Question 1

My 2009 RDX flip blade snapped off in the ignition. Can you get it out and make a new key?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Broken blade in the cylinder is a common call on these flip keys, especially on older fobs where the pivot pin has worn down over years of flipping. The blade snaps right at the pivot point and the tip lodges in the ignition.

I extract the broken piece without pulling the cylinder. Once it's clear, I decode the cut from the lock itself or pull the key code through the vehicle data and cut a new blade to match. If the original transponder chip in the housing survived the break, sometimes it transfers into the new shell. If not, I register a fresh transponder through the OBD port. Either way, you end up with a working key, not just a blade that turns but a car that actually fires.

Question 2

What exactly is a remote flip key and what does each part do?

Accepted Answer

On the 2009 RDX, the flip key is three things in one housing.

The folding metal blade cuts into the ignition cylinder and physically turns the car on. The transponder chip embedded in the key head sends a coded signal to the immobilizer every time you turn the key. If the code matches, the engine runs. If it does not, the car cranks and the green key icon blinks. The remote transmitter, powered by a CR1616 battery, handles the wireless lock and unlock functions on its own separate circuit.

All three have to work together for the full key to function. The remote can work while the transponder is dead. The blade can be perfect while the fob battery is gone. That is why diagnosing a flip key failure means checking each layer, not just swapping a battery and hoping.

Question 3

The green key light is blinking and the car cranks but won't start. What's going on?

Accepted Answer

The immobilizer is not reading your key.

On this RDX, when the system does not recognize the correct code from the transponder, it cuts fuel injection. The engine spins but goes nowhere. The blinking green key icon is the car telling you exactly that.

Common causes I see on these:

- Aftermarket key cut with the wrong transponder type inside
- Damaged chip from a cracked or bent key head
- Shell swap where someone moved the blade but left the chip behind
- Key was never properly registered after a prior replacement

Strip the keyring first. Other keys or anything metal sitting against the fob can interfere with the signal at the ignition. Try the key alone. If it still blinks and cranks, the fix is diagnosis and proper registration, not guesswork.

Question 4

I bought a replacement flip key fob online. Can I program it myself at home?

Accepted Answer

The remote side, meaning lock and unlock, has an onboard relearn sequence you can do yourself on these older Honda-platform vehicles. It involves the door locks and a specific series of steps with the ignition. Plenty of RDX owners have done it.

The transponder side is a different story. Registering the chip that allows the car to start requires diagnostic equipment connected to the OBD port. There is no ignition-turn trick or button sequence for that part on this vehicle. So if you bought a fob online, you can likely handle the remote pairing yourself, but you still need a tech to register the transponder before the car will fire with the new key.

Question 5

How many keys can the 2009 RDX hold in its system, and does adding one erase the others?

Accepted Answer

The system on this generation RDX holds up to three registered keys. Adding a key does not wipe the others as long as you are doing a standard add-a-key procedure with at least one working key already present.

All-keys-lost is a different job. When there are no working keys left, the existing key memory has to be cleared and all keys, including any new ones, get registered from scratch in a single session. That process requires diagnostic equipment and both keys need to be present and programmed before you leave, because once the session closes, anything not registered is locked out.

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