My next door neighbour died a week ago, young and unexpectedly. Not COVID but that didn't help matters.

His family tried to access his 2018 RR today. The battery was dead and they used the key to open the drivers door. I helped them jump start it and to reset the alarm by placing the key by the steering column.

I have put the RR on charge using my Cteck and it does now have enough power start. However, it won't lock using the button on the key. There is simply no response to the key, pressing either the unlocking or locking functions.

I'm leaving it for a couple hours to charge and hopefully sort itself out, but if it doesn't then I need to lock it tonight.

All 4 doors are unlocked presently. I tried locking all the doors from the inside and then opening the drivers door with the aim of locking it manually but all 4 doors were automatically unlocked when I opened the drivers door.

Is there anything I should be doing to reset things so the fob works again? If not, I assume I can lock it manually tonight?

All advice welcome. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

Last edited by Phil. on 20th Apr 2020 3:27pm. Edited 1 time in total

i think you're correct in leaving it for a while to let everything settle down......if it still diesnt lock i would recheck the battery.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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As it's a 2018 it would be covered by LR Assist as part of the warranty, might it be worth either asking them to come out and sort it or advise on what to do? My experience of them is that they do their best to be helpful, perhaps the more so in a sad situation like this one. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Agreed, but I’m unsure if LR would attend at the moment and would need a call from the family. I am trying to sort it for the family who are understandably otherwise distracted. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

Where is the 2nd key ? You won't be able to lock the car if there is still a key inside the car .

The second key is in their house.

It’s really strange. I’ve just been out and started it fine (the Cteck is showing green already) but once started the RR flashes up a warning that it doesn’t recognise the key even though it started because I had key inside with me.

Does the 2018 square smart key need charging or does it have a battery inside? MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

keyless entry still activated? ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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FWIW with locking being software controlled, my guess would be that the software needs to be reset/rebooted after the battery going flat. Alas I don't know how to deal with that other than taking to a dealer, who probably are only doing NHS/essential vehicles just now.

I take your point about whether LRA would come out at present, but I recall phoning them maybe four years after my warranty had expired and when I was stuck off road and the (non-LRA) recovery contractor didn't know what to do. They had no obligation to help at all, but readily gave the necessary advice. Obviously if you can sort it through advice off the forum that would be ideal, but if not you could phone them, even if it is just advice on the basis of your own car which is maybe still under warranty/LRA.

Going by ownerinfo.landrover, 2018 MY has a 2032 battery in the key. Only Range Rovers since 1988

Thanks everyone.

I gave LRA a call and explained the situation. They were happy to deal with me and are coming out tomorrow morning.

I agree, I think it needs a reset of some sort. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

good news...let us know how its solved.. ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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I had issues a couple of weeks ago with my MY18 RR, warning came up that I needed to start the car as the battery was low which I did, and also that the key was not recognised. After the battery had been charged I still had warnings that the key was not recognised. I changed the 2032 battery in the key and have been fine since.

Thanks Ian,

I have some spare 2032 batteries. Will see what LRA suggest tomorrow morning. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

Your welcome Phil, hope it works out to be an easy fix.

LRA have now attended. It was a technician I have met on several occasions having owned multiple LR vehicles

It was the fob battery that needed replacing. He knew before he arrived and got out the van with a new battery. According to the technician the batteries run out on 2018 models and onwards, those with the square fob, after 2 years.

There is no automatic warning of low battery on facelift RR models unlike earlier RR models. The only way to check the fob battery is to open the RR and then press the open button again on the fob when in the RR and a low battery warning will then show. Not many people know this!

In this case both key fob batteries failed at the same time even though only one fob was used. So if you have a square fob with a battery coming up to 2 years then I suggest you change it/them.

The technician commented that the RR in question had been serviced twice since new and the dealers had not changed the fob battery (he identified it as the original). Surely replacing the fob battery at each service would cost LR a lot less then sending out LRA to resolve such issues. MY23 D350 HSE
On my 7th RR plus various other JLR vehicles

good call Ian  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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