Freelander 1 Immobiliser

Had my Freelander (2000 model) a few weeks. Working one day, keys in the ignition so not in my pocket or forgot where I put them down, usually do that working if it's not public. Done it for several days then one day it locked me out, it only came with one key and fob. Found someone to supply a new key and fob, needed a spare anyway.
So first lesson learnt, they sometime just lock for no reason!

Now sometimes after I've started and driven off, maybe quarter to half a mile the immobiliser cuts in, engine dead. Not yet found the right combination of what to do to remember how I get it to cancel the immobiliser.
Take the key out and operate the immobiliser and SOMETIMES it'll start, maybe stop again in seconds, maybe tick over for ages. Drive off and it cuts out again, ten to a hundred yards, damn awkward in traffic and dodgy.
It's taken hours sometimes to get it to cancel!!!
It can then go days or a week or more then act up again.

Anyone with any experience of this please.
Experienced mechanic and know a little about electronics and computers but not a geek.
I'd take it to a dealer but it only cost £500 so I'll scrap it before that expense.
I thought they were decent things but since reading a little seems they aren't at all, expensively problematic.

Not heard of the car locking the doors itself before. I imagine you are back to using the original key/fob and it has a fault - which may be why the doors locked in the first place. Have you had the new key/fob programmed to the car? If so use them, if not get them programmed, use them and see if the same problems occur. If they do then presumably there is a fault in the CCU or its wiring/pickup. I don't think you can simply change CCUs as they match to the ECU. What engine has it got?

Which engine?

Does it do it with both fobs? (make sure when you take it out the OTHER fob is well away from the car.)

Does the immobiliser light in the dashboard start flashing when the engine cuts out?

Sounds like a faulty immobiliser unit to be honest, OR you're getting a brief power interruption to the engine ECU.
Check the wiring and the battery terminals - you may be getting the ECU flicking off and back on again which will cause it to reset into secure mode.
When it won't start, does the check engine test light come on when you completely power off then power back on again?

Original key and fob are well worn so am using the new pair, fob was fully programmed. He cut the key off the registration number to open the car, it doesn't have a transponder in it, it is in the fob. Once opened he programmed the new fob to the system with his computer connect on-line to a web site. £100 all in which is not bad with the call out.
I carry the second fob just in case I inadvertently leave the key in the ignition when I get out and close the doors.
I'd think it would be stupid design if having a second fob in the car gave a problem as that could easily often be the case, two people using it, have a key each with one as a passenger sometimes.
I can't promote the cut out, tried all ways with combinations of old and new keys and fobs.
No idea on what lights are on when it cuts out as I'm in traffic, get the hazards on and try to disarm the immobiliser so I can start and clear the traffic.
No idea which engine it is other than diesel, wouldn't think that would make a difference to the immobiliser operating system, just maybe the actuator on the injection system and I can testify that is working great.
I have spent hours on this and other forums and help sites but not found this problem before, just that Rover in general tend to be well over engineered with the immobiliser / alarm system and it does give problems but usually starting from off/stopped.
It never happened with the original keys and was a week or so before it happened with the new set
Be good if it happened somewhere quiet and when I didn't need to be somewhere so I could play with it.
I did have other keys on with it for tool boxes and shed so am trying with them removed as with the fob having the transponder it is hanging so key could easy get between it and the hallo from the sensor coil on the switch! More than bad design the transponder in a none key attached fob???

JimmyStevens said:

I'd think it would be stupid design if having a second fob in the car gave a problem as that could easily often be the case, two people using it, have a key each with one as a passenger sometimes.

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The point was more that if one's faulty and transmitting random "immobilise" codes and locking the car, you won't be able to tell whether it's one of them. The alarm systems on these are pretty robust, they either have to have a massive internal fault or be receiving a shutdown command via remote.

JimmyStevens said:

No idea which engine it is other than diesel, wouldn't think that would make a difference to the immobiliser operating system, just maybe the actuator on the injection system and I can testify that is working great.

