TextPrelude Key Generations 1995 to 2001
Mechanical Key, No Chip
4th-gen 1995-1996 BB6 chassis. Plain mechanical blade, no immobilizer, no transponder. Hardware-store copies still work on these. Cheapest cut we make on a Prelude.
Transponder and Remote Arrive
5th-gen 1997-1998 launch. Late builds added Honda's early immobilizer with the Philips ID46 chip on some trims, not all. We chip-check on the truck before cutting because the same year sometimes ships either way depending on trim and date of manufacture.
Type SH Gets Dual Chip Options
5th-gen 1999-2001 final years standardized the ID46 transponder on most builds before Honda dropped the model after 2001. Last factory Prelude key in the world, still cut from code on our truck.
Identify Your Prelude Key
Plain mechanical blade. No chip. Hardware-store can copy. 4th-gen 1995-1996.
A metal key with a plastic head that has three buttons and an ID47 chip inside. The chip talks to your car's immobilizer every time you start it.
Standard transponder with Philips ID46 chip. 1999-2001 5th-gen final years.
Prelude Key Pricing in San Diego
Pricing covers the key, blade cut, programming if applicable, full test. No trip fee in San Diego County. Standalone lockout $105-$145.
EZ Car Keyz vs. San Diego Honda Dealer
Honda dealers stopped cutting Prelude blanks years ago. We never stopped. Same OEM-grade key, same warranty, programmed at your North Park curb instead of a tow yard.
Skip the Dealer - Call (619) 876-1271Prelude Problems We Fix in San Diego
5th-Gen ID46 Sync Loss
1999-2001 5th-gen Preludes with the ID46 chip drop the trust handshake after 25-plus years of California heat. Dash lights, no crank. We read the immobilizer data, clone to a fresh ID46, cut a new blade. Most surviving Preludes are garage-kept in North Park.
Worn Ignition Cylinders
Twenty-five years of ignition cycles wear Prelude cylinder tumblers down. Sticky ignition is almost always cylinder wear, not blade wear. We cut a fresh blade to factory code as a diagnostic. Cylinder shot, we say so up front instead of charging twice.
Aftermarket Alarm Interference
A lot of Preludes picked up aftermarket alarms in the late 1990s. Twenty years later those modules fail quietly and break the starter circuit. Cranks intermittently and a fresh blade does not fix? We trace and bypass or repair on the curb.
BSIS Lock Picking for Lockouts
Locked out of your Prelude? We pick the lock cylinder non-destructively under California BSIS LCO#6792 protocols, no broken trim, no busted glass. Then we cut a fresh blade to factory code so you walk away with a working spare from the same call.
Can You Program a Prelude Key Yourself?
Yes on 4th-gen mechanical. Hardware-store cuts a fresh blank. No programming.
Sort of on 5th-gen ID46. Two-key procedure adds a third with two working keys. New key needs cut and chip programmed first.
Definitely not for all-keys-lost. ECU PIN read and ID46 chip write require pro equipment.
How It Works
Call or Text Us
(619) 876-1271. Year, VIN, situation.
We Drive to You
Truck rolls to your driveway.
Cut, Program, and Test
Cut on the Condor, ID46 programming if applicable, full test on-site.
Related Services
Prelude Trivia
The Prelude ran 1979 through 2001 across five generations and never returned, killed by Honda's pivot to crossovers in the early 2000s. The 5th-gen 1997-2001 was the first to offer the ATTS active torque transfer system and the first Prelude to optionally ship with the Philips ID46 immobilizer chip on late builds. Earlier 4th-gen 1995-1996 cars are all mechanical, which is exactly why we still see them in collector garages across San Diego County.
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