Revrant

I'm pulling my hair out over this, I had the screw wear on my old shell so it didn't stay together, and the replacement I had been given - both original 06 OEM keyfobs - had the moron put grip in the threads so it was destroyed trying to unscrew it.

I ordered a keyfob shell not even thinking and I open it to discover the key is EMBEDDED in the plastic! So you have to throw down a hundie every time you replace it?? The original is kept there by the screw and a slot, you can just take the key out!

NONE of the replacements I've found are like the originals! They're all scams designed to make you recut the key, am I just not seeing a real replacement or is this how Honda says they have to be made now? To screw you?

ezone

The factory keys have the steel blade embedded in the plastic shell. It was never only screwed to the shell.

The original screws and the brand new screws from Honda come with a coating of threadlock on them.
Yes that sometimes makes it a PITA to take apart, but it can usually be done without damage if you have the right screwdriver bit and some heat.

You can buy just the shell/blade parts without the remote fob through any dealership (much less than $100), but the key blade will still need to be cut to fit your car. Look this up in any online Honda parts catalog. (estore.honda.com)

The immobilizer chip (transponder) is inside the fob (8th gen) so as long as you can reuse that fob the newly cut key doesn't need programmed.

Revrant

I have the original 2006 keys, they are both 'only' screwed into the fob, one did not have threadlock on it so I have to assume it was taken apart at some point then, but neither have keys embedded in plastic.

I'm on 6th gen, if that's still true I guess I can look it up, though I know it's a ton of money to get it cut regardless.

Truly aggravating.

mcnoople

Ezone is correct. The metal portion of the key is supposed to be attached to the front side of the plastic body of the key assembly. Think about from this standpoint. The screw passes through the rear half of the key fob shell. It then threads into the metal tab that makes the actual "key" portion of the assembly. It doesn't thread into the front half of the key shell, it threads into the metal.

So what holds the front half of the fob body to the rear half? Is it magic? Is it an intense gravity well that attracts the two halves of the fob body to each other? Nope, it is held together because the key blade is bonded into place on the front half of the shell and the rear shell is held to the front shell by 1 frequently seized locktighted screw.

Total cost for the 1 front half shell, 1 screw, and 1 rear half shell is under $50. The entire key assembly with 1 new fob is still only around $50 if you know where to shop, BUT that route would require programming. The programming ID is built into the keyless unit inside the fob. The ID "chip" is NOT in the key body itself.

Personally I tell people to replace keys when the start to look worn because the cost of a key is much much cheaper than the cost of replacing an ignition lock cylinder and worn keys have a habit of destroying/jamming ignition locks.

ezone

So both of your keys are broken. All it takes is someone sitting on the key.

Thread moved. 2006-11 are 8th generation.