Honda Car Forum

Hello, all,
The plastic head of the key to my wife's 2004 Honda broke last night,
with the key in the ignition. Fortunately, the top of the metal part of the
key is large enough that I was able to turn it and remove it with the help
of a needle-nosed pliers (I may not even have needed the needle-nosed but it
made it simpler. Since the car has over 36,000 miles, the dealer's service
manager denied responsibility. After my wife gave him some grief about how
cheap the plastic head is, he agreed to provide a new key for his cost ($75)
plus tax, which will be about $10 less than retail.
For completeness sake, I'll add that the head is the type that has the
remote controls on it (open door, lock door, open trunk, panic button).
My question is, has anyone else had an experience with the key head
breaking after only a short life? What did you do about it?
Thanks!
Steve

In article <ebd5js$1dir$1@si05.rsvl.unisys.com>,
"Steve" <steven_dot_turetzky_at_unisys_com@deletethis.co m> wrote:

> Since the car has over 36,000 miles, the dealer's service
> manager denied responsibility.

How much over 36K miles is it?

Do you have a relationship with this dealership?

Sounds like you don't. sounds like this guy doesn't have a clue. go
elsewhere.

Just a question:

Is the vehicle parked with the steering wheel turned sharply?

If so, this can cause an extra effort to turn the key in the lock, enough to
break the key off. Sometimes pressure on the wheel has to be relieved (by
slightly turning it the other way) in order for the key to work easily. I've
seen a lot of broken keys because folks didn't know this.

Spdloader

Spdloader wrote:
>
> Just a question:
>
> Is the vehicle parked with the steering wheel turned sharply?
>
> If so, this can cause an extra effort to turn the key in the lock, enough to
> break the key off. Sometimes pressure on the wheel has to be relieved (by
> slightly turning it the other way) in order for the key to work easily. I've
> seen a lot of broken keys because folks didn't know this.
>
> Spdloader

--------------------------

I'm not sure why 'folks don't know this' when it's been printed in every
Honda owner's manual since the dawn of modern transportation. They must
think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on
them. :-(

'Curly'

On 2006-08-09, 'Curly Q. Links' <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote:

> think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on
> them. :-(

Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller.

nb

"notbob" wrote

> > think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on
> > them. :-(
>
> Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller.

Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come
out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned
pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been
told there are no "shoulds" in life.

On Wed, 9 Aug 2006 12:03:42 -0700, Howard Lester <hlester@mmto.org> wrote:



>"notbob" wrote

>> > think Honda made the keys bigger so _they_ could get more leverage on
>> > them. :-(
>>
>> Maybe Honda should wise up and make the key head smaller.

>Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come
>out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned
>pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been
>told there are no "shoulds" in life.

Actually it's a safety feature. Why modify a design that has the added
benefit of disabling a vehicle when the driver lacks the double digit IQ
needed to operate an ignition key? If only such a disabled vehicle would
lock the idiot driver inside and prevent the idiot from using another vehicle.

On 2006-08-09, Howard Lester <hlester@mmto.org> wrote:

> Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come
> out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned
> pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been
> told there are no "shoulds" in life.

Howzabout "coulds"? I notice all keys, even house keys, have become
just a tad thinner, these days. A few thousandths less per key times
millions of keys adds up to increased profit margin. What care they
you break your key? That's more money for them. It could actually be
....gasp!... intentional.

nb

On Wed, 09 Aug 2006 14:27:24 -0500, notbob <notbob@nothome.com> wrote:


>On 2006-08-09, Howard Lester <hlester@mmto.org> wrote:

>> Maybe people shouldn't try to force the key out. Any time mine won't come
>> out easily, I turn the wheel just a bit to relieve the aforementioned
>> pressure. That should be way beyond second nature. Then again, I've been
>> told there are no "shoulds" in life.

>Howzabout "coulds"? I notice all keys, even house keys, have become
>just a tad thinner, these days. A few thousandths less per key times
>millions of keys adds up to increased profit margin. What care they
>you break your key? That's more money for them. It could actually be
>...gasp!... intentional.

If a lock doesn't turn smoothly, spray some lubricant into it. This isn't
rocket science.

"Spdloader" <askforit@nospam.triad.rr.com> wrote in
news:eNpCg.13513$4c7.3861@tornado.southeast.rr.com :

> Just a question:
>
> Is the vehicle parked with the steering wheel turned sharply?
>
> If so, this can cause an extra effort to turn the key in the lock,
> enough to break the key off. Sometimes pressure on the wheel has to be
> relieved (by slightly turning it the other way) in order for the key
> to work easily. I've seen a lot of broken keys because folks didn't
> know this.
>


You read my mind...


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