Honda key fobs and how to replace when lost

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" > wrote in news:elmop-
:

> In article >,
> Tegger > wrote:
>
>> Fobs are programmable.
>
> Wrong on two counts:
>
> 1) it's not a fob, it's a remote transmitter



WHO is wrong, me or American Honda?



>
> 2) you don't program the remote transmitter at all. You go through a 10
> second dance to tell the car about the remote transmitter in question,
> to get the car to accept that remote's signals.


On this one single point, you are correct, and I was mis-stating myself.

Quote from Honda TSB 06-011:
"When the keyless transmitter or the complete key is replaced, or an
additional key is added, you must use the HDS to rewrite the immobilizer-
keyless control unit."


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" > wrote in
:

> In article >,
> Tegger > wrote:
>
>> > That bit of plastic at the head of the key? With the buttons?
>> > That's not the transponder chip.
>> >
>>
>>
>> According to Honda, those /do/ contain the transponder in the plastic
>> end of the key, along with the buttons.
>
> And the transponder is in the head of my Odyssey key, too--the one
> without a built-in remote entry transmitter.



The TSBs say nothing about keyless entry, only "keyless remote". And that's
all I said too.

The term "keyless remote" appears repeatedly, in many TSBs, so it's not
like it's some sort of typo. Somebody /meant/ to type that.



>
> But the function of the transmitter is entirely separate from the
> transponder.


Then you'd better call American Honda and tell them they're wrong. Telling
ME won't help, since all I can go by is what they say. And I'll use their
terms before yours.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" > wrote in
:

> In article >,
> Tegger > wrote:
>
>> > And the transponder is in the head of my Odyssey key, too--the one
>> > without a built-in remote entry transmitter.
>>
>>
>>
>> The TSBs say nothing about keyless entry, only "keyless remote". And
>> that's all I said too.
>
> Keyless entry *is* keyless remote.
>



Then for crying out loud, tell Honda.

They must be pretty stupid to keep making the same mistake over and over
again for years.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Tegger > wrote in
:

> "Elmo P. Shagnasty" > wrote in news:elmop-
> :
>
>> In article >,
>> Tegger > wrote:
>>
>>> Fobs are programmable.
>>
>> Wrong on two counts:
>>
>> 1) it's not a fob, it's a remote transmitter
>
>
>
> WHO is wrong, me or American Honda?
>
>
>
>>
>> 2) you don't program the remote transmitter at all. You go through a
>> 10 second dance to tell the car about the remote transmitter in
>> question, to get the car to accept that remote's signals.
>
>
> On this one single point, you are correct, and I was mis-stating
> myself.



No, I was flat-out wrong. I did have that backwards.

It's the "immobilizer-keyless control unit" inside the steering column
that's programmable.

(I didn't kake that term up either. That's what Honda calls it.)


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

On 1/4/10 8:40 PM, in article , "Tegger"
> wrote:

> "Guy" > wrote in news:rbg1k512p7nphp87mnbakt7vpupovpfnn8@
> 4ax.com:
>
>> I forgot to ask this from the dealership at purchase and I know I can
>> still ask but I'll ask here first.
>>
>> I seem to remember getting a couple of little metal chips on the key
>> chain and told to use that to get a replacement key fob. I think this
>> was on my 2003 when new but I didn't get anything for the 2010 nor
>> told about key fobs. Do they just go by the VIN # now to replace
>> these key fobs? I'm just thinkiing ahead.
>
>
>
> Nobody actually answered your original question it seems...

I thought I did. Must've gotten lost in the BS barrage from Beam & Elmo ...

>
> Fobs are programmable. If you lose a key, you can buy a new one and have it
> programmed, but you need to have ALL the car's other keys reprogrammed to
> have the same data as the new one. This is REALLY expensive, so DON'T LOSE
> YOUR KEYS.
>
> If the fob becomes damaged, and you have the sort of key where the fob is
> replaceable, a new fob can be installed, but it (and all the other keys)
> will need to be reprogrammed just as if you'd lost the entire key.
>
> If the key has a non-removable fob, it's just like the above two
> paragraphs, except that you need a whole key instead of just the fob.
>
> If you lose your key, you need to be able to get hold of one of the spares
> so the car may be driven to the dealership. If there are NO keys available
> at all, the car needs to be towed/flatbedded to the dealership. With you
> along.
>
> Security is pretty tight with these new keys. Dealers up here want you and
> the car, in person, plus your ownership and a photo driver's license. The
> ONLY exception is if the dealership employees know you and the car
> personally and /extremely/ well.
>
> Today's lesson: DON'T EVER LOSE YOUR KEYS!
>

