Honda key blanks....

I guess it must have been mentioned to me during the post sales, or I
imagined it to be standard because of a "find answer" on the Honda web site.

"If your Honda vehicle came equipped with an Anti-Theft radio, you should
have an Anti-Theft Radio Access Card in your glove compartment. This card
contains the access code and the serial number of the radio. If you do not
have a card, contact your dealer for assistance."

If the dealer didn't keep the code, he should feel silly when you ask for
the code, based on this page.

There is also a Honda Owners link that has my radio code. I don't recall
if I entered the code there. It's different from the number that I have on
a card attached to my original key. Maybe that one is a key code, and I've
already managed to lose my radio code card.

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=honda

 

Not really.

"Ask your dealer for assistance" simply means he can pull the radio, get
the radio's serial number, and get the radio security code from that.

He doesn't keep the radio code at all. Only individual salesmen who
choose to do so will write it down as a service to their customers. But
with the rate of churn in the industry, that's rare. In fact, if you
think about the rate of churn with dealership names changing left and
right, you'd see how ridiculous it is to expect that the place you
bought your car from is even in business a year later.

Yes, the code on your key--a 4 digit one--is the key code. From that,
Honda can duplicate the key.

As for your radio code being in OwnerLink, I guarantee that you or
someone in your family with access to OwnerLink put it in there. I put
it in there for my Honda. It's a convenient place to park the code.
Honda doesn't know the code from your VIN, not at all.

In fact, consider: I had the radio replaced in my car, under warranty.
The new radio comes with new stickers and a new card, and a completely
different serial number. How--more importantly, why--would Honda know
if I have the same radio that was installed at the factory?

They don't, and they wouldn't. They don't track that stuff.

Your VIN has nothing to do with your radio security code. Only your
radio serial number has any relationship to your security code.

 

Not really.

"Ask your dealer for assistance" simply means he can pull the radio, get
the radio's serial number, and get the radio security code from that.

He doesn't keep the radio code at all. Only individual salesmen who
choose to do so will write it down as a service to their customers. But
with the rate of churn in the industry, that's rare. In fact, if you
think about the rate of churn with dealership names changing left and
right, you'd see how ridiculous it is to expect that the place you
bought your car from is even in business a year later.

Yes, the code on your key--a 4 digit one--is the key code. From that,
Honda can duplicate the key.

As for your radio code being in OwnerLink, I guarantee that you or
someone in your family with access to OwnerLink put it in there. I put
it in there for my Honda. It's a convenient place to park the code.
Honda doesn't know the code from your VIN, not at all.

In fact, consider: I had the radio replaced in my car, under warranty.
The new radio comes with new stickers and a new card, and a completely
different serial number. How--more importantly, why--would Honda know
if I have the same radio that was installed at the factory?

They don't, and they wouldn't. They don't track that stuff.

Your VIN has nothing to do with your radio security code. Only your
radio serial number has any relationship to your security code.

 

Ouch. That'd be pricey. If they have to actually pull the radio out of
the dash, I would imagine that is at least a one hour flat rate job.
Maybe not. I put an adapter onto the radio to connect my MP3 player. That
required maybe 1/2 hour, and I didn't pull the radio out, just exposed it.

My "internet salesman" was gone before my first return visit. And he was
new when I bought the car.

Names? I guess so. The dealer's seem to stay put, but the conglomerates
are snapping them up in my area. Several "Lithia" dealerships, but the
local Honda dealer has been a Buick/GMC dealership of the same name since
some time in the 60's.
The Ford dealer just changed names a few months ago, but they have pictures
on the walls of Fords in the same building in the 40's.

I think the VIN is a handy way to look up what _was_ there. That would
probably be fine for 90% of the owners, and avoid pulling the radio.

 

Ouch. That'd be pricey. If they have to actually pull the radio out of
the dash, I would imagine that is at least a one hour flat rate job.
Maybe not. I put an adapter onto the radio to connect my MP3 player. That
required maybe 1/2 hour, and I didn't pull the radio out, just exposed it.

My "internet salesman" was gone before my first return visit. And he was
new when I bought the car.

Names? I guess so. The dealer's seem to stay put, but the conglomerates
are snapping them up in my area. Several "Lithia" dealerships, but the
local Honda dealer has been a Buick/GMC dealership of the same name since
some time in the 60's.
The Ford dealer just changed names a few months ago, but they have pictures
on the walls of Fords in the same building in the 40's.

I think the VIN is a handy way to look up what _was_ there. That would
probably be fine for 90% of the owners, and avoid pulling the radio.

 

The VIN is the serial number for the car, which should give them the correct
information. I replaced a key for my Cherokee at the Chrysler dealer in
this way. They have the transponder codes on file and can be programmed at
the dealer without another key based on the VIN.
I would have to think that if Chrysler can do it, Honda should also have
similar capabilities.

 

The VIN is the serial number for the car, which should give them the correct
information. I replaced a key for my Cherokee at the Chrysler dealer in
this way. They have the transponder codes on file and can be programmed at
the dealer without another key based on the VIN.
I would have to think that if Chrysler can do it, Honda should also have
similar capabilities.

 

Yep. A hundred bucks to find your radio serial number. This has been
discussed here and other places quite a bit over the years, as someone
who buys a used Honda and replaces the battery suddenly finds himself
facing a radio that says CODE.

Now, if you have a relationship with the dealer, that might be
different. Or it might not...

It would be, if Honda used that system. They don't. They don't link
the VIN to any individually serialized or coded piece inside the car as
they manufacture it. When the serialized radio goes in the car, so does
the card and stickers with the radio information. And that's as far as
it goes.

Trust me. You can't walk into a Honda dealer with a VIN and have them
look up the radio code. Period.

 

Yep. A hundred bucks to find your radio serial number. This has been
discussed here and other places quite a bit over the years, as someone
who buys a used Honda and replaces the battery suddenly finds himself
facing a radio that says CODE.

Now, if you have a relationship with the dealer, that might be
different. Or it might not...

It would be, if Honda used that system. They don't. They don't link
the VIN to any individually serialized or coded piece inside the car as
they manufacture it. When the serialized radio goes in the car, so does
the card and stickers with the radio information. And that's as far as
it goes.

Trust me. You can't walk into a Honda dealer with a VIN and have them
look up the radio code. Period.

 

We all got goot discussion out of it just the same.

Aaron

 

We all got goot discussion out of it just the same.

Aaron

 

When i as in the UK, i had a small car electronics place just down the
road. i went there for my radio code (was a philips radio, Volvo
marked, that came with my 340 (my UK car) the guy came out, removed
the radio, took it inside, came back about 10 mins later, with the
code on a piece of paper, fitted the radio back in, and entered the
code for me - cost 5 UK pounds

shop around, a lot of small automotive places can do the decoding,
especially if they do a lot of car electrics (this place was called
alternators unlimited for instance)

acl around 'do you do radio decodings? how much, thank you"

all you need