My experience from today may help other owners as well.
I managed to drain my battery with short journeys to work and the use of the FBH in the morning. The result was that the car refused to start this morning. The battery voltage was too low to crank the engine.

Never mind, got a work mate to connect he’s jump leads and the car started on the first turn of the ignition key. I set of for a longer drive to get some charge into the battery. Got out of the car to do some shopping and returned 5 minutes later.
I opened the car and put the key into the ignition. However, the ignition lock refused to turn even to the first position. The key remote locked / opened the car without problems but the ignition would not budge. As you can imagine, I for 20 minutes with locking / unlocking the car in-between but to no avail.

That was a bid of a bummer for me as I am in Switzerland at the moment and guess what; I did not bring the spare key. After some choice words I googled a Swiss Land rover service centre phone number and called. The guy explained the he could do nothing for me other than recovering the car and key to their workshop and re-program the key. I refused and told him I will get the spare key send over and try with the spare key first.
The service engineer then asked me if I tried to disconnect the battery for 2 minutes and see if this resolved the problem. No, I said.

Guess what, I did just that, removed the negative pole of the battery for ~ 5 minutes (as Stan says in the wiki, double the time) and reconnected the battery again.
Got in to the car and hey presto, the key turned and the car started! You can imagine my relief!

I had a similar problem a few years back with the Freelander 2. The only way to resolve that one was to have the car recovered to Land Rover and the key re-programmed!

What did I learn from all this?

1.) Do not use the FBH if you only do short journeys.
2.) Always take the spare key with you when you go abroad!

see, they all take the mickey out of me when i suggest disconnect the battery

glad its sorted  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

One of the advantages of fitting a battery isolating switch is that when you feel the need to disconnect the battery for any reason no tools are required. Just switch on and switch off.
Imo should be standard on a FFRR together with one of Martins tow electrics adapters.

Guess what guys! Got back into the car this evening and the bl**dy key would not turn again!
So done the battery disconnect again and could then start the car.

I switched the engine of at the hotel, took the key out and then tried again.
Yep, again did not turn!

What is going on???? A Land Rover safety feature????

Did the steering lock engages when you removed the key?

Also is it still unlocked while the key cannot turn?

Another thing to try is sitting in the car, press the key fob lock button once to super lock the doors, wait 10 seconds, then put the key in the ignition and hopefully you should hear the locks unlock for the internal door handles. If it does then it sounds like the steering lock ECM has lost communication with with the other systems, possibly caused by low voltage last time it started.

If this is the problem they will start talking again after an hour or two.......

As in the ECM's will re-sync and allow you to start the engine.

does sound like the battery might be low on voltage... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

sorry, what FF do you have?
looks like a 2007+ ?
has the battery + alternator been renewed? 2011 4.4 TdV8 Nara Bronze

I had the same issue.

See http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic14930.html

Unfortunately I think your battery is goosed and needs replacing or if you are really unlucky your alternator may also be up the creek!

I hope it is just the former!

Since replacing my battery last year for a Bosch S5 the problem has not recurred.

I will try the spare key first and if the problem remains, change the battery.

The car starts at first key turn, if the key can be turned.
Also, if the alternator would be , the car would not run for long periods as it would just drain the battery empty in no time.
Fingers crossed it is just the battery.

This is the first issue I had with the car in 18 months ownership and I am not without blame for it to happen.