narnia

Is my Acura dealer the only place I can get a duplicate valet key? I want to have a second key made, and two locksmiths told me they don't have the blanks they need to duplicate my key.

joe80055

Hmm... i was wondering about that.. how much would the dealer usually charge for such a job?

bhelsdon

If you want the car to start, then you have to go to Acura. If you just want it to open the doors , then you can go to any place that can cut a key.

narnia

Yes, I just want to have an extra key in case I lock myself out. I just thought it was odd that two different shops didn't have the blanks to cut a key for me.

datmrman

narnia, check out this thread titled Think this accord key would work?. Its a thread on how to mod the TL key into a one piece Accord-like key.

People have brought their keys to Walmart and Home Depot for copies, but they also mention about bringing the keys to a Honda dealer to reprogram the transponder. More details in that thread. Hope that helps.

bhelsdon

Yes you can do that. I went to ace hardware and got one cut that I could put in my wallet. They didn't have a blank listed for the TL, but we found that a Honda blank would work. It works great because it doesn't have a thick plastic head on it.

FuZionBreeZe

Yea if you ask a dealer for a duplicate they will charge you like about $120...that is ridiculous....I was thinking of getting one but it too much for me...

This is cool, I didn't know that you can make a key at your local store and bring it to the dealer for ths chip....interesting ......what would be the total for this I wonder?

bhelsdon

If you want a key that will start your car you HAVE to go to acura. If you just want a key that will open the door then you can have one cut at any hardware store. They will have to use a Honda blank because there is not one listerd fdor the TL.
The transponder chip is the expensive part of the key and you cannot purchase a chip separate from a key.

narnia

Thanks for the info about using the Honda blank. I'll try a few more places. I didn't want to get ripped off by Acura for a key I only need to open the door.

bhelsdon

I purchased mine from Ace harware and the key blank they used is HD103

Thorin78

What about plastic keys instead of metallic? Anyone have success w/ those?