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. Red flags: they refuse to give a real range once you say 2000 Acura RL and insist they can only decide after arrival. They act like any hardware-store copy will start it, ignoring that this RL uses a transponder key with an immobilizer. They show up without ID or a California locksmith license number (LCO number) and ask for payment before touching the car. First move is drilling the lock or pushing parts you never approved. A real mobile automotive locksmith explains the plan, answers questions about your RL's chip key system, then does clean work on site.

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Nope. It is not just a metal key.

Your 2000 RL uses Acura's Type 1 immobilizer. The key head holds a Megamos ID 13 transponder chip. When you insert the key, the receiver ring around the ignition cylinder powers that chip by induction, the chip sends its stored ID code, and the immobilizer control unit (mounted under the dash, typically referenced on the 38xxx-SZ3 harness) checks the code against its memory. No match means the ECU kills the starter relay and fuel injection. Acura lists master blank 35113-SZ3-A01 and valet blank 35114-SZ3-A01. Aftermarket equivalents show up as HD106-PT or BHD106-PT. A MinuteKey kiosk can cut the blade shape, but it cannot write the chip, so the car will crank and never fire.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

Two parts: cut, then chip.

For the blade I use a code-capable key machine so the HD106 profile cuts match factory spec, not a worn copy of a worn copy pulled from a tired original. For the transponder side I run professional-grade programmers (Autel IM608 class tools and dedicated cloning hardware) to read and duplicate the Megamos ID 13 data when you still have one working key. If you have zero working keys, the process shifts to an immobilizer reset through the OBD port. Either way, it happens on site in Ventura, no tow truck involved.

Question 4

My 2000 RL cranks but will not start after I got a new key cut. What happened?

Accepted Answer

Classic immobilizer rejection. The blade turns the ignition just fine because the physical cuts are correct, but the Type 1 immobilizer never saw a valid Megamos ID 13 signal, so it blocked fuel and starter. You will not get a check engine light from this, and there is no dashboard immobilizer icon on the 2000 RL cluster like later Hondas added. The car just cranks and dies, or cranks endlessly. The key needs its chip programmed or cloned from an existing registered key. A blank-cut key without chip work is just an expensive piece of metal on these.

Question 5

Can I program the keyless entry remote on my 2000 Acura RL myself?

Accepted Answer

Actually, yes. The remote side (not the transponder side) has an owner-level learn procedure. Turn ignition to ON, press LOCK on the existing remote, then within a few seconds press LOCK on the new remote. The catch: the car erases every previously stored remote the moment you enter learn mode, so you need every remote you want to keep right there in your hands. Miss the roughly five-second window between button presses and the whole sequence drops out. The transponder chip in the key head is a completely separate system and cannot be self-programmed.

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