i have a renault laguna a M reg and the imobliser has kicked in and i can't start my car. It has done it a couple of times but has always started again after i have left it for a bit but now it has given up the ghost. Have been told the imobiliser has to be sent to france to mend it and it will cost about £800. Is there a cheaper way to either fix it or bypass it.

Dean, May 2006

The best way is to have your ECU "virginized"! What that means is it has its immobilisor pin numbers erased. This then permanently disables the immobilisor. The ecu will not wait for a code before it allows the engine to start. No more paying renault for their codes etc. You may have to inform your insurance company as the factory immobiliser is Cat2. I am having this done at the moment on my 2.0S RTi. I believe Blue Hawk Electronics are carrying out the work. Good luck.

Chri$, May 2007

Reg Vardy quoted me a lot more than that but after months of searching I finally found an auto electrician who said he can easily dissable it by fitting a 'drongo', costs about £140 then labour on top. alex_d64@hotmail.com

Al, September 2006

Actually the code may be in another decoder box, -sorry.

The dealers said you can take the key immobiliser off, but you have to enter a code with the button on the windscreen wiper stalk each time you want to start. Maybe I won't

UncleRoly, June 2006

My car went through a spell of this when there was a lot of rain, and when a repairer left the car without battery for a week.

I've got towed into a dealer and also have bump started til the LPG kicked in. The dealer puts your details into a web site and gets a four digit code. He plugs a big yellow box into the socket above the brake servo, and two seconds later charges you UKP25 for resetting the computer.

One main dealer wanted me to wait three weeks to do this, another - in Briton Ferry, said "no problem, get it to me and I'll do it straight away".

The receiver in the headlining is important, but does not contain the code. That is in the UKP300 box behind the headlight. You can probably swap the receiver, but a CPU from a scrappy won't do without its keys. You may find it won't match the engine either.

UncleRoly, June 2006

Have had similar problems myself, when the roof leaked on the remote receiver for the central locking. Are you sure it is the actual immobiliser that is broken or could it be the receiver? Finally got it repaired at a Renault dealer (last resort) costing 300 quid, much less than you have been quoted.

Have also heard that you can disable the immobiliser if you have a red flashing light on the manual central locking switch (next to the handbrake). You can get the code for your immobiliser (not sure where) and key it in using this button. This apparantly works.

Paul, May 2006