bonestockcivic

with keys #72146-S0X-A51. Since it has newly cut keys and I bought the car with only a valet key, I ordered a rekey kit for Hondas. I had planned to rekey the RH door, trunk and ignition lock cylinders and will then need to program the door keys if possible.

1. Does anyone know if these keys supplied by Honda are transponder/immobilizer keys or if they're old school molded plastic with no transponder chip?

2. I searched on ebay for a key programmer and found this one for around $100. It doesn't list Honda, but it does list Acura. I also found a video of it on youtube programming an Accord and saw my 2005 Civic listed, so I believe it's compatible. Anyone one here had experience with it?

V33.02 Universal SBB Programmer Immobilizer Multi Brand Car

Thanks for any help!

ezone

If you got the tumbler kit I'm thinking of, you will have a thousand extra tumblers when you get done and the kit has like 5 door lock cylinder slugs and maybe a couple trunk cylinder slugs included.

The key in the pic should be a transponder key.

I can't offer anything on DIY programming, sorry.

bonestockcivic

Thanks for the input. There's no way to identify a transponder without either x-ray or attempting to program is there?

Used to work a job a lifetime ago where we had an x-ray for PC boards to look for shorts. I scanned my 2001 Ranger key when it was new to see what the chip looked like.

ezone

The # application and design makes me believe it is a transponder key in the pic.

I've only seen one sidewinder key blank from Honda that does not have the transponder chip, it's all steel, no plastic head.

bonestockcivic

Thanks again ezone. I wish I could say that I ordered that kit, but I didn't want to spend that much on it. At $200, it would be cheaper to have the work done professionally. I went for the Chinese kit that was $26 shipped which I received in a week.

http://wholesaler.alibaba.com/produc...177091689.html

ezone

Holy cow I had no idea a kit like that existed that cheap.
I need to get out more.

Do a scratch test on an original and new wafers, see if they are any softer than original.

bonestockcivic

I only found it by luck with a little searching

I just got back on here to follow up and I see your comment about testing. I already used them and didn't test first. I can test after the fact and see. I don't suppose you want too hard anyway as the key will just wear faster. I'm used to older Fords that just used brass pins, so they were plenty soft.

I will say that the passenger door and trunk were both easy to rekey and the work very smooth (I added some powdered graphite to each before installing).

Now I'm waiting on the key programmer I ordered. My plan is to remove the ignition lock cylinder and remove all of the wafers/blades. That way I can swap between the original key and the new keys while using the programmer. Then I'll key to the new pair once programmed.

ezone

If you are going to make it act like you are adding a couple new keys, I'd do it like this:

Take lock off the column and do whatever you want to it. Leave it on the workbench.



Remove the immobilizer unit (ring) off of the lock assembly.
Connect it to the wiring and let it dangle.

Remove the ignition switch electrical section from the lock assembly.
Connect to wiring, let it dangle.

When the unit tells you to stick a key in the ignition and turn it on, stick the key through the ring and let it dangle so the unit can "read" the transponder chip.

Operate the electrical switch with a screwdriver.

ezone

Another handy tip on doing the ignition retumble..... there are 2 sets of wafers inserted from both sides of the slug.


If you have a cardboard tube from an NGK spark plug, cut a slot in it so it fits nicely over the slug and leaves one set of tumblers exposed. This way it will retain the bottom set of tumblers so they don't fall out, while you are doing the tumblers on the top side.

bonestockcivic

Great idea! Too bad I found it after doing two of them. I can do it on the ignition cylinder.