TextWhat Changed With the CL Key Each Generation
1st Generation (UA6)
A remote head key with three buttons, an Megamos 13 (ID13) transponder chip, and a CR2025 battery. Your CL uses Honda's immobilizer system, which means the car has to recognize the chip inside your key before it lets you start the engine. Programming is done on-board, so the process is straightforward and we tackle it right at the car.
1st Gen Facelift (UA7)
Same key system as the 1997 to 1999 models. Megamos 13 (ID13) chip, CR2025 battery, three buttons, on-board programming. Acura made some cosmetic updates to the car this year, but the key and immobilizer stayed the same. If you have a 2000 CL, everything from the prior generation applies to yours.
2nd Generation (UA8)
This is where security got serious. The fob battery also changed to a CR2032. Acura switched to a Texas 4D-67 transponder chip and moved to OBD-II programming, which means we hook into your car's diagnostic port to sync the new key. These require a PIN code for programming, so this is not a DIY job.
2nd Gen Facelift (UA9)
You turn this key in the ignition like any other key, but under the hood it is running the same advanced Honda immobilizer as the 2001 to 2002 models. Texas 4D-67 chip, CR2032 battery, three buttons, OBD-II programming with PIN code. This was the final year for the CL, and navigation models may have slight fob variations.
Which CL Key Do You Carry?
A standard metal key with a plastic head that has lock, unlock, and panic buttons built in. The transponder chip inside the head is what lets your car start.
Looks similar to the earlier key but uses a more advanced transponder chip. Requires professional OBD-II programming to work with your car's immobilizer. Same three buttons, slightly different battery.
Generation Pricing at a Glance
All prices are flat-rate and include the blank, cutting, programming, and testing. No surprise fees.
The EZ Way vs the Dealer Way
Acura's dealer scope on the CL is mostly historical at this point. The van still runs the right transponder, the right cutter, and the right programmer for every model year, parked next to your car for about half the cost.
Skip the Dealer - Call (619) 876-1271CL Key Problems Across San Diego County
Transponder Chip Failure
Owner inherits a CL, no working keys. San Diego County Acura dealers either turn the job down or quote a tow plus a week. We pull immobilizer data through OBD, originate a fresh transponder key at the car, same afternoon. Proof of ownership required.
Fob Battery Drain
Moisture is usually the culprit, especially coastal Oceanside or El Cajon. Even a fresh CR2032 drains fast if contacts are corroded. Water gets in the fob casing. We inspect the internals and replace the shell if the board is good.
Ignition Cylinder Wear
First check on a 1997-2000 CL with starting trouble: the ignition cylinder itself. High-mileage cars develop worn wafers, making the key hard to insert or turn, sometimes loose and wobbly. We rekey or replace the cylinder at the vehicle.
Immobilizer ECU Fault
Most assume they need a new key when the problem is the ECU. On 2001-2003 models the immobilizer control unit loses its ability to sync with new keys. A new key will not fix it. We diagnose with an EEPROM read first so you do not pay for the wrong fix.
What You Can Program Yourself on a CL
You can program the keyless entry remote buttons yourself using a simple ignition cycle procedure. But the transponder chip, the part that actually lets your car start, requires professional equipment and a PIN code. So you can teach your car a new remote, but you cannot make a new key work without us.
How It Works
Reach Out by Phone or Text
Reach us at (619) 876-1271.
We Roll to the Car
Wherever you are in San Diego County, from Poway to Encinitas, we come to your location.
Cut, Program, and Test
We cut your new H75 blade, program the transponder chip to your immobilizer using our Autel IM608 or VVDI, and test every function: ignition start, lock, unlock, and panic.
Related Services
Trivia Worth Knowing
The Acura CL was built off the same platform as the Honda Saber, a Japanese-domestic-market sedan that never crossed the Pacific. Honda chopped a coupe body onto it, dressed the interior in Acura leather, and sold a car that never existed anywhere else in the world. It is one of the only Hondas badged Acura that has no direct Honda-USA equivalent. We still pull a few CLs a year out of Encinitas driveways for spare keys, usually from owners who refuse to let theirs go.
KEY REPLACEMENT ACROSS ALL OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
We come to you, anywhere in San Diego County. No shop visit, no towing. Our mobile locksmith arrives at your home, office, or roadside.
See an Acura Key Cut Live
Watch our tech program an Acura proximity fob on site.
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