Hey all you car lock/security experts!

I now have a new car (Honda Jazz). Which I'm well, jazzed about :D One thing that really shits me though is how fat keys are nowadays. Until I start using a 'man-bag' that is going to drive me nuts. It got me to thinking that maybe I could take the spare and slim it down. I've been opening doors with keys my whole life, I can handle not having to use a remote! I was hoping the RFID bit for the immobiliser is completely separate from the door lock feature. So today I took the battery out of the spare to test it and yep it definitely works. I used both keys in different ways to see if anything changed. For instance, only using the battery-less spare worked fine. And using the working remote key to unlock the door, but the battery-less one to start the car worked as well.

 

Here is what the guts looks like. What I can do without any problems at all is take off all the housings, and re-attach that circuit board in exactly the same way, embedded in resin in pretty much the same shape as the original housing. Without the thickness of the battery and switches gets me down from about 12mm thick to 3 or 4mm!

 

But I wouldn't mind making it shorter too. If most of that circuit is for the door lock, it can go. I'm guessing the chip on an angle is the RFID. And because it's on an angle it has to be 'just so' for it to work. If it didn't affect the RFID, I can cut about 5mm off the circuit board (left side of this picture) easily, and drill a new hole in that for the key ring when it's all embedded in resin. That shortens it in total by about 10mm.

 

then THAT would be a proper key (",)

 

So, any thoughts on that strategy? It was easy to test the idea in general by removing the battery. But shortening the PCB is obviously irreversible, and apparently new keys are $500! I checked with a locksmith today and he thinks there will probably be a key for this car later in the year, $150 without doorlock. They still look boofy though, so I would probably still be compelled to mod it! And why spend more money when I have a perfectly good candidate right now?

What year is the Jazz

Just go get a smaller key cut, the chip that lets the car know its the right one is not on the remote part of the key, it will be in the housing, glued or in a small slot, you need this chip placed into the new key for it to work, ask whoever cuts the key for you as they should know.

Depending on the year you can buy some Honda keys with no remote entry. Just the chip in it..

Just go get a smaller key cut, the chip that lets the car know its the right one is not on the remote part of the key, it will be in the housing, glued or in a small slot, you need this chip placed into the new key for it to work, ask whoever cuts the key for you as they should know.

 

Ah, that makes sense. Easy to test, I will try it tomorrow without the PCB in the housing altogether. Will make it much easier to modify the spare key, or go for an aftermarket one (",)

Ah, that makes sense. Easy to test, I will try it tomorrow without the PCB in the housing altogether. Will make it much easier to modify the spare key, or go for an aftermarket one (",)

 

You can buy the keys off ebay and get them cut

 

just a key http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Remote-Ignition-Transponder-Key-Shell-for-Honda-Jazz-Civic-Accord-CRV-Uncut-/181757659463?hash=item2a5199c947:g:fPQAAOSwpDdVSCuE

 

or a flip key http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/REMOTE-2-BUTTONS-FLIP-KEY-SHELL-CASE-suit-HONDA-JAZZ-CRV-Odyssey-CIVIC-ACCORD-/152008031213?hash=item2364627bed:g:1IgAAOSwoBtW3pGz

For once I'm not happy to be right, but it looks like the RFID is on the PCB after all. Will hold for a bit until I learn more, save wrecking a perfectly good key. However, will order from that first ebay seller, to see what I get. Price is worth the experiment, but will have to see if the PCB can dangle from the keychain and still work properly.

You will still need the chip to go in the key, they can be purchased separately, ive seen them sell on ebay, you just have to get the right number and program to the car, some can be programmed by yourself, just look it up there will be one on Utube.

Yeah, what a root! :D The only other new car I ever had was a Daewoo, and it just had the immobiliser in a tiny little cylinder about 6mm x 35mm or so, separate from the key.

Yeah, what a root! :D The only other new car I ever had was a Daewoo, and it just had the immobiliser in a tiny little cylinder about 6mm x 35mm or so, separate from the key.

 

That would have been a aftermarket transponder immobiliser, the chip for your key should be the size of a grain of rice.

Similar to this one

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=281547&d=1307966036

The only other new car I ever had was a Daewoo.

 

 

I wouldn't admit that too publicly :lol:lol:lol

That would have been a aftermarket transponder immobiliser, the chip for your key should be the size of a grain of rice.

Similar to this one

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=281547&d=1307966036

 

Was about 2004. Can't find a Daewoo specific one, but this looks like pretty much the same one. On the Daewoo that little glass resin filled phial sits inside a small plastic cylinder to protect it, which just hung off the keyring.

 

 

I wouldn't admit that too publicly :lol:lol:lol

 

:D I started a courier business specialising in small items (car parts, documents etc) and while I had reservations about buying a Daewoo, the Matiz fit the bill. I put 135k on it in about 2 years, before I decided I had enough and moved here (",)