1997 Acura CL
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in Ventura County

1997 Acura CL Remote Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Got a call from a guy in Downtown Ventura whose 1997 Acura CL would not start. He was already wound up because two other shops told him he needed transponder key programming. One quoted him for a chip key and an hour of diagnostic time.

Problem is, the 97 CL does not have a transponder. No immobilizer, no chip, no programming. Honda did not add that to the CL until 98. His was a first-generation 2.2CL, built on the fifth-gen Accord platform at the East Liberty, Ohio plant, and it takes a plain HD103 mechanical key.

What he actually had was a worn-out ignition cylinder. The key would slide in but would not turn past accessory. Classic symptom on these older Hondas, and the 97 CL even fell under NHTSA recall campaign 02V120000 for premature ignition switch wear, a known issue across several Honda and Acura models from this era. His original key was ground down from 28 years of daily use, which made the cylinder problem worse.

I cut a fresh key to code right there in his driveway, then serviced the ignition cylinder so the wafers would engage cleanly again. Key turned like it was brand new. He just sat there for a second, turning the ignition on and off, testing it.

Two shops almost sold him a service his car does not even support. He paid a fraction of what they quoted.

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