It's official, I'm an idiot.

Got back from same late evening shopping in my 2009 Freelander 2. Pulled up outside the house, switched engine off, couldn't eject the key. Couldn't start the engine either. Cursing, popped the bonnet.
Cursing, thinking it's the damned battery again even though it's only a few months old.
Cursing and grabbing the OEM battery I still had in the garage and connecting some jump leads. Still can't eject the key, still can't get the thing to start.
Cursing, pulling the battery out and putting it on a battery checker, 86% charge. Cursing, more cursing.

Then reading the forums about how to remove the key using a piece of plastic...and someone had written wisely...."don't forget, autos have to be in park...."
Cursing, quieter now, oh God. Don't tell me.....
Cursing, to myself, inside my head as I walk out to the car with a torch.



Oh ****. Cursing as I put the car in park, and walk into the house looking at my battery sitting there charging quietly, smug in it's own knowledge that it wasn't at fault.

I shouldn't be allowed near electronics I think.

The moral of the story...check the obvious first. Have a good evening folks.

Last edited by UKSkidmark on 18th Nov 2020 11:27 pm. Edited 1 time in total

I knew at sentence 3 what the problem was. Got that particular T-shirt . 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

Oh god yes. Still catches me out for a few seconds of thinking "oh no, what's wrong now...." before i remember.

Not just an idiot, also a skidmark!!!!

I installed a remote starter when I acquired this vehicle as I work rotating shifts. The remote starter works very well and has quite a range. One night I started it, got in and forgot to hold the brake down until it beeps...........so I shifted out of P and into D and she shut off . I wasted about 2 mins and I bloody well removed my key twice with a lot of force when I finally figured out it stalled in D.

So far the key and slot are behaving as normal, my pride not so much

I too was once guilty of this when I first had mine 4 years ago.

I have pushed the radio button to turn the car off & wondered why the car didn't respond!

Other half forget you have to put it in D after starting it & was wondering why it didn't move! Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

The later model with the proximity key won't switch off unless its in park. Had a serious battle trying to remove the key from an auto Discovery 1 until I realised the selector wasn't fully home in the park segment 🤔 Landrover - turning owners into mechanics since 1948

2014 Orkney grey Freelander SD4 GS.
2004 Zambezi silver Discovery 2 Td5 (Gone)
1963 Surf blue Morris Mini Minor Super de Luxe (my little toy)

One other thing with modern automatics, how do you move the car if the engine isn't running? You can't get it into "N" and you can't get the EPB off either so you can't even push it. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

I was in the dealership a couple of weeks ago and asked an AA chap the same question.
His reply was there is a solenoid that can be disconnected on the DS - takes 5 minutes and is located near the gear selector knob (mines a rotary wheel).
His pet hate is the same issue on BMW X5 - you have to take a front wheel off, and a wing liner to get to the linkage, at the side of the road, with LGVs streaming past. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

dorsetfreelander wrote:

One other thing with modern automatics, how do you move the car if the engine isn't running? You can't get it into "N" and you can't get the EPB off either so you can't even push it.

EPB

If you have ignition you press the foot brake and release the parking brake in neutral.
No ignition - diagnostics should allow you to put the brake in service mode through the OBD port which is permanently powered. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Just been out a tried on my 2014 SD4 and even with the ignition on you can't get it out of "P". Message comes up telling you to put your foot on the brake and start the engine. Same on wife's 2018 Suzuki. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

so glad I have a manual box and a press button leaver handbrake.

somethings should never change.

Had mine a few years now and on the odd occasion still grope around under the steering column for the ignition key to turn it off even though there’s that big stop/start button in my eye-line

Dear UK Skidder, nope I don’t think your an idiot at all it’s just on of life’s gems....!

My wife doesn’t use the freelander 2 all that much, but once upon a time she used it to pick up some bags of compost from the garden centre
On her return she left the key in the dash and said don’t know what’s up with that car.! Can’t get the key out.! Let alone stopping the engine.!
Although me noticing bags of compost in the boot I asked her what did you do at the garden centre if you couldn’t get the key out.?
I left it running she said and went shopping

After coming back down from the guttering ie my anger was immense I informed her how to stop the car putting the gearbox into Park and this allows the engine to stop and to be able to remove the key.

Now since our little altercation I remove the starter motor relay.——- —- Happy Days..! When I’m away the car doesn’t go out, I have had some peculiar phone calls tho.

Car always starts for me.!!!

Davyboy.