

 

Did you actually TRY to start the car with the new key before letting the dealer have a go with it??? Each key has a transponder with the Vehicle Identification Number and a unique code to identify the key. This info is put into the key when its shipped from the UK, NOT when the dealer provides this "service".

Like I said, every key I got from Land Rover, starts the car "as is" and only needs initialized for remote functions. Perhaps I have been lucky???

 

Yes, you are probably correct, the key/key fob as received from Land Rover UK most likely will start the engine but it will not lock or unlock the doors. That is what the pairing thing is all about where all the keyfobs must be present.

Internally, the electronics within the key fob are actually two separate and almost unrelated circuits. There is the immobilizer function that allows the engine to start, or not. This circuitry does however need power from the internal rechargeable battery. The circuits "see" something in the engine computer, (actually the Central Junction Box), that they either like or do not like when an engine start is requested.

When the 3 senses a key in the ignition switch the CJB energizes a transponder coil, which activates the transponder. The transponder transmits identification and rolling code data to the CJB. The CJB checks the data from the transponder against stored data to validate the key. When the ignition switch is turned to position II (ignition), the ECM sends a start authorization request to the CJB. If the key is valid the CJB grants the request and the ECM will subsequently crank and run the engine. If the key is invalid, the CJB refuses the request and the ECM will not crank the engine.

The transponder is an integral part of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) located within the head, (keyfob), of the ignition key. The transponder is powered by a rechargeable battery and is contained within the processor on the PCB, which also controls the remote operation of the Central Locking System (CLS).

A separate coil on the PCB is used by the transponder to receive the signals from the transponder coil on the ignition switch. The coil is also used to generate the current required to recharge the battery.

The transponder has a 256 byte Electronic Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), which is programmed with vehicle identification data and a unique identification code. This information is stored in one of 30 key 'slots' within the CJB. When energized, the transponder emits the coded information which is received by the CJB. The CJB checks that the key is valid by confirming the received data before granting permission to start the engine. The information programmed into the transponder cannot be overwritten. If a key is lost or is no longer required, T4 can be used to disable the key to prevent it being used on the vehicle.

Of interest is the term above, EEPROM. I thought they were just one time only programmable but that must be why one can add on keys; the software must be such that one cannot take a keyfob from another 3 and program over it; hence the appearance of one time programmable - I suppose the programming is not FORTRAN.

 

Thats the long winded version of basically what I said. The point of my post, is that I never needed the dealer after my receiving of the key. The key "as is" will start the car, and it can be "paired", "initialized", "synced" or whatever else you want to call it, without the vehicle being hooked up to the IDS/SDD unit.

 

I assume you are referring to a Range Rover HSE, (not the Sport nor the LR3/4) if the door lock function also works?

I certainly stand corrected if the door lock/unlock function on either the Sport or the LR3/4 does not need attention from either a dealer T4 or a Faultmate or other such device.