Key Replacement. Help needed.

Rawhead

I've a 98 Honda civic and I've lost the only key. I called my local Honda garage and they said it'll cost nearly €400 to replace the key and it'll be the 9th of January before they have the parts. The lad on the phone was sound enough and said given the value of the car I'd be better off getting a secondhand barrel and key.
I have the red learner key that came with it and a local locksmith copied it for me, however the new key won't start the car and the immobiliser light flashes when I try the key. Is there a sequence that needs to be performed with the new and learner key or what is the purpose of the learner key?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as January is depressing enough without this headache.

Thanks..

Chippy01

If memory serves me correctly, the red learner key is only to programme a new key from Honda, and don't be tempted to use that red key in your ignition; that will kill the car's electronics which would be in the region of over €2,000 to replace.
A cut key (that you have from your locksmith) will not have the needed chip implanted that the red learner key has to encode.

gibbon75

To code in a new key the OP would need the "red" key and a working "black" key as well.
The key copied by the locksmith won't start the car as the chip inside is has to be coded to the immobiliser. But that won't happen without a working black key.
Second hand barrels and keys would be useless without the immobiliser and the ECU (the immobiliser unit is coded to the ECU).

IMHO there are only two feasible options left:

1. To find an auto locksmith who could read the immobiliser code and clone a key. This would only work if the OP didn't attempt to start the car with the red key.If he did then the immob. unit is locked and only option two left as a cheapish solution.

2. There a few auto electricians around who can modify the ECU, so it wouldn't look for the immob. unit. The downside with this solution is that a screwdriver would start the car, so the OP must fit an after market immob./alarm unit.

Rawhead

Thanks lads,

While I haven't used the red key to try and start the car, I have used the cloned key which is pretty much the same thing I'd guess. I paid €600 for the car so I'm going to have to look at option 2. I live in the West so car crime isn't a big problem.
Am I looking for the lads who chip and remap cars to do the job on the ECU?

gibbon75

Rawhead wrote: »

Am I looking for the lads who chip and remap cars to do the job on the ECU?

It would be a good place to start or they could point you to the right direction anyway.