A 2018 Range Rover dropped off with us in Nottingham. The owner wanted a spare key to back up her original, and the job came with a twist most customers don't know about - the fob she was using had a physical emergency blade tucked inside that had never been cut to the car. Jake decoded the lock, cut a blade for the new spare, programmed the transponder, and cut the existing emergency blade as well, no charge.
The call
Most of our Range Rover work is mobile. This one was a drop-off - either works; we're set up for both.
Primary job was a spare key add. The customer's existing fob worked fine on electronics - unlocked the doors, started the car - but that was all the fob side. The physical blade hidden inside the fob had never been cut to match the locks. Most Range Rover owners never take that blade out, so the fact that it's blank goes unnoticed for years.
That meant Jake couldn't measure cuts off her existing key the way we'd normally do on an add-key, because there weren't any cuts to measure. Decoding the door lock was the way in.
How Jake did the job
The Range Rover uses the HU101 blade profile. Jake ran the HU101 Lishi in the driver's door, read the wafers one at a time off the gauge, and wrote down the bitting.
Blade cut to the decoded bitting on the van for the new spare.
Programming ran on the Autel via OBD. The customer's existing fob was present to authenticate the session, so the new transponder wrote into the immobiliser's approved list on the first attempt. Remote buttons paired to central locking and boot release on the same run.
The emergency blade, cut free of charge
While the customer's original fob was open on the bench for the transponder check, Jake noticed the physical blade inside had never been cut to the car. The owner didn't know she had one - most Range Rover owners don't, because the fob has always worked on electronics and the blade is only meant to come out if the battery dies or the fob electronics fail.
The door lock was already decoded and the HU101 Lishi was still sitting on the van, so cutting the existing blade was a few minutes' work and another blank. We did it as a courtesy.
What probably happened
In our experience, cars that turn up with an uncut emergency blade have often been bought at auction. A previous locksmith has added a working fob to the car, finished the electronic side, and not got round to the mechanical blade. From the owner's side the car works fine - until the day the battery dies or the electronics play up and the blade won't turn in the door.
Outcome
Two working smart keys for the Range Rover now, up from one. Both with programmed transponders, and both with emergency blades cut to the lock. No repeat visit needed for the missing blade she didn't know was missing.
Range Rover, Land Rover, or any other smart-key vehicle - want a spare programmed, or want to check whether your emergency blade has ever actually been cut? We come to you across Nottingham and the East Midlands, or you can drop the car off. Year and model on the phone and we'll have the right Lishi ready.
Published: 10th March, 2026 | Updated: 22nd April, 2026