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Are they a bad thing? (subject)

My friend just got a second hand Honda car a few days back. She only received one of the original car keys (bought it from a private party). When she went to the Honda dealer to make a copy of the key, they strongly suggested that she not *regularly* use the copy of the car keys becuase they were NEVER "precisely the perfect copy" and would eventually damage the mechanism which is used to turn the car on with the key...

When she went to WalMart they told her exactly the same thing...copies of keys for one or two uses = okay...otherwise, no no.

Doesn't seem 100% true to me: why else would the keys work in the first place if they weren't almost-exact copies?

Has anybody heard anything about this?

Can anybody comment/add to this?

 
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By the way, the car isn't a 7th gen civic...it's older so the car keys don't have the electronic thingy that the newer cars do.

 
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they are BSing u man
it shoudl work fine for hondas, toyotas eventually u can pull out the key when the car is on... very weird

 
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The reason is that Keys are made of a relitivly soft metal. so with use over time the edges ware down and the key is no longer the precice match to the tumblers in the lock, now if you make a duplicat of that key then you now have a precice duplicte of a worn key, meaning it is less of a precice fit then the original. I dont think that the Duplicat will damage the tumblers, but I do think that the new duplicat will not last as long as if the key was cut from a new Original. at least thats what seems logical to me.

 
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No no, they're right. That happened with my old prelude. I could pull the keys out while the car is running, and not only that, the car could be started with just about any key or anything that resembled a key. But its not like it wouldnt start or anything, it could jsut be stolen real eaisly thats all.

 
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I have an 87 accord that I can pull the key out of when it's running. It's odd, the key also works in a lot of other 3rd generation accords... I have found myself inside another persons accord who had parked right beside me in a parking lot once, my key worked in their door lock and then I noticed I didn't have power windows in mine, and looked over to see my car parked next to it. Kind of odd, I also got the tires replaced once and apprently our key started an identical accord in the parking lot at the mall, and they ended up changing the tires on someone else's car by accident, they didn't check the licesnse plates. After we told them what happened they told us to come back in two hours... hehe... I Wonder if that person got a new set of tires for free...

Slick...

 
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Fern:

I guess your experience is proof, then. However, I still fail to see how a copy of a car key can damage the tumblers?

It doesn't make sense... A copy of a car key shouldn't be made out of different metal (at least I don't see it being made out of different metal). What about a key-copy would damage the tumblers, therefore allowing the keys to (a) be pulled out while the car was moving, and (b) allow almost any key to open the car?

 
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Well, I know the key that I have is a copy and I have been using it for years. The original key is still in the family but we don't use it anymore. The copy I have has probably been used for 5 years or so at least. Also, other people in my family who have driven the car longer have all used copies. I think it is possible that these copies have maybe worn something down inside and allows us to remove the key. I have tried with the original key now, and I am also able to pull it out...

I think that maybe since it isn't an exact match that might wear parts down inside. Also, I read that FORD has 179 different key combinations for their cars, that means that if you have all the types of keys you will be able to start any FORD car with one of the keys. I think maybe HONDA was lazy back in the 80s and perhaps had much smaller ammount, like 32 or so, so it could have been a fluke my key worked...

Here's the weird thing. My honda key will unlock my Grandparent's 91 Camry, and start the car too sometimes... That's weird.... Well I can't explain it...

Slick...

 
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One more question Fern...was it only a car copy that could open doors, or was it that a copy that you used for years damaged the tumblers?

Or were you even using a copy at all ever?

 
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You don't wear down any part in the lock assembly, its the key that gets worn down. The reason that you can remove the key from the lock when the car is running is becaus the part of the key that the lock hold on to when its running has warn to the point that the lock can no longer grab it. This will eventluly happen with all keys unless the key is made out of some Harder meterial like Steel (Mercedies and BMW do this) where Our keys are made out of Brass (I think its brass) that has Chrome on it. Look at the cut edge of the copy and the worn edge of the original, it will be copper/brass colored. The Key is the part that wears out, not the lock.

 
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I think that it is only a problem after a long period of time. Seriously, there are bigger concerns in life to worry about. Use the stupid copy and forget about it.

 
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Not very nice...

This is a forum to discuss car issues/thoughts. I posted curious to learn something that I have heard about...

Don't have to get all upset about it. If you aren't interested in reading about this or the responses that have been posted on this thread, don't click the link to open this thread

Chill.

 
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Looks like I'm not the one getting upset

 
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sry hope I didn't come off wrong

 
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Don't sweat it.