I've recently had to use my spare key as I lost my main key. The spare key doesn't  work off the buttons or the keyless entry, I have to put the blade in the lock to open the car. Once I'm in the care the alarm countdown begins and the alarm goes off after a few seconds unless I put the key in the special place inside the centre armrest. Also the car will only start with the key on that special place. This is all new to me and it's the only car I've been in that's had to do this, is there a reason for it and is there a way to get the key fob to act like a normal one where the buttons, keyless and start wherever the key is? 

3 minutes ago, S.mccandless89 said:

is there a reason for it and is there a way to get the key fob to act like a normal one where the buttons, keyless and start wherever the key is? 

The CR2032 coin cell battery is flat.

Fit a brand new CR2032 (good quality, not from pound land) and that will get the keyless start working again. If you are lucky the lock/unlock buttons may begin to work again. If not then you will need to reprogramme the keyfob back in to the cars memory.

12 minutes ago, unofix said:

The CR2032 coin cell battery is flat.

Fit a brand new CR2032 (good quality, not from pound land) and that will get the keyless start working again. If you are lucky the lock/unlock buttons may begin to work again. If not then you will need to reprogramme the keyfob back in to the cars memory.

I've fitted a new battery to the key fob as i didn't work as intended when i first tried it so presumed it was dead and this was the outcome, is it easy to sort or do I need a locksmith/key coder to sort it?

If the keyfob is working when placed in the emergency position then the transponder chip must still be coded in to the cars memory/ The keyfob is simply not transmitting. Get a new battery (yes, another one) and measure the battery voltage with a multimeter, it should be 3.30V if it is less than 2.99V the battery is dead.

Or you could pay £90 to get a locksmith out, and another £150 for a new key. Personally I'd try the new battery first even if I had to spend £10 to buy a multimeter to check the voltage.

1 hour ago, unofix said:

Get a new battery (yes, another one) and measure the battery voltage with a multimeter, it should be 3.30V if it is less than 2.99V the battery is dead.

Yes, I've had occasional "duds" even with branded batteries in the past and always check now before inserting a new battery.

Plus, as we usually say, ensure there's no residue on the new battery from any stickers. And of  course ensure its the right way up.