starting the car with just a blade
 

I started the car and all ok with a proper key. I found a key with just the blade and no transponder so turned engine off, removed key and tried the key with no transponder, now all I get is dashboard lights and solenoid click with either key.

Have I done something silly by trying the key with no transponder?

macafee2

In a nutshell I would say yes. What you have done I couldn’t tell you unless it’s damaged the barrel.
You could always try the great reset of removing the battery for 10 mins and then reattaching to see if that does the trick.
Failing that, if you have used TOAF at all then you should have the back up files on the laptop you used. You might be able to reinstall the codes for the immobiliser from the back up. Has to be worth a try but I do feel that the barrel has been damaged in some way.

I'm going to hazard a guess that it's just coincidence and something other than the immobiliser is playing-up, battery, or solenoid contacts/spade terminal perhaps.

The immobiliser as its name suggest inhibits starting so not even sure you'd heard a click.

Good luck

I was not using an uncut blade but a cut blade, does that make a difference?
Sorry I should have said that

macafee2

As Vitesse says, it could be nothing but a coincidence that something has failed at the same time as you tried the key. I would try 1 thing though with you saying you hear a click but the engine wont start and that is this.
Open the engine fuse box and IF you have a master fuse at the top (The fuse that the cable from the battery is screwed into) to bridge it with something like a socket extension so both bolts are touching it. Then try starting the engine. If it starts then the master fuse has blown. These can blow for any reason and only power the starter motor. If it is the problem then the fuse is a couple of quid of the online store starting with an A, you know the massive river name.
It has to be worth a try.

When Rover sold the car to the first buyer they would usually include a blade only key for emergencies. This would allow you to get into the car if you locked them inside or lost them. It would also be possible to put this key in the ignition but the car wouldn't start.
Add to that the number of members/owners that have changed the key case and forgot to swap the immobiliser over. They have only found this out when they, like you, put a key without the immobiliser in the ign and tried to start the car.
Whatever your problem is I cannot see how your trying a key without the immobiliser chip in the ignition has anything to do with it. If so there would be many more threads like this :)
Best guess is:
low charge on battery (enough charge to start the car once but not enough running time to recover charge before trying to start again)
loose or corroded light duty wire to starter
worn starter solenoid contacts

an update. Left battery disconnected for some half hour, reattached and still the same.
Got a second battery and connected it to the one in the car via jump leads and hay presto the car burst into life using the complete key... problem solved..... no.

turned the car off and then tried to start it again, click? Disconnected jump leads, reconnected and again the car burst into life.

Perhaps not a battery issue but solenoid or starter issue???

I'm not spending money or time to delve deeper and cure the issue as it's a donor car.

Batteries now to go back into garage and be connected to a smart charger

macafee2

May be relevant
 

One thing I found out about a month ago is that a blade alone will not work - you have to have a fob shell with working electrics within 2 cm of ignition barrel when the blade is turned or nothing will happen. My shell broke so I rehoused the electronics in another but could not refit the blade - so had both blade and new shell on a ring together. However , unless I forced the shell right up to the blade and close to barrel the car would not start. As I said , might have some relevance.

Hi Ian. Last winter when mornings were dark the headlights on that car would often flicker without being switched on when starting it. After checking threads realised battery was duff and that was when I bought the new one. Don't know if any damages were done by those starting attempts as jump leads were usually required. New battery seemed to have cured it but it did to me again once or twice after that. Did read that start attempts with too low battery can cause eeprom corruption but I don'tknow if that would be intermittent or not. If you do need to change battery just let me know.
Pete.

Sorry Ian I should have also said that when it did it with me , all ignition lights would come on but definitely no click.