Immobiliser help!

[Kate B]

Hey, brand new owner here! Replaced the battery on it today and the immobiliser has kicked in so I can’t start the engine! How can I turn it off - is there anything I can do or do I need to get a specialist out pr recovered to a garage? Only have the manual key with a chip in I guess

[Mikhail]

Kate, does your key work, can you check if battery is not dead in the key? Was it starting this car before?

 

You can't really disable the immobilizer. It has to talk to the chip in the key in order to start but for that the key need to be powered. If the key was able to start this car before then the immobilizer knows that key and nothing else is required, the only thing you can do in a workshop is to add/remove keys if they have right equipment for that, also if you have another key did you try to use them?

Edited December 12, 2022 by Mikhail

[Kate B]

I only have the one key, it worked fine before we replaced the battery, lights come on but won’t even attempt to start and red car with lock flashes up on dash, which is indicating it’s the immobiliser 

[Mikhail]

Yep understood, it lights up when the key is in and turned to START but should disappear when the car has started. It may be just a coincidence that the battery inside the key is flat, did you try to replace it?

[Kate B]

It’s just a standard manual key, it doesn’t have a battery.. it’s not a button one. 

[Mikhail]

If it's the only key you have then I am afraid you'll need a locksmith that can program a key for the immobilizer to work. It's not terribly difficult if they have right equipment - but unfortunately without the master key you can't do much.

[Chris.ac]

Wait.

You have no buttons on key and no other remote for the central locking, etc? 

And the battery you replaced was the main 12v car battery? 

[Chris.ac]

Just now, Chris.ac said:

Wait.

You have no buttons on key and no other remote for the central locking, etc? 

And the battery you replaced was the main 12v car battery? 

 

Even the manual key has a small chip in it that activates when key is inserted in to ignition barrel (like wireless charging) the ignition barrel has the reader for the chip in the key. 

 

Another thing I have seen, is some owners 'hide' the immobiliser fob/key in the car, sometimes under the drivers side plastic step. 

[Alphard Club]

@Kate B did you manage to sort this Kate??

 

[Rojie]

On 12/12/2022 at 11:33 PM, Kate B said:

I only have the one key, it worked fine before we replaced the battery, lights come on but won’t even attempt to start and red car with lock flashes up on dash, which is indicating it’s the immobiliser 

 

Hi Kate,

 

Did you ensure the battery was fully charged before you fitted it ?

Did you fit the battery personally, or have a garage do it ?

Any sparking of the battery leads when it was connected ?

[Kate B]

2 hours ago, Alphard Club said:

@Kate B did you manage to sort this Kate??

 

I have had it recovered to my house and I have an auto locksmith coming out tomorrow afternoon, who can hopefully do me a master key which will deactivate the immobiliser! Found him after being told by one auto locksmith that I would need to have the immobiliser ripped out, and by another who told me I would have to have a new ECU fitted. So we have everything crossed it'll be sorted tomorrow! 

[Kate B]

1 minute ago, Kate B said:

I have had it recovered to my house and I have an auto locksmith coming out tomorrow afternoon, who can hopefully do me a master key which will deactivate the immobiliser! Found him after being told by one auto locksmith that I would need to have the immobiliser ripped out, and by another who told me I would have to have a new ECU fitted. So we have everything crossed it'll be sorted tomorrow! 

 

2 hours ago, Rojie said:

 

Hi Kate,

 

Did you ensure the battery was fully charged before you fitted it ?

Did you fit the battery personally, or have a garage do it ?

Any sparking of the battery leads when it was connected ?

It was brand new from Halfords so assumed it was fully charged! now sparking happened, fitting was all good! it's not the battery that is the problem, it's the fact I don't have the master key only the 'valet' key - I unfortunately have just had some very unhelpful advice from the recovery people and a couple of auto locksmiths.. hopefully I have someone out tomorrow who is sorting me a master key and all will be good

[Alphard Club]

15 hours ago, Kate B said:

 

It was brand new from Halfords so assumed it was fully charged! now sparking happened, fitting was all good! it's not the battery that is the problem, it's the fact I don't have the master key only the 'valet' key - I unfortunately have just had some very unhelpful advice from the recovery people and a couple of auto locksmiths.. hopefully I have someone out tomorrow who is sorting me a master key and all will be good

 

 

Maybe worth giving Croma security a call to confirm that is the case. New ECU is not cheap

 

https://www.locksmiths.co.uk/find-a-locksmith/croma-locksmiths-bournemouth/

 

They are in Winton