I own a 98 prelude. I was given only one key when I bought it. I lost the only key I had for it last weekend. My local dealer told me that i need a new immobilizer before he can make me more keys. Where is the Immobilizer?

Is the immobilizer a part a diy could install. Can i get a used one somewhere?
dealer labor Is a high price to pay; they want more than 500 for 2 keys for my car

 

i dont see the need for buying an entire immobilizer system since you've lost your key. don't they keep logs of immobilizer codes?i'd try going to another dealership to see what they'd have to say before forking over 500 bucks to get replacement immobilizer keys.
you should just be able to give them your VIN,proof of ownership and they'll look it up in their database and have you a replacement within a week. no need to replace the entire immobilizer unit. why do you want to know where its located?

 

I want to know where the mobilizer is because I talked to another dealership who told me that when you have an alarm installed, like I do, sometimes they will tape the red key to the immobilizer.

 

by the way, the alarm was installed before i purchased the car. The guy i bought the car from told me that he never had the red key.

 

if you read the helms manual (shop copy) it tells you if you loose *all* your keys you need to get a whole new ECM (where the codes are stored I guess) or something of that sort. It says there is no way around it. Beats me though.

 

Ok, I found the immobilizer thanks to H22 CD5. I opened up the steering colomn and I haven't found a key in there either.

Woud It be hidden or should it be easy to see? Do alarm shops put key's in steering columns if they do not install remote start. I'm about to give up and fork over the loot. I just want to drive the car; i miss it.

My new immobilizer will be here thursday hopefully so I'm going to tow the car to the dealer tomorrow.

 

sorry to say but it
looks like u have to fork over the money cause u need the red key in order to program the keys so u can start ur car. it is controlled by ur ecu. not having the red key is practically impossible to start ur car unless u can find the original key but still can't cut a key to start ur car but u can open the door with it thats about it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Patrow1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok, I found the immobilizer thanks to H22 CD5. I opened up the steering colomn and I haven't found a key in there either. </TD></TR></TABLE>

you're not going to find a key. You're going to have to pay out some $$$ or find the original owner who should have the red key. When you first get the car the red key is taped to the inside of the glove box.

 

let me tell you something.....I would kill to locate my RED key.....the only key I have is the grey "valet" key...........

this means that #1 I cannot open my trunk or fold the rear seats with my key, and #2 I cannot make a copy of my key without the CHERISHED red key.....

Calling all 5th gen luders...... <U>Has anyone ever found a way to bypass the immobilizer system?</U> I mean the main reason that I havnt done a manual swap, besides the $$, is the fact that I am stuck with my auto ECU, becuse of the immobilizer "feature".

I just cant believe that no one has been able to get around it. hondas are simple...

 

i'm sure it's easy... tag the fuel pump off the ignition line rather than having it be controlled by the ECU's Immob output... i forget what off hand what else the immob controls

 

Immobilizer unit $278.90 blank key $30.00
Dealer labor $260.00 Tow car to dealer $40.00

Getting my prelude back tommorow PRICELE$$.

Whatever you do, If you have your red key DO NOT LOSE IT.

I looked at, and posted on many forums about the Prelude Immobilizer, and could not find any way to perminatly dissable it.

The only good thing about the immobilizer is that it makes these cars very hard to steal. The theft statictics i looked up showed that nationwide only 5 1998 preludes were stolen in 1998.

thanks to everyone who posted.

 

4g4me, Your local dealer should be able to make you keys that will open the trunk, unlock rear seats, and unlock the car. They just can't program a transponder key for you that will start the car.

My local dealer is cutting keys that are the same as my old ones (with new transponder codes).

they told me that the key i lost would still be capable of unlocking my doors, but it couldn't start the car anymore.

I still don't know for sure if i could have had a copy made of the code in my black when i had it, but the way I understand it is that if i had a black key they could have made a copy of the key and transponder code.

If they can copy the code then why couldn't they cut you a key from your vin, then copy the code from your valet key to the black key cut from your vin.

Then you could have a real key without having to replace your Immobilizer.
since I lost all my keys this wasn't an option for me.

 

One more thing, In the manual for the car it says that If you Fu@k around the immobilizer you might render your car undrivable.

Mabe its just Bullsh@t, but I didn't want to take the chance

Better just to fork over the loot.
Thats what I did.

 

Thanks to Gerhard For this information:

Ok, here is the deal:

The 5th Gen Prelude has several components to prevent the car from being hot wired and stolen.

