I don't wish to get involved in the argument above, but having read this topic it has caused me to wonder whether this is something ALL Freelanders will do, given the right circumstances, or whether this as other elements, a MODEL driven issue.

I have a MY13 (which doesn't have the rechargeble key fob) so would this have a "Sleep Mode" built in also?

I didn't come across this during my reading through of the manual, but I could obviously have missed it! Joanne

Freelander 1.8 Petrol XEi Jan 1998 - 2004
Freelander 2 (MY13) SD4 Auto XS (Mauritius Blue) - May 2013 onwards

Nice to see you posting Joanne. I didn't even realise that the MY13 had a different key fob. Does it have keyless entry?

Lets take a different approach on the assumption that you like and want the car if the problem was sorted.
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The central locking servo is a 12 volt electric motor with a pinion gear driving the locking unit. It has two wires. To lock one wire is 12 volt, the other is 0 volt; the electronics connects an electric thing to do this an the motor spins say clockwise. To unlock the electronics connects the electric in opposite polarity to send the motor anticlockwise to unlock.
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What you need now is to add an external wiring link to these two wires and to two more wires, one 12 volt and one 0 volt and add a double poled pushbutton so you can operate the 'unlock' system without the fob.
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Might I suggest a caravan towing socket added to the rear of the car, (it will look nothing unusual), and have the caravan plug wired to the push button and keep the unit in your house for that unlucky next problem.
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The FL has rubber grommets in the rear so wiring will be easy and unobtrusive.
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PS knowing the Canbus logic and door control modules it may perhaps only get you in the tailgate. This may prove easier as I think it just needs a 12 volt pulse to actuate.
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All we need now is another member to identify the two central locking wire colours and their whereabouts in the boot wiring harness.
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My solution might sound radical but if you dampen your anger at LR and take a radical fresh view it might just solve your individual personal problem with the car and give you a way around without calling for Rac / AA and having the car broken in to again.
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Perhaps Alex might give this reply the once over and clarify if my proposal would work.
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Kind regards from Fred 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

Last edited by fredastaire on 24th Jul 2013 10:04 pm. Edited 1 time in total

chrisr1806 wrote:

Nice to see you posting Joanne. I didn't even realise that the MY13 had a different key fob. Does it have keyless entry?

Fred, with a bit of modification what you suggest should work. I would, however, regard it as essential to isolate the servo from the car's wiring before applying power to it. If you don't do that you're effectively powering the car from the 'wrong' end, and with the car in sleep mode that power could end up in places you don't expect, overloading and damaging things in the process. (Of course, adequate isolation might already be present, but one would need to check first.)

Given the isolation you then need a source of power, and with the car in sleep mode you may find that things you'd normally expect to be live aren't - again you'd need to check and if necessary take your power directly from the battery. Or, of course, having isolated the servo there would be nothing to stop you using an external power source. And I'd incorporate a fuse into the circuit just in case. But the basic idea is sound - if you can get power to a motor it's going to run!

Or, one could investigate mechanical solutions - e.g. run a cable from a door latch to somewhere hidden but accessible in such a way that pulling it releases the latch. Or even add a mechanical lock to another door or the tailgate, if there's space for the lock and release cable.

But I can't help thinking that, once aware of the problem, one can 'solve' it simply by parking such that one has access to the passenger door. If necessary scrambling over the seats to get out that side isn't a major problem for most of us.

But then I'm displaying my "shoulder-shrugging roll-over" attitude again Or maybe I've just got more important things to worry about

Keyless entry is not available on 2013MY Freelander's of any specification.

I stand corrected.

Keyless Entry would make the existing Keyless Start item far more worthwhile. Hope they provide it in the FL3 Joanne

Freelander 1.8 Petrol XEi Jan 1998 - 2004
Freelander 2 (MY13) SD4 Auto XS (Mauritius Blue) - May 2013 onwards

This thread starts with someone reporting the same problem which I have experienced, followed by quite a bit of "guessing" about what the root of the problem is and how it might be addressed. My intial post was intended to be a definitive account of the problem so that it there as a permanent record for all those who encounter it in the future. If forum users read my first post again, with a calm mind, they will realise that it is a detailed factual account of the cause and explanation of the problem (as provided to myself by Landrover), an account of what has happened to my vehicle as a result and an analysis of how it is virtually impossible for an owner to exercise control over this risk manifesting itself. Collectively, it explains the problem, the possible consequences for owners and hopefully, will save owners also going down all the dead ends which I have already explored in trying to get around the problem - it is not a rant. If I wrote it again, the only thing I would change is perhaps not to have included the emoticon, which may have inadverently "set the wrong scene" at the start - I included the emoticon because with my pattern of useage of the vehicle, I am likley to be caught out by the sleep mode on a repetitive basis. I am disappointed that such a constructive, positive contribution, intended to help others,has been taken negatively by a few people (including an unnecessary well disguised derogatory comment referring to the Cerne Abbas giant, which contributed nothing to the discussion - npinks please note who threw the first stone). I did not make the contribution to seek either solutions or sympathy but, if suggestions of solutions arise, then that's an unexpected bonus.

It is good to see that it has precipitated the generation of suggestions from pab and fredastaire but, at a higher level, it is fundamentally bad design and bad customer care that owners should have to be finding workarounds, of varying degrees of complexity, when there are such simple solutions available to the manufacturer, at source, on the production line.

