Key stopped working / Car won't start

[Mr.Somebody]

Hi guys, I'm in a bit of a pickle here because the car key just stopped working. I can't unlock the car only if I insert the key, and for some reason the car won't start at all.

Checked the car battery, replaced the key battery, all the same. The LED on the car key won't light up either.

My suspicion is that if the key is "broken", the car won't start because it doesn't recognize it? Could that be the case?

Model is Land Rover Discovery 2 - 2000 / V8i.

Please advise, much appreciated.

 

[rovercanus]

The key fob does nothing but lock and unlock the doors. It has nothing to do with starting the truck. Unlocking with the key should turn off any security.
Does it crank? Can you pull engine codes or is it completely dead?

 

[Mr.Somebody]

The key fob does nothing but lock and unlock the doors. It has nothing to do with starting the truck. Unlocking with the key should turn off any security.
Does it crank? Can you pull engine codes or is it completely dead?

I see thanks. You can insert the key, it powers on radio etc, but the engine won't even try to start; it's like dead. Also, it shows the red oil and battery signs but that's impossible since both were changed recently.

 

[LRDONE]

Oh Boy. Probably a good idea to tow this to a shop and let them figure this out.

 

[robbyb20]

What gear are you in? I can turn mine off, pull the parking brake and head out and forget to put it into park on the gear shifter. If its still in another position, it will act the same as what youre seeing. Put key in, turn to position 1 then push brake pedal and put shifter into park.

Dont worry about those lights, they are on you insert key and turn to the first position.

 

[Mr.Somebody]

What gear are you in? I can turn mine off, pull the parking brake and head out and forget to put it into park on the gear shifter. If its still in another position, it will act the same as what youre seeing. Put key in, turn to position 1 then push brake pedal and put shifter into park.

Dont worry about those lights, they are on you insert key and turn to the first position.

Interesting, thanks. The car usually is parked in P mode with Hand Brakes. Usually, I can start it as is, but somethings I must shift to N mode and then start. In this scenario right now, nothing helps. I tried all modes, holding brake, holding acceleration, nothing works...

 

[Rocky]

At least you are getting power so you're not 100% dead. Are your brake lights lighting up? If not, the brake light switch is probably Fubar.

 

[kris812]

Interesting, thanks. The car usually is parked in P mode with Hand Brakes. Usually, I can start it as is, but somethings I must shift to N mode and then start. In this scenario right now, nothing helps. I tried all modes, holding brake, holding acceleration, nothing works...

Well from the sounds of things, the Neutral Safety Switch has been at witts end for a while now. Either measure that out or replace it and hope. ALSO check the wires going to this sensor as its close to the exhaust.

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[discostew]

Hold the key in the crank position for about 30 seconds and see if it starts to crank. No I thought this was a Disco1.
You need to see what the security LED is doing and maybe get codes out of the engine. It’s usually a security problem . Or a starter

 

[mlnnc]

Well from the sounds of things, the Neutral Safety Switch has been at wits end for a while now. Either measure that out or replace it and hope. ALSO check the wires going to this sensor as its close to the exhaust.

I agree that the symptoms indicate a problem with the neutral safety switch (aka the XYZ switch). I had this happen in my truck 10 years ago last month.

You can check the switch by moving the shifter through PRND321 and observing whether the gears selected are indicated correctly in the instrument panel. If there's a problem, the instrument panel indicator may be blank when you select P or N.

Before replacing it, I would try adjusting it. To adjust it, set the parking brake or chock the wheels, and have an assistant sit in the driver's seat, turn the key to Position II and the shifter in the P position. Next, loosen the two mounting bolts with 10mm heads (just a little; do not remove them). There's no need to loosen the 13mm nut on the selector shaft. Rotate the switch on the selector shaft carefully from one extreme to the other, with your assistant observing the instrument panel indicator. If the P appears in the instrument panel, tighten the mounting bolts and you're done.

If you can't get P to appear in the instrument panel, have the assistant move the shifter to N and repeat the process, looking for N to appear in the instrument panel.

If this doesn't correct the problem, you can try disassembling and rebuilding the switch. There are tutorials in the forums and probably on YouTube.

BTW, if you rebuild the switch or buy a replacement you can use the same procedure to adjust the switch when installing it.

PRO TIP: I find it easier to lie under the truck with my feet on the passenger side of the truck.

 

[Mr.Somebody]

Thank you everyone for the advise and tips. I have tried everything I could but it's time to take it to a garage...

 

[kris812]

One last test you could try:
Use a screwdriver to short out the starter solenoid and test if the starter even moves.