Anybody know L322 Range Rover locks/alarms? (locked out)

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2004 Range Rover, locked out - driver's door lock broken, car not responding to aftermarket remote.

(I posted this at RangeRovers.net, but my old account was apparently disabled (I had not used it in years). I opened a new account but it's "awaiting moderation" - I'm leary of that as it took three weeks this summer to get a 1st post approved at SwedeSpeed.net, which is a much higher-volume site. Frankly I don't understand that; I'm a mod at a make forum and I think we average about four hours before approval. Anyway - Help pls. if you can!:)

Would appreciate some expert advice; we have a 2004 RR with a lock and remote problem. Yikes. The truck actually belongs to our neighbor (good friend). I actually had an account here 10 years ago when I was shopping/buying a P38 but haven't accessed it in a long time, so new account.

The truck is in very nice shape, well maintained, 135k total. This is not an "emergency" situation, the truck is parked in a covered car port on the property. I/we are just focused on repairing it thoroughly and correctly. Relevant details:

  • Driver's mechanical lock is broken. My dad actually fixed this for him a few years ago, apparently it broke again and he never mentioned it or I/we would have cautioned him to the risk he was running and sorted it out.
  • He has only one remote, which he bought and had mated to the vehicle. The key blank on it isn't even cut, he was just relying on this to get into the vehicle.
  • Remote stopped working and no way into vehicle now. The remote has a new battery and illuminates when you press it; but to no result.
  • The remote is an aftermarket unit; I don't know how reliable they are (pic below)

He tried prying the door slightly so we could depress the center locking button. No amount of pressing ever actuated it, though it was tricky to do with that distance and pinned by the small door entry angle/space. The assumption now is a dead/shorted battery.

I read here and on UK forums about the fender light option (no joy).
I jacked up the RF to get at the starter to apply power to the (+) per advice. When I did so, the alarm went off - I immediately tried the remote and the same result - no response what so ever. The alarm went off about 30 or 45 sec (?) and stopped, lights flashed a while longer and stopped. I repeated this and still no result from the remote.

I am wondering now if the battery is indeed fine and the remote has just lost the connectivity somehow?

Should I take off the heat shields and put 12v on the starter to try the remote again?

Should we just break a sidelight window or whatever my glass guy says is cheapest/easiest, and then go from there and get two working remotes and repair the door lock mechanism? I/my father have re-build many door locks and re-keyed cylinders over the years, so getting it all set back to original is not a problem, but I'm just not familiar with this system enough to know what the common failure points are and prefer to ask advice instead of reinventing the wheel. ;)
 

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Did you try the door button again when you were applying the 12V to the starter + and the frame (-)?

No, haven't got the power to the starter yet - I jacked it up today with the front wheel off then several heat shields and some awkward contortions to get to that - I put it off until tomorrow. It's not an emergency as I mentioned - plenty of other cars sitting around and it's not his daily driver anyway.

BUT - that's a good idea. A very good idea. Thank you.
 
I assume security is the same or better than a P38
So the interior switch wouldn't work with the system armed
If the doors are superlocked/deadlocked, they won't respond to interior door handles, so smashing a window is redundant
Any chance of finding the hood cable to get it up?
How broken is the drivers door lock?
Because IIRC they had global opening/closing that if you held in the unlock position, would get the windows down
I'd don some ear plugs, hook up power wherever you can, and put a fresh battery in the remote and fiddle with it pressing buttons hoping it might resync
I know there was a resync procedure for GEMS era RR products, but this one is different
Is there a key slot hidden on the passenger door or tailgate?
 
I assume security is the same or better than a P38
So the interior switch wouldn't work with the system armed

That matches what I/we saw, good point.
If the doors are superlocked/deadlocked, they won't respond to interior door handles, so smashing a window is redundant

Ugh.
Any chance of finding the hood cable to get it up?
How broken is the drivers door lock?

I read you can remove the lower chin shroud, etc. and poke upward to release the hood with some contortioning. But I don't know if that matters if the battery is good and it's the aftermarket remote which has lost the connection.

Because IIRC they had global opening/closing that if you held in the unlock position, would get the windows down

I have tried laying the key over, holding it, multiple times etc. no joy. There is supposed to be a solid link which is apparently broken. No other key besides the drivers door on this model (mark III/L322).
I'd don some ear plugs, hook up power wherever you can, and put a fresh battery in the remote and fiddle with it pressing buttons hoping it might resync

I tried putting power to the trailer wiring, fender light, etc. but nothing is hot. have to get at the starter or battery I guess.
 
the 03-05 range rovers are wired up like BMWs, they basically are BMWs actually. look up “deadlock” in the bimmer forums for some workarounds. they’re one of the few cars you can actually trap people inside pretty effectively
 
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I don’t know how German central locking works - given you have a BMW-era Rover(the Rover group fell into BMW hands after British Leyland fell apart, but they kept Land Rover and sold Rover to the Chinese). You did say the mechanical door locks were repaired. Was there a micro switch attached to the mechanism that signaled the body control module to reverse the “deadlock” on the doors if the driver door was unlocked via key?
 
Isn't this new technology great remember when you just got a new key made for a couple bucks now one of these cheap pocket phoebes is what $350? Progress its an amazing thing!
 
Isn't this new technology great remember when you just got a new key made for a couple bucks now one of these cheap pocket phoebes is what $350? Progress its an amazing thing!
...my car is parked on the mean streets of any urban boogeyman city you care to dream up

It's miraculously still there in the AM

Car theft took a big nosedive once electronic immobilization became mainstream

These "progress" keys do more good than any cry wolf POS aftermarket siren ever did
 
...my car is parked on the mean streets of any urban boogeyman city you care to dream up

It's miraculously still there in the AM

Car theft took a big nosedive once electronic immobilization became mainstream

These "progress" keys do more good than any cry wolf POS aftermarket siren ever did
Car thefts up nearly 20 percent in Washington, FBI says. What can be done? (q13fox.com)
If they catch you steal a car in CHOP they just let you go until about the 7th time unless you are using the car in a felony.
 
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