X350 Remote Central Locking help needed!

[Toomanycars]

I am currently in the market for an X350 and have spoken to someone with one who has told me both keys for the central locking don't work, but it's just the batteries...... I'm sure it is!

So, it's not just the batteries in the remotes. £10 would have both replaced at a jeweller's.

After researching everywhere the conclusions I've reached are

1. The flap on the ignition barrel sticking open.

2. The key's need to be"reprogrammed" to the car because the batteries are dead in them and have been for long enough for them to be forgotten.

3. The mechanism in the driver's door.

4. The keys/remotes themselves.

Are these all the potential issues, as I cannot bear buying it and either not finding a solution, or it costing endless sums to rectify?

Is it possible that it's more than just one of the above, or all of them, or something else entirely?

I have bought some graphite powder as recommended for the sticking flap, and I believe the reprogramming can be done by me for free via the car's headlamp stalk?

I haven't viewed the car yet, but am aiming to in the next week, so all help and pointers before then will be very much appreciated.

[J44EAG]

Firstly, fob battery changing is a DIY job. Just prize the fob apart and insert a new battery.

Locking issues are rare on these cars. You need to change the fob batteries before attempting to progress in any other way. Always diagnose accurately before tearing a car to pieces and changing prime components. Sort the basics out first before buying what may be un-necessary parts or making wild guesses. You are likely to need to find a garage with dealer level diagnostic gear if central locking electronic programme needs a re-set. Cross that bridge when you get to it. Personally I don`t believe you are that stage yet though.

Yes, it is possible to programme via the head light stalk but you will need to be very familiar with the method before you go in that deep. Be that as it may, deal with the key fobs first. You may find no re-programming is required. Hold your horses and go at a controlled pace with this problem. If in doubt consult a friendly local Jaguar Indipendant specialist. Avoid Main Dealer intervention for the sake of your wallet.

Many of us have our own diagnostic tool. Around £90 will buy an iCarsoft 930i, I have one and it is a very handy piece of kit. Some of us also use an ebay sourced ELM327 bluetooth chip which costs around £5 and plugs into the OBD port. The chip will sync with either an Iphone or Android phone. The free Torque app is then sourced but a small Pro upgrade is then used to get an excellent and very high powered set up. Little more than £10 needs to be spent. With both the iCarsoft dedicated JLR unit or the Torque, you then have a piece of kit which will enable to to avoid expensive garage charges. You can also clear fault codes with the unit. By getting one of these tool you will be advantaged rather than dis-advantaged. These units remove all the snatching at straws or guess work. Put more bluntly, I see these diagnostic units as an essential item and one that I couldn`t possibly travel without. Mine sits in my passenger door card and never leaves the car. No more nervous waiting waiting for an AA patrol!

Try that for starters.

Mike

[Toomanycars]

Thanks for that Mike.

Would always start with the easiest (and cheapest) option first!

Personally, I'm just suspicious as to why you wouldn't just change the battery in the remotes if that is all that's wrong?

I can understand, sort of, not doing the first one when it fails if you have the spare handy, but once both stop working and you're having to put the key in the lock all the time, surely you'd at least change the battery in one, even if it's just out of sheer irratation?

On one hand, knowing how meticulous he sounds in the expensive maintenance that has been carried out, I think if it was anything more, he would've had it done, but on the other, if it's just a cheap watch battery.............

I really just wanted to be forewarned and thus forearmed in any negotiations!

[J44EAG]

Haggle the price down hard with that issue as the lever. That`s how you get a cheap car! The previous owner might have just got bored with the car and decided not to spend any more on it.

I would be looking to find a similar car of similar age of similar mileage and note its price. I`d then take that to the owner of the one youyu are looking at.. My offer would be a £750 reduction of price on the basis of "these locking systems can be dead expensive to fix and I`m taking the risk" Your call Mr Seller....

There is no need to buy an SEP. (Somebody elses problem) If you do, then go for a big price drop.

Mike

[Toomanycars]

Absolutely.

I know what the car is worth, at least to me, even if it is all otherwise as described. I also know the market for them is really quite small and only the very best find owners easily.

I can't view the car for at least another week anyway as he's currently working away, which is typical, but that does mean I get more thinking space.

[andypryce]

The remotes don't work presumably, but the key transponder must be ok or the car wouldn't start at all. Fairly straightforward to reprogramme the remote to the car I would think, as Mike says a good quality code reader would do that. Many can be programmed by a particular sequence of flashing the headlights etc, I am sure someone here will know. Personally I would ask for that to be sorted before buying, it's the issues that crop up a month later that cause the hassle!

[Toomanycars]

Thanks Andy.

From what he has told me that's correct. The remote central locking doesn't currently work from either fob, but he uses the key which still works fine and obviously/presumably switches the alarm and immobiliser off.

From my own research it may just be a case of new batteries in the remotes and a simple reprogramming sequence, but as you say, depending on how the negotiations go, I may insist they are both working before I purchase.

Hopefully towards the end of this week I will finally get to view it.

[J44EAG]

Here is the link to the Trovit Cars site. In my opinion, the gateway to used cars. Well worth a look.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... Fi37ILsBNA

This link is for the iCarsoft diagnostic tool. An essential piece of kit, one of which lives permanently in my car. https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... fDVnCFrDaQ

Mike