On Annjeo's point - no, there's nothing in the manual about the sleep mode; my experience is that no-one knows anything about it - the salesman who sold me the car, the dealer manager, the attending technicians, the technical specialist I telephoned at Landrover - none of them knew anything about it.

The only other contribution I can make at present, in terms of solutions is that, to their credit, the dealer did dismantle the two front doors to investigate whether the key lock could be transposed (but it cannot without drilling new holes in the driver's door, which then could compromise the anti-corrosion warranty) and also enquired whether the software could be modified to kill off the sleep mode - the dealer said that Landrover refused to countenance the software option - it could be inferred from this a software modification is possible (but why wouldn't Landrover agree? - are they afraid of setting a precedent that leads to a product recall?) - it doesn't seem like good customer care from the manufacturer?

Yes, if one is youthfull, one could pull/push/tow whatever the vehicle out of a garage with a trolley jack, but it's "not on" on a frequent basis or one could clamber out over the gearbox tunnel every time, but I don't see why I should have to be doing this every time throughout my 60's and 70's, or having to increase the risk of theft by leaving it unlocked, not when the problem could so easily not even exist in the first place.

For the sake of a few pounds to transpose the key lock and as a result of their dismissive and unhelpful corespondence with myself, Landrover have now got an owner who has no confidence in the vehicle and no confidence in the manufacturer and will never have a good word to say about either of them. Is that a way to run a business?

isbjorn wrote:

has been taken negatively by a few people (including an unnecessary well disguised derogatory comment referring to the Cerne Abbas giant

You did rant, or is one of the lines"DO NOT BUY LAND ROVER" not ranting.
The Wiltshire connection if you had bothered to look through the forum,another member from Wiltshire has had exactly the same problem. Your problems have been a drop in the Ocean to what he has had, in a couple of months he will be taking delivery of another Freelander 2.

http://www.freel2.com/forum/topic13457.html

Finally, Cerne Abbas is in Dorset. p****d off with a Digital Keyboard Warrior

Not to mention referring to "this rubbish car" and dismissing someone who actually tried to be helpful as having a "shoulder-shrugging roll-over stance". (Which I don't, in fact, have. I just don't have a problem with this feature - for me it's fine. I don't care. And even if I did I have far more important things to get excited about than the positioning of a door lock!)

I suggest you take the car to a body shop and ask them whether they could fit a mechanical lock to one of the other doors.

Just to respond (constructively) to a couple of other points:

Quote:

... there's nothing in the manual about the sleep mode; my experience is that no-one knows anything about it ...

Quote:

... enquired whether the software could be modified to kill off the sleep mode - the dealer said that Landrover refused to countenance the software option - it could be inferred from this a software modification is possible (but why wouldn't Landrover agree? - are they afraid of setting a precedent that leads to a product recall?) - it doesn't seem like good customer care from the manufacturer?

Quote:

Landrover have now got an owner who has no confidence in the vehicle and no confidence in the manufacturer and will never have a good word to say about either of them.

I agree with Pab that the sleep mode should not be ditched. However it would be nice if was linked to the battery charge i.e. when you leave your car for a month with the battery on trickle charge it recognises this and doesn't go sleep.

Albeit not on the freelie, I've got out of flat battery trouble by back feeding 12 volt through the live pin of the tow bar socket.
Kind regards from Fred 2010GS Auto ex Celeb, Santorini Black, 2011 facelift , spoiler, spats, mudflaps, LED footwell lamps, Witter detach,
Other cars:-
1958 & 1959 Austin J40 Pedal Cars under restoration (I make many J40 parts)
If you have an Austin J40 or Pathfinder Pedal Car looking for a new home pls PM me.
2009 Meriva

I've posted this on another thread but thought I post it here also, might help.

I just wanted to add a bit more information to this thread following an experience that I had Friday which might help people experiencing key fob issues, my car is a 2010.

I'm still on my original battery which I know is getting on a bit but I keep it topped up through the winter with a trickle charge when it's particularly cold. However I did nearly have a fail to start due to low charge this winter so I'm going to need a new one before next winter.

I've been away for a week came home and used the Freelander a couple of days after my return, unlocked with the key fob no problems. Went out for about 12 miles to pick some stuff up, another stop locked car with key fob no problems. When I returned home I went to lock the car before going into the house & the key fob wouldn't work, it's also getting old so I went to get my other one, I do rotate them and had recently used the spare so as to keep charged, and that wouldn't work either, strange?

Did a bit of searching on here couldn't find anything specific to my problem but I knew my battery was getting on a bit so thought I would test the standing voltage, 12.55v not high but not duff. Locked the car with the key no problem? Started clicking the fob multiple times and eventually it locked but really close to the car & only in a specific place, interesting?

So I thought I'd put the car on trickle charge, left it for the rest of the day & when I had to use the car later the key fob worked fine from a distance & from any location.

So it looks like the car limits the range of the transponder signal when the battery is getting low, this could be to such a point that you might not be able to unlock the car with the fob unless right over the unit?

Info might help someone if you aren't already aware. Thumbs Up

rchrdleigh wrote:

Keyless entry is not available on 2013MY Freelander's of any specification.