Question 1

Do you use OEM or aftermarket keys for a 1999 Acura RL?

Accepted Answer

Either can work, but the chip type has to be correct for the immobilizer to accept the key. The blank I use for the 1999 RL is the same profile as the dealer part, and the transponder chip inside matches what the factory immobilizer expects. There are aftermarket blanks floating around with the right blade profile but the wrong chip inside, and those will cut cleanly, insert fine, and do absolutely nothing when you try to start the car. So the blade has to fit the ignition and the chip has to match. When both line up and the key is registered correctly, the car treats it the same as the original.

Question 2

How long will a replacement key last on a 1999 Acura RL?

Accepted Answer

A long time, if you treat it reasonably. The transponder chip inside the key head is passive. The antenna around the ignition cylinder energizes it inductively every time you turn the key, so there is no internal battery aging out or capacity dropping over time.

What actually kills these keys is physical abuse. The plastic head cracks from being dropped on pavement, moisture gets into the crack and corrodes the small coil inside, or a heavy keychain puts constant torque on the head until the coil wire fatigues and breaks. Keep it dry, do not let it bang around loose in a bag, and skip the heavy keychain. Do that and a well-made replacement key should last as long as the original did.

Question 3

What if the new key quits starting the car after a few weeks?

Accepted Answer

Registration on this system does not spontaneously erase. If a key stops working after it was fine, something in the signal path changed.

The antenna ring around the ignition cylinder is the first thing I check. It is a small component, and if the steering column covers were pulled off for any reason and snapped back without fully reseating the connector, the car reads it as a dead or missing key even though the key itself is perfectly fine. A disturbed harness connection will do the same thing.

I always test with a second key first. If the second key starts the car, the issue is isolated to the first key. If neither key works, I move to the antenna and its connector. Hardware and wiring get confirmed before anything gets replaced.

Question 4

Can I buy a key blank online and just have it cut, without any programming?

Accepted Answer

The blade cut alone will not start a 1999 RL. The ignition cylinder reads the cut and lets the key turn, but the immobilizer is what decides whether the engine starts. If the transponder chip is not registered, you get a crank with no start, or no crank at all, and the green key indicator on the dash tells you the immobilizer did not recognize it.

So yes, you can buy a blank online. But it still needs to be cut to your specific key code and then programmed to your immobilizer before it will start the car. Buying the blank does not skip either of those steps.

Question 5

My 1999 RL starts but then stalls out a few seconds later. Is that a key problem?

Accepted Answer

On a vehicle with an immobilizer, a start-then-stall pattern where the engine fires and then cuts out shortly after can point to the immobilizer recognizing enough of the signal to allow cranking but then timing out before it fully authorizes the engine to run. A worn key head with a damaged coil inside can produce exactly this symptom, especially if the key has been dropped or the plastic is cracked.

That said, a start-then-stall has a lot of possible causes that have nothing to do with the key. The way I sort it out is to test with a second known-good registered key first. If the second key holds the engine running normally, the first key has a chip or coil issue. If both keys do the same thing, the key is not the problem and I am looking elsewhere.

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