Single button fob

[Mark Sims]

Anybody any idea where you can get a single button 418MHz fob from ?.
I'm a bit concerned about having only one working as if that fails then I can't get the immobiliser to reset.

Regards,
Mark

[Webbits]

I was lucky when I got my landy, It came with two fobs, But a friend of mine only had one. He has a '93 disco and he got his spare through a Land Rover dealer. I don't know how much it cost but he did say it was a rip off. I presume that means it cost a fortune. After he had replaced it he realised that the alarm is set when you use the key to lock the doors. A brand new thacham cat2 immobiliser costs about £85 fitted and works from a transponder that you attach to your key fob. So it would have been cheaper to have a new immobiliser fitted. Hope this helps?

[Mark Sims]

I'm guessing that is where I will have to go, a new Thatcham system. LandRover no longer make the 418MHz unit (you can get a 433MHz one for later models). Seemingly you can't get one from anywhere, and yes the wrong frequency ones are about £60.

Suppose this is another one to add to the woes of wet passenger footwell, rusting luggage area floorpan, peeling/lifting front dash. Suppose I am at least getting all of the problems everyone else with 95 Discos have experienced.

Mark.

[OldFart]

I think you'll find that pre 95 Disco's had a Lucas alarm system (factory fitted) This alarm system is not regonised by some insurance companies ie Norwhich Union...They'll only cover for third party
I'll post more about this later .

[Mark Sims]

Well it is a LUCAS fob, so I guess it was a lucas factory fitted alarm.

Has anybody fitted a new alarm system and was it a straight forward thing to do ?

Mark

[Webbits]

'Betty' my '94 Disco had to have a Thatcham cat2 Immobiliser installed before I could get insurance with 'Tesco'. There are not many insurance companies that recognise the factory fit alarm. Those that do offer insurance with the standard alarm are expensive. Cheapest quote I got for fully comp protected max no claims was £590, but with 'Tesco' it worked out at £320 if I got a Thatcham cat2 Immobiliser. The unit I have had fitted is a toad cat2 and it cost £90 fitted. It works by switching of the fuel pump and is nothing to do with the ignition. When you get one fitted you get a certificate, which you then send off to your insurance company. The alarm on my Disco is very good. When the cat2 was installed, the fitter checked the ultra sonics. He said that they worked a treat and that they were not too sensitive. The ultra sonics are not activated straight away there is a time delay. This was the reason why I asked for them to be checked, I didn't think that they worked. My friend had his Range Rover alloys and tyres nicked. The alarm never went off even though they jacked the thing up. He has had a self leveling mercury switch alarm fitted as to replace them cost £1400. Now that is what I call a serious alarm.

[OldFart]

Ok....i received this letter this morning from my insurance broker sent on behalf of Norwhich Union who i've been with for donkeys/

Quote "Norwich Union require confirmation that your Discovery has a Thatcham Category 1 alarm system, if so please forward the certificate. If not, cover will be restricted to third party risks only until an aproved alarm is fitted"

Well i can tell yer the air was blue this morning, Firstly my broker didnt advise me this when i originaly put the Disco on my policy, secondly after years of no claims i think its ****ty of Norwich to treat me thus.
Strangely enough only yesterday i was talking about insurance with the 4x4 Centre where we're off to tomorrow, they were saying that if you have the various certificates for offroad training, you will be able to get discounts sometime soon. Land Rover being one company moving in this direction.

So....on reciept of the above letter i phoned LR customer services and ascertained that pre 95 Disco models only had the lucas system fitted, and yes LR were aware that Norwich Union were not accepting pre 95 Discos for insurance unless the alarm system had been upgraded.
However LR were perfectly happy to insure me themselves with the current alarm for £462 .....
So then i phoned the caravan club , since i'm a member, and got quoted £369....thats fully comp, with NCD protection, and the missus driving
Next on the advice of the 4X4 Training school at Honiton i phoned Frizzell who like the caravan club were perfectly happy with my factory fitted Lucas alarm, for £273 i dont have to pay any excess on anything, and i've still got my NCD Protection , plus i'm covered for any damage that i or the missus might cause whilst being off road to with our LR, but not obviously for competitive off road stuff, so not a bad deal ?
The only prob then was that under my Norwich Union policy i had full relay breakdown cover (worth its weight in gold) ....but with Frizzell no breakdown cover. I dont like the AA, the RAC aint too bad....but Frizzell recommended joining the CSMA and getting a discount through Brittania......so thats what we did....Full breakdown and relay with caravan for......£68 and that includes my £17 membership to CSMA
Lol.....then i noticed that CSMA organise caravan insurance....hmmm i thought......ah feck might as well go the whole hog ......so for £135 got the caravan and contents covered as well
Very nice helpfull folks at CSMA, and Frizzells, and especialy LR customer services.

Bottom line is.....shop around, and stuff Norwich Union

Oh.. and it would have cost £279 to upgrade the alarm system had i gone that route

[Mark Sims]

So far people have mentioned upgrading their existing system, I would have to replace it, has anybody had this done ? indeed is it something that can be done ?

As for whether I go for CAT1 or 2 depends, not sure if 100,000+ 95 Disco that by Parkers Guide is only worth £7500, needs a £400 alarm system.

Whatever happens I need an alarm system that operates the doors, uses the existing ultrasonic detectors and door/bonnet sensors and means I can throw away the old fobs (mind you judging by the lack of 418MHz fobs the working one must be worth a fortune).

Any advice ?

Mark

[OldFart]

Originally posted by Mark Sims
So far people have mentioned upgrading their existing system,

Mark

Not me, Frizzell insurance were happy with my existing alarm system

[Greendisco300]

I brought a single button fob for £60 a short while ago from broadfields in bishop stortford. I only had 1 remote abd that was getting a bit dodgy too!

MC

[Mark Sims]

My saga took an unexpected turn for the better. I gave my bad fob to a friend who took it into work. He got someone there to clean it up, resolder all of the circuit joints and then retest it. Suddenly it was working at 430MHz. Tested it on the Disco and all worked!

This does raise the question as to why the supposedly brand new 433MHz fob from the LR dealer could not be sync'ed into my system and thus why they then said I had a 418MHz system.

Still, I am happy now.

Mark

[believable]

Mark,

Just seen this one, as this is the first time on the forum.
Ah its nice to be around people who have the same problems as you!
I finally got to the bottom of why 418MHz fobs are no longer available -apparently the EU outlawed the frequency in 2000 making it illegal to manufacture items on this freq. LR could sell there remaining stock but not get any more.
I nearly bought one this week from enigma2000.com for about £70. But I thinik I've decided to go for an alarm upgrade instead. I can't be doing with finding another one when this one breaks down in a couple of years.

I'd be interested to know how you get on with alarms, if you could recommend anyone?

[Janine]

I got a new fob,at Appleyards in Edinburgh,LR dealer,5 months ago and it cost me £76 +vat.That was for a 300tdi Disco.

I just paid up,when I regained consciuosness(sp)

[sjwillw]

hi there
new to all this but just purchased a new keyfob with instructions on how to link to the alarm system off ebay :
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN%3AIT&rd=1

works perfectly, the gentleman selling them just needs your frequency ie 418 or 433 and cost only £39.99
stephen

[Mark Sims]

I have a replacement one now as well. they are advertised in the various LR magazines.

www.remotekey.co.uk are the people I used.

Mark