replacement smartkeys?

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djeddieo

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hey, first post and I did search; came up empty. it's actually a friend that owns a 2012 LR4 that she bought pre-owned and it came with only one key, which she occasionally misplaces. Dealership has told her on those occasions that to get a new key she would have to tow the vehicle to them and then pay about $500. That is nothing like the process for smartkeys for the Mercedes autos I own. With a MB, you must prove ownership and then dealer orders a key based on your VIN. Prices vary widely but $260-$400 is about the range. Most important lesson I've learned about MB keys is that you can't buy a used key on eBay and reprogram it, like you can for a Lexus. I did some searching for her and found keys being sold under $300:
http://autocarkey.com/3171-2012-land-rover-lr4-key-replacement
(I do hope posting links is allowed here)

Would this key require dealer programming or is it DIY?

Thanks in advance.
 

thorgal

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Yes, you have to present an photo ID and prove, that it is you that owns the car. New Key comes directly from England , as it is when VIN is imbedded into a mother board . This process, turnaround, usually takes a couple weeks and old key has to be present during coding a new one as well, otherwise it won't work, when new one is activated.It is a usually a dealer only process, unless you know someone with a Foultmate MSV 2 or computer , that dealer usually uses.
 

djeddieo

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so even if you buy online for +/-$250*, you need to go to the dealer, where they'll likely charge you $100 or more to program?

* the website I linked above does say "Land Rover LR4 Intelligent Prox Transmitter Key/Smart Key. This genuine Land Rover smart key must be programmed by a professional locksmith or dealer before use"
 

umbertob

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If the key was ever programmed for a different VIN, you are going to buy an expensive paperweight. A previously programmed fob cannot be reflashed, erased and/or reprogrammed by anyone, dealerships and professional locksmiths included, to work on a different vehicle, regardless of what the seller may claim. Be very careful about buying "genuine" fobs from third parties online, as most of them are used - but you don't find out about it until your dealer tries to sync it to your immobilizer via diagnostics and fails. And yes, even with a "******" fob, you need someone with compatible diagnostics to mate the electronics to your car's unique VIN.
 
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simjet22

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If the key was ever programmed for a different VIN, you are going to buy an expensive paperweight. A previously programmed fob cannot be reflashed, erased and/or reprogrammed by anyone, dealerships and professional locksmiths included, to work on a different vehicle, regardless of what the seller may claim. Be very careful about buying "genuine" fobs from third parties online, as most of them are used - but you don't find out about it until your dealer tries to sync it to your immobilizer via diagnostics and fails. And yes, even with a "******" fob, you need someone with compatible diagnostics to mate the electronics to your car's unique VIN.

not true. i bought my LR4 with one fob. There are certain key fobs you can buy on ebay and have them reprogrammed at the dealer like i did. you just have to verify the serial on the key with the dealer and they will verify it then program it. it works flawlessly trust me.
 

Sogs

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I have a big issue with the key (LR3), my battery became loose both keys. It detached for the board (broken soldered connection). Now this is a crap design to begin with, first of the battery is soldered to the board and not replaceable, that is just stupid. Next the replacement for$250-$300 is NUTS, I don't care how much money you have it's the principal of it. I went online and bought a case and crack the original case open moved the key and the board to the new key case, and soldered the battery back and it is as good as new for $17. The other thing is that there is a claim that this key charges in the ignition. I question this, there is NO physical connection from the board to the key stem that goes into the ignition, and I am scratching my head on how it is possible, coming from someone who has just fix the solder joint of the battery to the board, so I know a little about electronics. The claim is that the key last 15 years. BS if the battery detaches from the board.
 

umbertob

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I think the LR3 battery charges by induction (kinda like the Qi charging system found on newer phones), and the claim was the shelf life of that rechargeable battery was 10 years, IIRC from my old Sport days... A new battery CAN be soldered on the board, although it's not an easy job. Fortunately, the LR4 uses a somewhat more user friendly system, with an accessible and replaceable battery.
 
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