1998 Honda Accord
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in Ventura County

1998 Honda Accord Metal Key Replacement - Fast, Affordable & Professional

Out in Matilija, off one of those quiet roads where the oaks hang over the pavement, a guy called me about his 1998 Honda Accord. Said the key had been getting harder to turn for months and one morning it just stopped cooperating entirely.

He'd already called the dealer in the area and been quoted a price for a full ignition cylinder replacement plus a new key and programming. He told me the number and I told him to hold off.

When I got there, I could see the cylinder wasn't seized. It was the wafers. On these older Accords, the wafers inside the ignition cylinder wear down over years of use, especially on a car that's been someone's daily driver since Clinton was in office. The key was the original, still on the same ring with about eight other keys pulling weight on it. That'll do it.

I decoded the existing lock, replaced the worn wafers, and cut a fresh key to match the repaired cylinder. Then I programmed the transponder chip to the vehicle's immobilizer so the car would actually start and not just crank. Tested the start, tested the key through a few full cycles, watched it turn clean.

He stood there watching the whole thing in his driveway, which I always appreciate. When I showed him the pulled wafers so he could see where the metal had worn, he just shook his head. He said the dealer had made it sound like the whole column was shot.

It wasn't. He got a working car back, a properly cut and programmed key, and saved a good chunk over what the dealer wanted for parts he didn't need.

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