The parts are:

1) The ICU (ignition control unit ). The ICU functions to read the stored code in the ignition keys and send that information to the ECU, enable the starter circuit, and the fuel pump.

2) The Black and Grey Keys . Each key from a Prelude has a code stored into it that can be assoicated with an ICU/ECU combo.

3) The Red Key . The Red key is a key specifically coded to a specific ICU. This key tells the ICU wipe the ECU's memory of currently acceptable car keys that are allowed to start the car, and to prepare to be reprogrammed.

4) The ECU (electronic control module - a.k.a. computer). The ECU is the car's brain. It also stores the key codes (eletronic tags embedded in each ignition key) that are premitted to start the car.

What does this mean to you when doing an SS Auto 5 Speed swap?

During a 5 speed swap you need to replace the SS Auto ECU with a 5 Speed BASE model computer (make sure you are getting a BASE model ECU and not an SH ECU!). Once you swap out the computer... your keys will no longer start the car. The reason is that your current ICU is not associated with the new ECU.

You have two options to correct this problem

1) Have Honda reprogram the ECU/ICU to play nice.

2) Install the ICU and ECU from the wreck you got the 5 speed computer out of, and have Honda use it's new T5 key system to copy a key from the wreck.

Option 1 - Reprogramming the ICU and ECU to work together.

The Prelude was Honda's most stolen car in the early 1990's. (I had a friend who's 4th gen was stolen, used in a drive-by shooting, used to store a dead body, and burnt down to the ground. The insurance company gave him $2000.00 more than he paid for the car because the prices had risen due to demand.) Honda decided to implement a key system where a computer chip was embedded into the key and would be coded to the car for the purposes of starting it.

Originally, the entire system needed to be reprogrammed during the following conditions:

- Swapping out the ECU for any reason.
- Replacement of keys (for any reason).
- Failed ICU
- Loss of the Red key (required for any of the above) with also requires replacing the ICU.

So, if you need to reprogram the ICU/ECU combo, you need to take your car to a Honda dealer. Honda will ask you for the RED learning key. They will then reprogram the ICU/ECU system. This process involves the following:

1) Insert the RED learning key.
2) Call Japan and recieve a special programming code.
3) Attach the Honda PGM-Tester and reprogram ECU.
4) Provide the car with all of the black/grey keys that are allowed to start it.

You will generally be charged for an hours labor to accomplish this task. At this point the new ECU and old ICU (or new one if you lost your RED learning key) will be able to start your car.

Option 2 - Honda's T5 key system.

After a while Honda noitced that they had a problem. People we getting pissed off every time they needed a replacement key and it was costing them $100.00. ($25 for the key, $75 for the hour) [I actually bought the remote entry system / alarm for the car because it was $250.00 as opposed to wasting the cash when my primary use black key started to wear from unlocking the driver's door...]

Now they have a system where they can copy you current Black or Grey keys:

The T5 version of the keys allows them to take you key code (that should be attached to the Red Learning Key box if you are the original owner) and internal chip code, then duplicate the key completely. In order words, you can now have the key cut to your ignition switch / lock cylinder format, but have the electronic signature that the another ICU/ECU combo is current programmed for to a new T5 key.

For example I go to a junk yard and get the ICU / Ignition Switch (w/ key) / ECU out of a wrecked 5th Gen Base Model 5 speed. I decide I want to be able to drive the car right away after the swap, but don't want to deal with Auto ECU idling problems. Therefore, I go the the Honda dealer and ask them if they've got the new T5 key system? I then ask them to use my key code to cut the key for use with my current ignition key pattern. However, I give them the key from the wreck. This results in my key pattern for my original ignition switch and the wreck's ECU/ICU codes being programmed into the a new T5 key. The important thing to remember is that you need replace both the ICU and ECU in your car with the wreck's ICU and ECU. Once you determine it is actually working, you go back and get as many keys as you need cut. (I'd wait in order to verify that the junk yard gave you everything from the same wreck... as you need the ICU / ECU / Keys from the same exact wreck.)

-Gerhard

PS a very few folks have indicated that it may now be possible for some dealers with the right equipment to teach the ICU and the ECU to work together without the Red Key. This seems to be equipment related: Some dealers may have the latest honda eletronic gadgets that will perfrom this feat, but most don't!


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i bought a 2nd key today at the honda dealer it cost me 30 bucks for one key