Tegger wrote:
> "Guy" > wrote in news:rbg1k512p7nphp87mnbakt7vpupovpfnn8@
> 4ax.com:
>
>> I forgot to ask this from the dealership at purchase and I know I can
>> still ask but I'll ask here first.
>>
>> I seem to remember getting a couple of little metal chips on the key
>> chain and told to use that to get a replacement key fob. I think this
>> was on my 2003 when new but I didn't get anything for the 2010 nor
>> told about key fobs. Do they just go by the VIN # now to replace
>> these key fobs? I'm just thinkiing ahead.
>
>
>
> Nobody actually answered your original question it seems...
>
> Fobs are programmable. If you lose a key, you can buy a new one and have it
> programmed, but you need to have ALL the car's other keys reprogrammed to
> have the same data as the new one. This is REALLY expensive, so DON'T LOSE
> YOUR KEYS.
>
> If the fob becomes damaged, and you have the sort of key where the fob is
> replaceable, a new fob can be installed, but it (and all the other keys)
> will need to be reprogrammed just as if you'd lost the entire key.
>
> If the key has a non-removable fob, it's just like the above two
> paragraphs, except that you need a whole key instead of just the fob.
>
> If you lose your key, you need to be able to get hold of one of the spares
> so the car may be driven to the dealership. If there are NO keys available
> at all, the car needs to be towed/flatbedded to the dealership. With you
> along.
>
> Security is pretty tight with these new keys. Dealers up here want you and
> the car, in person, plus your ownership and a photo driver's license. The
> ONLY exception is if the dealership employees know you and the car
> personally and /extremely/ well.
>
> Today's lesson: DON'T EVER LOSE YOUR KEYS!


And thus you have driven home the point:

"I'm stickin' with my vintage tin!"

JT

On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:22:51 -0600, "Guy" > wrote:

>I forgot to ask this from the dealership at purchase and I know I can
>still ask but I'll ask here first.
>
>I seem to remember getting a couple of little metal chips on the key
>chain and told to use that to get a replacement key fob. I think this
>was on my 2003 when new but I didn't get anything for the 2010 nor
>told about key fobs. Do they just go by the VIN # now to replace
>these key fobs? I'm just thinkiing ahead.


Except for Beam, I just want to thank all for the replies. To be
honest, I'm confused what to call the thing but I still appreciate all
the help. I don't want to mention all your names here for the sake
of time and not to hurt any feelings if I accidentally omit one.
Thanks all ... except Beam.

On 1/5/2010 1:22 PM Guy spake these words of knowledge:

> On Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:22:51 -0600, "Guy" > wrote:
>
>>I forgot to ask this from the dealership at purchase and I know I can
>>still ask but I'll ask here first.
>>
>>I seem to remember getting a couple of little metal chips on the key
>>chain and told to use that to get a replacement key fob. I think this
>>was on my 2003 when new but I didn't get anything for the 2010 nor
>>told about key fobs. Do they just go by the VIN # now to replace
>>these key fobs? I'm just thinkiing ahead.
>
>
> Except for Beam, I just want to thank all for the replies. To be
> honest, I'm confused what to call the thing but I still appreciate all
> the help. I don't want to mention all your names here for the sake
> of time and not to hurt any feelings if I accidentally omit one.
> Thanks all ... except Beam.

It's a remote transmitter. A lot of the fog is simply the fact that
some entity began improperly using the term 'fob' when describing the
key/transmitter.

That misuse seems to be sticking, and before too long, the meaning of
the word will have finished changing. No one will remember that 'fob'
used to mean something else.

So call it a fob; most folks will know what you mean when you do.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
"Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think." --
Niels Bohr

Dave Kelsen > wrote in news:4b447daa$0$4983
:


>
> It's a remote transmitter. A lot of the fog is simply the fact that
> some entity began improperly using the term 'fob' when describing the
> key/transmitter.



That would be Honda. And they've been doing this for years now.

This does not necessarily mean the dealer's people are going to be using
that term. They may just call it a "key", without differentiating between
the fob and the key, which Honda identifies separately even if they are
integral.

Very confusing, I know.



--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Tegger > wrote in
:

> Dave Kelsen > wrote in news:4b447daa$0$4983
> :
>
>
>>
>> It's a remote transmitter. A lot of the fog is simply the fact that
>> some entity began improperly using the term 'fob' when describing the
>> key/transmitter.
>
>
>
> That would be Honda. And they've been doing this for years now.
>
> This does not necessarily mean the dealer's people are going to be
> using that term. They may just call it a "key", without
> differentiating between the fob and the key, which Honda identifies
> separately even if they are integral.
>
> Very confusing, I know.
>
>
>



Even MORE confusing stuff!

I've just acquired a batch of new TSBs, which take me right up to today
for currency.

The new docs make it more clear that Honda actually calls the "fob" a
GRIP. The word "fob" no longer appears in the new documentation.

More intensive reading of the older docs reveal that Honda said the grip
housed the transmitter/transponder, and could contain "fob" functions,
specifically, operable buttons. From this I inferred that the grip was
CALLED a "fob", even though the word "grip" does appear as a descriptor
for the head of the key assembly.

My inference was therefore incorrect.

So.

To clarify the official Honda terminology as of today (official terms in
CAPITALS)...

The squiggly metal part that goes into the locks: KEY
The plastic part you hold on to: GRIP or TRANSMITTER
The entire assembly consisting of both parts: PROGRAMMED IGNITION KEY

The GRIP/TRANSMITTER has the TRANSPONDER chip inside of it.

The TRANSPONDER chip is what communicates with the IMMOBILIZER-KEYLESS
CONTROL UNIT inside the steering column.

Sometimes the GRIP/TRANSMITTER is replaceable separately from the KEY,
sometimes it is not.

The GRIP/TRANSMITTER can have "fob" functions (buttons). The "valet"
versions of the programmed key assembly have a TRANSPONDER, but do not
have buttons.

Honda no longer uses the term "FOB".

It would be nice if acknowledgements of my mistake were gracious and not
of an "I told you so" nature. Few on Usenet are willing to admit error.
I'm one of those few.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/