 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Honda Cars / August 2006Broken Key
Hello, all, The plastic head of the key to my wife's 2004 Honda broke last night, with the key in the ignition. Fortunately, the top of the metal part of the key is large enough that I was able to turn it and remove it with the help of a needle-nosed pliers (I may not even have needed the needle-nosed but it made it simpler. Since the car has over 36,000 miles, the dealer's service manager denied responsibility. After my wife gave him some grief about how cheap the plastic head is, he agreed to provide a new key for his cost ($75) plus tax, which will be about $10 less than retail. For completeness sake, I'll add that the head is the type that has the remote controls on it (open door, lock door, open trunk, panic button). My question is, has anyone else had an experience with the key head breaking after only a short life? What did you do about it? Thanks! Steve > Since the car has over 36,000 miles, the dealer's service > manager denied responsibility. How much over 36K miles is it? Do you have a relationship with this dealership? Sounds like you don't. sounds like this guy doesn't have a clue. go elsewhere. Just a question: Is the vehicle parked with the steering wheel turned sharply? If so, this can cause an extra effort to turn the key in the lock, enough to break the key off. Sometimes pressure on the wheel has to be relieved (by slightly turning it the other way) in order for the key to work easily. I've seen a lot of broken keys because folks didn't know this. Spdloader > Just a question: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Spdloader -------------------------- I'm not sure why 'folks don't know this' when it's been printed in every Honda owner's manual since the dawn of modern transportation. They must think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on them. :-( 'Curly' > think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on > them. :-( Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller. nb > > think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on > > them. :-( > > Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller. Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been told there are no "shoulds" in life. >> > think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on >> > them. :-( >> >> Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller. >Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come >out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned >pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been >told there are no "shoulds" in life. Actually it's a safety feature. Why modify a design that has the added benefit of disabling a vehicle when the driver lacks the double digit IQ needed to operate an ignition key? If only such a disabled vehicle would lock the idiot driver inside and prevent the idiot from using another vehicle. > Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come > out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned > pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been > told there are no "shoulds" in life. Howzabout "coulds"? I notice all keys, even house keys, have become just a tad thinner, these days. A few thousandths less per key times millions of keys adds up to increased profit margin. What care they you break your key? That's more money for them. It could actually be ...gasp!... intentional. nb >> Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come >> out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned >> pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been >> told there are no "shoulds" in life. >Howzabout "coulds"? I notice all keys, even house keys, have become >just a tad thinner, these days. A few thousandths less per key times >millions of keys adds up to increased profit margin. What care they >you break your key? That's more money for them. It could actually be >...gasp!... intentional. If a lock doesn't turn smoothly, spray some lubricant into it. This isn't rocket science. >> think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on >> them. :-( > >Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller. This does bring up the subject of the incredible swelling Honda car key. I have commented to other Honda owners when I see the size of the newer ones. If you get a group of owners together you can rank their cars in age order based on the size of the key alone. Just yesterday I checked the key to an '06 Accord (with the built in buttons) and I couldn't believe the size of it. not only is the head large, but the blade looked about 25% longer than the one for my '94 GS-R. Is this some kind of Freudian thing? What is wrong with making the remote a separate fob? > Just a question: > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > to work easily. I've seen a lot of broken keys because folks didn't > know this. You read my mind... :)  SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > You read my mind... :) .....just got my crystal ball back from the shop. Don't know how long it'll work this time. Spdloader >> You read my mind... :) > > .....just got my crystal ball back from the shop. Don't know how long > it'll work this time. Did you use aftermarket parts? SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ >>> You read my mind... :) >> >> .....just got my crystal ball back from the shop. Don't know how long >> it'll work this time. > > Did you use aftermarket parts? Not this time. Last time I used the cheaper, Taiwanese crystal. Got cloudy in no time. Spdloader >>>> You read my mind... :) >>> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Not this time. Oh, good for you. > Last time I used the cheaper, Taiwanese crystal. Got > cloudy in no time. Then you must have used the aftermarket Dilithium Orthobinary substrate. This will mess up your A/C system. Don't do it again. SignatureTeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ > Oh, good for you. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Then you must have used the aftermarket Dilithium Orthobinary substrate. > This will mess up your A/C system. Don't do it again. Yes, better clarity, better warranty, and doesn't give the "beer goggles" effect when looking at women at the bar. Spdloader >> Just a question: >> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> to work easily. I've seen a lot of broken keys because folks didn't >> know this. >You read my mind... :) I swear people are getting dumber every passing year. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2009 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.