Interesting project... Previously a 2006 FR2 Diesel manual, now 2006 FR2 Petrol auto and a Series 3 109 SW.

I'm not obsessed with this issue.... er, no, definitely not. But like that pesky rattle, it's always there.

Can anyone confirm if their key comes back out a few millimetres after inserting when starting the car? Mine stays tight against the back of the slot. I think that's why there's no way of giving it that push to eject when I'm trying to remove it. I can pull it about 5mm, then push and it ejects. Surely this has to be mechanical?

For a laugh, I stuck a bit of thin draft excluding foam to the front edge of the key to try to give it some tolerance to move. However, you could then just lift it out when the engine was running! So those barbs weren't catching.

I've asked a few "electronics" friends about removing the stupid thing and replacing it with something else and one suggested "why not just rewire the car?", so it obviously isn't straightforward. Another suggested leaving a key in the dock and replacing the push to start switch with some kind of key switch...

Hey, a key switch to start a car - why didn't land rover think of that? Life is an uphill struggle. Only the gradient varies.

Whilst I've left some enquiries ongoing with a couple of experts about replacing the woeful key docking arrangement with something else, I removed mine again today for a second look. To be honest, the reliance on a few nylon gears and a flat plastic bit that slides in 2 grooves looks more "school project" than Land Rover. It was crying out for lubrication, but very hard to do without removal.

With more confidence this time, I removed the internals and cleaned them separately before greasing them and reassembling the whole thing. I tried the unit with the power on but removed from the dash. Much "buzzier" if that's a word and sounding like it's doing something positive.

I have to say, the way the upper inner plastic slide moves backwards and forwards could have been better engineered with Meccano. It is a very "hope for the best" bit of engineering if ever there was one.

Anyhow, after this latest attempt, it is now sliding the key fob in and out as it was when the car arrived! So, until it fails again, I'm leaving well alone. Life is an uphill struggle. Only the gradient varies.

I am driving an Evoque this week.
Keyless ignition... Very convenient.
As the Evoque is loosely based on the F2 would't be there an upgrade possible? Previously a 2006 FR2 Diesel manual, now 2006 FR2 Petrol auto and a Series 3 109 SW.

Carrying on with my thoughts about the (IMO) ridiculous key dock!

Does anyone have both models of FL2, with the older key dock and also with the later type AND have any knowledge of the differences?

I wonder if the later system can be retrofit in place of the old one. I bumped into a mechanic friend who shared what little knowledge he had, but said there were "several" aerials placed in the later car to receive the presence of the key and it would be a "nightmare" to try to recreate this.

I also wondered if it were possible to shove a key in the dock permanently and replace the Start button with a key switch! The switch is a simple momentary contact button, a spring return key switch could do the same. But what are the consequences of leaving a key in the dock all the time (apart from the "bing" when opening the door and the clock on the radio being permanently on?)

Also, I checked the battery current at rest (after 10 mins with volumetric alarm off) with a clamp meter.
Key out of dock = 520mA
Key in dock = 630mA
Enough of a difference to be a nuisance?

I'm sure there'll be one or two people who will shoot down the idea, but would you really want to cross deserts and rivers and mountains in a car with such a key docking arrangement? I'm not convinced I would.

So I'm willing to experiment a bit with this on the understanding that my missus will literally kill me if I stuff up the car! Life is an uphill struggle. Only the gradient varies.

Have you actually checked your key dock with a genuine LR key fob, that way you will discover whether your problem is the dock or the fob? I know it won't start the car or shouldn't, but I'm sure a nearby owner of a Freelander 2 would help. my PC is slightly to the right of Genghis
2012 HSE SD4 In Orkney Grey now gone, best car ever.

That's a good thought.

I do have a friend (what, even after all this?) with a FL2 that has a genuine key, but it gets rejected each time we pushed it in, so never got to the "retained" state we wanted to test. He wasn't up for popping the case apart to try my circuit board to see if it stays in, he then made his excuses and left. Life is an uphill struggle. Only the gradient varies.