“No Key Detected” warning in Nissan Rogue – Reasons and ways to fix

The “No Key Detected” error message (or also “I-Key System Error“)may go on the dash of your Nissan Rogue if the battery in the key fob is dead, the key fob is faulty, or the car battery is low. Also, there may be some other problems that you should consider.

What’s the “No Key Detected” message trying to tell you in the Rogue?

Well, this message may only appear in cars that are equipped with keyless access and the push-start button. So, your key is basically a key fob with buttons and with a hidden actual metal key that you don’t usually see and use.

One day, you will get into your Rogue to see that the SUV is telling you that the key is not detected and the push-start button’s light is off. If you try to push that button, nothing will change. The Nissan basically thinks that whoever sits in the driver’s seat doesn’t have the proper key in the pocket.

This means that the Nissan thinks you are going to steal the car and the push-start button is not responding.

Are you in this situation right now? Read further, I will show you how exactly you can solve the problem and start the engine right now.

By the way, Nissan has a pretty misleading explanation of this warning on its UK official site.

Quick help – starting your engine and bypassing the warning

The quick cure for this problem will depend on what exactly malfunctions in the car. I will tell you later about the reasons, so now let’s focus on two basic ways how to deal with this problem quickly and start the engine.

• The first solution

Go out of the car and use your fob to close it. Once the central lock is closed, you may try to reopen the car using your fob – not the keyless access button. If it opens, get into the Rogue and try starting the engine. It may work because now the vehicle was opened with a fob and this may automatically register the key in the anti-theft system.

• The second solution

One other thing you may try if the first solution doesn’t work is to take your key fob and touch the start-stop button with it. Once you do this, even the low signal from the fob will be caught by the anti-theft system. The “No Key Detected” message may still be there on the dashboard, but the push-start button will go red. This means that you may just press the brake pedal and start the engine.

If none of these quick solutions work, you will need to read further and find out what exactly happened with the vehicle and its anti-theft system.

Also, if you successfully started the engine in your Rogue, remember that the next time you get into the car, you will most likely get exactly the same message and the same problem. So, anyway, read further and see what you can do to avoid this problem in the future.

Reasons and proper solutions for the “No Key Detected” issue in the Rogue

Nissan Rogue is known for some common faults and glitches and this problem with the detection of the key fob has been reported hundreds of times by SUV owners. Though, the reason for this issue is not always the same.

In most cases, older Nissan Rogues are prone to the problem (5-plus years or 100,000-plus miles). But the glitch may happen with newer cars, too.

Here are the most common reasons and some fixes you should know about:

1. The key fob battery is dead or dying

Everything is quite clear – the battery in the key fob is going through the last days or hours of its life, so it can’t power the chip inside the fob. The chip can’t send the signal to the car’s anti-theft system and register correctly. It means the Nissan just doesn’t see the key and makes the conclusion that someone without the key broke into the car and is going to steal it.

Exactly in this case, touching the push-start button with the key will do the magic and help you register the key fob. But if the battery is completely dead, this trick won’t help.

Usually, the completely dead battery may be the consequence of a very long time that you didn’t use your Rogue, and the low battery in the fob became the dead battery.

2. The fob is broken

The “Key Not Detected” message may also appear in the Nissan Rogue in cases when the fob is broken. For example, it may have fallen on asphalt or concrete and fallen apart. You fixed this and it seems to open and close the door. But you may have overlooked some parts that fell out of the fob including the chip. Or some connection may have been broken.

In this case, it’s reasonable to call for help because repairing your key fob from the Nissan Rogue on your own is quite hard if at all possible. Call a dealer or maybe just find a local locksmith who can go to your location and fix the issue with the key.

3. The anti-theft system malfunction in the Rogue

The anti-theft system in the Nissan Rogue is responsible for detecting and identifying the key. If the key is out of the reach of the system, it will not allow the driver to start the car. But Nissan’s electronics are known to be not the most reliable electronics in the world, so glitches are quite possible.

If your anti-theft system fails, it’s not likely that you can solve this problem by yourself. In some cases, the fastest way to address the problem is to call a tow truck and have the SUV delivered to the dealership. Also, you may contact a trusted repair shop and ask them if they could send a good mechanic with a scanner to try and solve the issue on the roadside.

4. Car battery is dying

When Nissan Rogue’s 12V battery is dying, it may throw so many different error messages and warning lights that you will obviously be tangled. The “No Key Detected” message is among them.

When your 12-volt battery in the Rogue produces low voltage, the ECU, the anti-theft system, the immobilizer, and all other modules that completely rely on the power they are provided with, may malfunction in many different ways.

Check the battery and make sure it’s still healthy and can withstand different loads. The pure sign that the battery in your Rogue needs replacement or at least recharging is that it takes longer to crank the engine before it starts. Also, the cranking sound may change a bit – it may sound a little lazier than usual.

Changing the car battery is the optimal way to solve this problem once and for all.

5. Other issues to consider

The reasons mentioned above cover about 90% of cases when you may see the “No Key Detected” error message in the Nissan Rogue. But there may be other problems that are harder to locate and sometimes hard to solve.

Here are some possible examples of these rare issues:

• The key is hard to detect due to obstacles. For example, the key may be in the pocket or in the bag with special materials that make it hard for the signal to go through. Just take the key out and the issue should be solved.
• Someone tried to steal your Nissan. Some bad guys may have coded your Nissan and changed the key-detecting system but something went wrong and they couldn’t get into the car. You will need some help from professionals, in this case.
• The chip is damaged or disconnected in the key. This usually happens when your Nissan Rogue key falls onto something hard. It may not be broken but the chip may lose connection to the battery. You may get the spare key and check this.
• The key may need reprogramming. This is a very rare issue but still, it may happen that the fob loses its settings and your Rogue just doesn’t register the key in the anti-theft system anymore. Only reprogramming will help. Also, the spare key will help, in this case.
• The key detection system lost connection in the car. This is rather science fiction theory but I’ve heard about one such case. If this happened to you somehow, your spare key will not be working either.