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There are three major revisions of the alarm mechanism in play in the freelander, each works slightly differently.
Early pre '01 cars have a coded bus between the alarm receiver, immobiliser and engine ECU.
Post '01 cars have a transponder in the key itself, which goes direct to the immobiliser and out to the ECU
I believe the TD4 engine the transponder goes direct to the engine ECU

Sooo, depending on the year/engine the fault could lie in different modules

It may be that the fault isn't actually in the alarm - you'd have to catch it in the act to figure out what's going on and I realise that can be second to getting the **** outta the way

Just to check. The fob is fitted to the key ring that is hanging from the ignition switch, isn't it?

I'm lost with the description. Are you saying it immobilises when driving, or immobilises and locks doors when driving, or something else?

My 2006 td4 locks itself, both key fobs can be well out of range and it does it when it feels like it.
Not had any problems with the immobiliser tho, press the button and it unlocks again.
I do get an alarm in the car when i unlock it, it stops soon as i put the key in, maybe the transponder in the key
being found.

Niffty said:

My 2006 td4 locks itself, both key fobs can be well out of range and it does it when it feels like it.
Not had any problems with the immobiliser tho, press the button and it unlocks again.
I do get an alarm in the car when i unlock it, it stops soon as i put the key in, maybe the transponder in the key
being found.

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It's been known for the buttons to stick a bit so they don't pop out away from the pcb when yer take yer finger oft. Hence the remote asking for it to lock. The bleep is to say then batteries need replaced in the fob normally. Only lasts for a short period of time or if yer put the key in.

Hippo said:

It's been known for the buttons to stick a bit so they don't pop out away from the pcb when yer take yer finger oft. Hence the remote asking for it to lock. The bleep is to say then batteries need replaced in the fob normally. Only lasts for a short period of time or if yer put the key in.

Click to expand...

The beeping is from the dash and relates to the flashing red light on the dash, stops soon as the key is near the ignition switch.

As Hippo said the beeping noise and flashing light is indicating the fob battery is low

Hi All.
Been a while as my computer was down.

Think I have solved the problem:
I had a couple of padlock keys on the FL key for my trailer so sometime they just hung right to interrupt the transponder from activating the 'halo' around the key barrel. They were iron so magnetic.
Taken them off and no problem since.
It just brought the engine immobiliser into play, did not lock the doors and did do it while driving! Damn dangerous and probably why a few months after mine was built they began putting the transponder in the key!
Pity when you buy a new key they don't put the transponder AND the security buttons in it as well even if the original wasn't like that.
But then NO manufacturer EVER owns up to making anything crap!

Just as an aside while on here, think I'm going to sell it on soon as it's so disappointing, stupid viscous inter-axle drive and loads of poor design.
Still they don't make it now but still a pity that so many people did buy one with the Land Rover name and it just isn't deserving of that.
Driven all over Africa and the middle east for years, probably millions of miles and the old Land Rover was mustard, just needed limited slip diffs. Often pulled some of the new 'expensive' fancy things with all the diff locks etc out of mud holes or soft sand.

Thanks for every ones comments, that week was desperate with it keep cutting out suddenly.
Just as info, they DO lock themselves again if you just unlock the doors and not start them, even if the key is in the ignition. Stop and turn off for some lunch and it'll lock after a while even if the doors haven't been opened!

It'll lock the doors after two minutes if it's been unlocked and none of the doors have been opened during that time.

That's not an uncommon feature on cars today although how you unlocked a car and left the keys in the ignition without opening a door and getting locked out is good going......

The FL1 doesn't lock it's doors if you open it with the remotes and don't open doors for a period of time. I've unlocked mine while washing it and it's never locked. Same for other FL1's I've messed with.

Regarding ignition locking... the key needs to turn to unlock the doors. Just pushing it in isn't enough. Try it.