Acura Key and Remote

33246 Views 14 Replies 12 Participants Last post by BKM, Feb 15, 2002

kinmanc

Discussion Starter · Jan 21, 2002

I lost my MDX key and remote on a recent ski trip. I thought it would be easy to replace them, until I called up my dealer today and discovered that it'll cost me about $400! The key and the remote cost $50 in materiall; most of the cost is from labor cost in reprogramming the key and the remote. No way I am going to pay that much money for them.

I did a search here and found a thread on programming the remote, so I'll probably buy a remote from EBay and do it myself. That'll solve half of my problem. Anyone knows how to program MDX to take a new key? Can I order a blank key from the dealer, cut it by a hardware store, and try programming myself?

I still have the grey valet key that I can use for dirving, just can't use it to lock and unlock the glove compartment. But that's OK, since I never lock my glove compartment anyway. BTW, I examine the valet key carefully this morning, and noticed that the only difference is that it is thicker than the regular key! Interesting.

Are there any other suggestion?

1 - 15 of 15 Posts

davegood

· #2 · Jan 21, 2002

Key has to be ordered

The key has to be ordered from Acura, pre cut. My recommendation would be to call our buddy Tim at www.hondacuraworld.com with either your key code # or your VIN number and see what he can do for you.

You are right, though, programming the remote is a snap -- search for my thread for program, or remote....

--- D.

Deposit - April 01 - held off for the '02 RedRock Pearl Touring / Nav -- build date of 12/15-12/19. Picked up car on 1/2/02 - happy new year!

Installed the Acura BSMs, wood shift knob, rear splash guards, Tailgate Deflector, and WT mats from Tim. at <a href="http://www.hondacuraworld.com">http://www.hondacuraworld.com</a>

Boards installed by the dealer. Also modified center console power to be always on.

10/03 Update -- traded the 2002 RedRock in for a 2003 Midnight Blue - Touring/Nav/Rear Ent. that I actually like much better than the 2002 - quieter, tighter, and a little quicker....

Already had both outlets converted to always on..

02/2007 update - just traded the 03 midnight blue MDX for a silver / black 2007 tech / RES. I really like it - going to add AW mats and tray and sport running boards.

hondacuraplanet

· #3 · Jan 21, 2002

I can help

Boy, we can cut that cost WAAAAAY down!

Give me a ring!

TheWorm

· #4 · Jan 21, 2002

9 minutes to 1st class, money-saving service. Unbelievable!

Ronsully

· #5 · Jan 21, 2002

Wow. The same exact thing almost happened to me this past weekend. We went skiing and guess what. I lost my keys. My wife's keys of course were in the car. Anyways, I just got off the phone with the lock smith nazi and some kids came up to the ski office with my keys. I gladly gave them some reward money. Whew was I glad to have my keys again. I thought damn, how much was all this going to cost. $65 for the lock smith nazi, $100 for a new key, $100 for the key fob and another $100 for my new key chain. $365 ouch. I guess the key and key fob cost more than $100 each. I guess you have to pay for all that technology and security with the transponder key. $65 to slim jim my lock plus probally breaking the locking mechanism too. I probally should have given those kids more money instead of the $7 bucks. They were happy with the $7.

Sorry to hear about you misfortune.

nwaring

· #6 · Jan 21, 2002

Way to high

I purchased 3 new keys and 1 fob. The dealer reprogramed the Mdx for the new keys and reprogrammed the new fob and the old fobs and the total was $260.00. But, work with Tim.
Good luck.

lester123

· #7 · Jan 22, 2002

That seems very expensive!! Last year I lost my father's key /remote to a Saturn and the dealer charged me about $50 for a replacement. He cut the key on a machine and reprogrammed the remotes in about 15 minutes.

RGWomack

· #8 · Jan 22, 2002

I had one of my MDX keys come up missing just before delivering the vehicle, cost me about $150.00 for the key and remote, they cut the key at the dealership, I think!!. That was my cost, and I thought that was a bit spendy. The original key and remote showed up in the top drawer of my desk a couple of weeks later. As I pondered the situation, I looked around the showroom at the 18 salespeople standing around and thought to myself, there may be someone here I can't trust. My one true gift kicked in, a keen sense of the obvious.

frostyra

· #9 · Jan 22, 2002

The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) sends a signal to a transponder (mini-transmitter) built into the head of the key. The transponder sends a signal back to the PCM. If the "answer" isn't what the PCM is expecting, the vehicle won't start. Thus, you can have a key that is cut properly and will turn the ignition lock, but if it doesn't have a transponder built-in, or IF THE PCM HASN'T BEEN PROGRAMMED TO ACCEPT THAT TRANSPONDER'S CODE, the car won't start. The dealer has the necessary toys to program your car to your keys -- and he will charge money to do it. When we bought my wife's '99 Accord, we also got extra keys; at that time, the maximum number that could be programmed was five keys. I think the extra keys and the programming cost a little over $100.

telstar

· #10 · Jan 23, 2002

Spare Keys

Tim charges $25.00 for new keys. He needs a real one to make the copy of. I ordered one last week from him.

bef

· #11 · Jan 23, 2002

I bought an extra remote when Tim had it on special.
It's a little tricky to program but not that hard.

Note that the remote that is being sold is for a non-touring so that it doesn't adjust the seat for you when you use it to open the doors on a touring model.

I haven't gotten around to sending a key in to get it duplicated.

kinmanc

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 14, 2002

Just to report back on a happy ending.

I got 2 keys ($25 each) and 1 remote($85) from Tim today. The keys came preprogrammed and I was able to program the remote with instructions posted on another thread. I paid a total of $135 instead of $400 my dealer would have charged me.

Thank you Tim, thank you acuramdx.org, and thank you all, guys!

bef

· #13 · Feb 15, 2002

kinmanc,

When you say the keys were preprogrammed, did you send back one of your keys or did you just send the key code # to Tim?

kinmanc

Discussion Starter · #14 · Feb 15, 2002

bef,

I sent Tim my valet key. I just taped it on a cardboard, put it in an envelope and sent it first class.

BKM

· #15 · Feb 15, 2002

Thanks for the advance information

We are still waiting for our MDX baby due in April but it is pretty nice to review the MDX postings to have advanced knowledge of "potential issues". I think I will be tapping Tim's resources quite often in the future.

Thanks to all of you with your issues and resolutions!!!!

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