Hi all,

I've been away for a while as my car has been parked up for a few years with engine trouble. I've now moved house and have a driveway/garage/space to actually work on it.

However, in the move my one and only key has gone missing :(

I've looked on eBay for a lock set and I can see a listing for a door handle, ignition barrel, a key blade (not an actual key) and some black box thing I'm not familiar with.

I'm guessing this won't let me actually start the car? I think I'll need a set like this regardless so that I can disengage the steering column.

Starting the car would be a nice but for the time being I just need to get it moveable and on to a tow truck. What's the easiest way to achieve this? Disconnect the prop shaft or can the gearbox be put in neutral some way?

On mine you dont even need a key to put the gearbox into neutral.... Just pull the shifter into N.

Steering lock will be your main issue. At the most basic, you can probably remove the lock barrel to disengage the lock.

The bit you don't recognise is the lock for the glovebox. That will do the job if you can get the ignition barrel out as normally it needs the key in to remove it although brute force would probably do it. If you wanted to be able to use a fob, you'd need the fob, the BeCM and the instrument cluster if you don't want to screw up your mileage on the odo.

The seller of that lockset is Phil, a member on here (username Holland-and-Holland), try dropping him an email and telling him about your problem as he doesn't come on here regularly these days.

It will be more expensive but a lot less hassle to buy a replacement key fob from a Land Rover main agent. When I bought one a year or two ago I paid about £225 & was impressed that I could still buy a brand new key for a twenty year old car. My local main agent didn't even ask for ID or the V5C but supplied a new key fob just on the registration number. It arrived in stock a couple of days after I called up & ordered.

Aragorn wrote:

On mine you dont even need a key to put the gearbox into neutral.... Just pull the shifter into N.

Steering lock will be your main issue. At the most basic, you can probably remove the lock barrel to disengage the lock.

Well that's good news. I assumed there was some computer security that required the key to be present to operate the gearbox.

Gilbertd wrote:

The bit you don't recognise is the lock for the glovebox. That will do the job if you can get the ignition barrel out as normally it needs the key in to remove it although brute force would probably do it. If you wanted to be able to use a fob, you'd need the fob, the BeCM and the instrument cluster if you don't want to screw up your mileage on the odo.

The seller of that lockset is Phil, a member on here (username Holland-and-Holland), try dropping him an email and telling him about your problem as he doesn't come on here regularly these days.

Again, my assumption was that the computer needed to see something from the fob to allow the car to start. More good news if all it needs is the correct key to turn the ignition barrel!

nigelbb wrote:

It will be more expensive but a lot less hassle to buy a replacement key fob from a Land Rover main agent. When I bought one a year or two ago I paid about £225 & was impressed that I could still buy a brand new key for a twenty year old car. My local main agent didn't even ask for ID or the V5C but supplied a new key fob just on the registration number. It arrived in stock a couple of days after I called up & ordered.

I thought I read a few years ago that spare key supply had dried up through the dealerships. I'll look in to it but I think my BECM has been replaced by a previous owner. A while ago I had a lockout issue and the EKA the dealership provided me didn't work. I sent the BECM off to Marty to be unlocked and he said there was a different EKA code programmed in to it. I'm not sure a key from the dealership would work. Quite a lot of money to find out lol.

Thanks everyone :)

If I remember right, Marty put your original EKA back in as it was just one digit out. Supplies or new fobs dried up long ago for US spec cars but not for Rest of World ones so you can still buy new.

If the car was locked when left, then you will need something from the fob to unlock it or a Nanocom to input the EKA. If it wasn't locked when left, you should be OK.

I have in my head he changed it to something simple like 1212. I've got it written down on a piece of paper in the car but that's at the old house. I'll pop by later to check it. I can't remember exactly what the situation was with my BECM and the EKA. I'll drop Marty a PM and see if he remembers or kept any notes.

If the BECM has been changed then a dealer key won't work, right? Can the keys be programmed to the car at all?

I left the car unlocked when I parked it up. I wanted to be able to get in easily and knew the battery would die. I have a Nanocom anyway :)

Edit: I just remembered why I thought the BECM had been changed. When I pulled it out to send it to Marty someone had written something like "EKA: XXXX" on the top. This number was different to the one Land Rover gave me but the unit was completely locked up by that point anyway.

Problem solved, found the key 😁

That makes things much easier.....

It's been three weeks or so. The Mrs finally remembered where she put it when faced with the prospect of buying a new key on the off chance it might work lol