Question 1

How do I spot a fake locksmith before I pay for my 2000 Acura RL key?

Accepted Answer

Watch how they talk before they show up.

A few things that should put you on alert right away:

They will not give you any price range even after you tell them the year, make, model, and key type. Real locksmiths know what equipment a 2000 Acura RL requires and can give you a ballpark before they leave the driveway.

They tell you any hardware-store copy will work. This RL uses a transponder key. A metal-only copy cut at a kiosk will turn in the ignition and do absolutely nothing else. The car will not start.

They show up without a locksmith license number or any business identification, then ask for payment before touching anything.

Their first suggestion is drilling the lock or replacing the ignition cylinder before they have tried any other approach.

A legitimate mobile locksmith explains what the job involves, answers questions, and does clean work without destroying hardware you do not need to replace.

Question 2

What is a transponder key on a 2000 Acura RL, and can I just copy it at a hardware store?

Accepted Answer

Nope. Not even close.

The key blade is only half the job. Inside the plastic head there is a transponder chip. When you insert the key, the receiver ring around the ignition column powers that chip passively, reads the code it transmits, and checks it against codes stored in the immobilizer system. If the code does not match, the car will not start. It may crank, but it will not fire. That is the system working as designed.

A hardware-store copy machine cuts the blade geometry fine, but it has no way to read or transfer the chip data. You end up with a key that turns in the barrel and gets you absolutely nowhere.

Proper duplication means either cloning the chip from a working key using the right equipment, or programming a new chip through the vehicle's ignition system if you are starting from scratch. Both of those require professional tools. Neither happens at a kiosk.

Question 3

What equipment do you actually use to cut and program a 2000 Acura RL key?

Accepted Answer

Two separate operations.

For the blade, I use a code-capable key machine. That means the cut is made to spec from the key code, not traced off a worn key that has already lost half its edge definition. On a 30-year-old daily driver, the difference between a code-cut key and a copy-of-a-copy matters at the ignition.

For the transponder side, I run professional-grade programmers alongside dedicated cloning equipment. If you have one working key, cloning is fast and nothing in the car gets touched or reset. If you are all-keys-lost, programming goes through the vehicle's system directly and takes a bit longer, but it is still a mobile, on-site job.

No guessing. No drilling. Done in the driveway.

Question 4

I have one working key for my 2000 RL. Should I bother getting a spare made now?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and the reason is simple: if that one key stops working or goes missing, you are looking at an all-keys-lost job instead of a quick duplication. All-keys-lost takes more time and more steps than making a copy from a working key. The difference in effort is significant.

These older RLs are also at the point where owners are down to one tired original key with soft cuts and a chip that has seen 25 years of daily use. Getting a clean spare made while the original is still functional is the easiest version of this job. Waiting until it fails is the harder one.

Question 5

My 2000 RL cranks but will not start. Could it be the transponder key?

Accepted Answer

It is a real possibility, but not the first thing to blame.

A transponder failure on this generation typically shows up as an engine that cranks normally but refuses to fire, sometimes paired with a security or key warning on the dash. The immobilizer cuts fuel or ignition, so the starter motor does its job and nothing happens after that.

That said, a crank-no-start on a 25-year-old vehicle has a long list of other candidates: fuel delivery, ignition components, and others. Before assuming the key is the problem, check whether the security indicator on the dash is behaving oddly during the start attempt. If the light flashes or stays on when it normally goes out, the transponder system is worth investigating. If the dash looks normal and the light clears as usual, start looking elsewhere.

Either way, I can test the key and transponder communication on site without guessing.

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