I am off for an extended trip abroad in a weeks time and my Freelander will be parked unused in my drive for about 12 weeks

I remembered reading previously, posts about Freelanders, in effect, shutting down after extended periods of not being used, meaning that it was not possible to gain entry to the vehicle except using the manual emergency key in the passenger door.

So I grabbed the manual yesterday and searched cover to cover to find out more about this feature...........Nothing mentioned at all!!
So next stop was a search on this forum where I found quite a lot, but the experience of posters seems to vary from "yes car goes into hibernate mode after 4 weeks to conserve the battery" to "No, I leave my car regularly for extended periods and I can always gain access and start in the usual way" and all things in between!!

So I am wondering. Is the Freelander hibernation a real thing or is it just the car protecting itself when the battery voltage starts to drop? Is it a feature of earlier models. Mine is a MY 2013?? Very strange that it is not mentioned in the manual??

Steve

I think I have seen late model FL2s mentioned in threads here regarding this, maybe it is not so straight forward as 2 weeks tho - others may be able to shed some light here? Perhaps battery condition plays into this?

What I would definitely do is lube the lock on the passenger door, check it unlocks fine & park it so that you can get to the door & open it, I think we had a member here that parked with the passenger door right up against a caravan which meant it was impossible to open... not a good situation to be in! 2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration

Do what PRadd said and fully charge the battery it should be fine.

Good point about the battery charge SYFL2, if it were me I'd be inclined to leave it connected to my "smart" charger.... but I'd still make sure the lock works ok & I can get at the door!  2014 Freelander 2 TD4 Manual Dynamic
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover
1956/7 88" Series One Land Rover - undergoing restoration

my wifes car sat at a garage last year for six weeks before they even touched it ( insurance job / sun roof dont ask ) and they said that was fine because like you i had read on here about prolonged periods of non use . I know only six weeks but was fine 2009 FL2 S now gone
2011 FL2 HSE AUTO
2012 FL2 XS AUTO
2000 Kawasaki er 5

Hibernation is a thing. As already said, make sure manual unlocking works. Also you could run a lead to the rear of the Bonnet, make sure it's waterproof, so when you get back charge up the battery. I'm not sure if simply having a charged battery will get the car out of hibernation, but at least it will start if you have to get in manually.

If you don't have a charger, Victron chargers come with a short lead with waterproof plug. You can buy 2m extension leads which are handy. I have a few of them.
 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

State of battery charge doesn't affect it, it's time based, about 30 days (mines a 2007). Remember, on UK models its only the passenger door that can be opened with the Key blade, so make sure you have access before you leave it. Worth doing a test you can open it before hand though. 
Hung like Einstein, smart as a horse.

This hibernation happened to me a few weeks ago after the FL2 had been sitting unused for four or five weeks. As others have said, it would be wise to check that the emergency key works. You’ll find that once you open the passenger door with this key the alarm will go off. To silence it you need to insert the remote into its dock. This is all covered on page 40 of the manual that I have under “Keys and Remote Controls”

OK guys, thanks for the replies

I had a dry run with the emergency key earlier today and that all works fine (provided you turn it the correct way ie clockwise!!) and I will make sure it is accessible, so at least i am covered for that eventuality

I will report back in December

Cheers Steve

I installed one of these to cheaply resolve any battery drain issues. Just use the key to lock and unlock the door. Top Post Battery Disconnect Switch 12V / 24V 250/750 Amps Knife Blade Isolator

Click image to enlarge

When you get back from holidays charge up the battery properly, better to do that before you try to start the car. Lead acid batteries like to be kept topped up for longer life. 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

If you have access to power where you will be parking it something like CTEK charger/conditioner. My son works in Africa and keeps his Porsche in our garage where it sits there for months at at time. It;s connected to one of these and it works fine, remember that car batteries last longer if they are always fully charged. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

I have left my car several times for over 30 days at the airport.

It went quite naturally into hibernation, and although I panicked on the first time ( I accidentally found out how it worked by using the emergency key to get in out of the December cold ), it always worked perfectly once I was in the car and the keys recognised.

I believe that as long as you have a decent battery, the Battery Management System works very well and keeps enough charge to get you going. I don't see the need, or wisdom, behind disconnecting battery.

As mentioned above, don't park against a wall, or anything else that will prevent you opening the passenger door.

Although the car appears dead, the Perimeter Alarm is still protecting against intruders, but will clear once ignition is established.

https://www.freel2.com/forum/search.php?se...rch_time=0 FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Thanks everyone.

I find it really odd that there is no mention of this in the manual (unless I have missed it!) It seems to be something quite fundamental and important for an owner to know about!! There are plenty of other "hidden" actions which are mentioned.

Hey Ho!!

Perhaps they believe no owner would want to be parted from their beloved motor for more than a day or two