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Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in.
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Today I'm walking you through a quick
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fix solution for a common issue on the
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Honda Accord, the dreaded keyless start
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system problem warning. I'm going to
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break it down step by step and show you
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exactly what to check and fix so you
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won't be guessing or wasting a ton of
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time. First thing, don't panic. Grab
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your key fob and look real close at the
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little plastic case. The number one
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cause is a dead fob battery. If the
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lights on the fob are dim or don't flash
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when you press lock or unlock, that's a
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giveaway. Replace that tiny round
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battery. Any parts store sells them, and
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it usually takes less than 10 minutes.
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After you swap it, try the car. If it
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starts, great. We're done. If it still
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won't start, try the Honda touch to
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start trick while you're holding the
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brake pedal. With the fob in your hand,
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press and hold the brake, then press the
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start button with the fob itself, not a
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finger. Honda's system will read the fob
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directly through the button if the fob's
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transmitter is weak. If the car starts
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that way, you know the fob was weak but
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still alive and you should replace the
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battery or get a new fob programmed.
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Next, if nothing changes, check the
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brake pedal switch. The keyless start
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won't crank unless the car thinks your
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foot is on the brake. With the car off,
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press the brake and have someone watch
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the brake lights or back up and look at
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the tail lights if you're alone. If the
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brake lights don't come on when you
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press the pedal, the brake pedal switch
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is the culprit. It's usually a tiny
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switch under the pedal and swapping it
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out is a cheap part and a quick job for
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most DIYers or inexpensive at a shop. If
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the fob battery and brake switch aren't
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the issue, take a minute to check two
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fuses, the smart entry fuse and the
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start fuse. Open the fuse box under the
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dash, and you'll find labeled fuses for
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those circuits. Pull the fuse for the
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smart key or accessory and look at the
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metal strip inside. If it's broken,
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replace it. Fuse replacement usually
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costs a few dollars and takes a minute.
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When these quick fixes don't work, we
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move to one more reliable test. Use an
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OBD scanner to read any immobilizer or
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body control codes that might point to
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the smart key or ECU module. Plug the
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OBD scanner into the port. Read codes
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and note anything about the immobilizer,
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keyless entry, or smart key system. If
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you see immobilizer codes, that tells
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you the ECU module or the immobilizer
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antenna ring around the ignition button
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might need attention, but we only worry
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about that after the simple stuff. As a
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final quick reset, disconnect the
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negative battery terminal for about 2
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minutes and then reconnect it. That can
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clear temporary glitches in the ECU
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module and the smart key system. After
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reconnecting, try the touch to start
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trick again with the fob against the
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start button while pressing the brake.
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Put all that together. Replace the fob
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battery. Use the touch to start method.
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Verify brake lights and brake pedal
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switch. Check the smart entry and start
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fuses. Read codes with an OBD scanner.
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And if needed, reset the ECU module by
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momentarily disconnecting the battery.
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90% of the time, one of those steps gets
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your Honda Accord back to normal without
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a toe. A couple of quick safety notes.
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Don't force anything under the dash. And
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if you're unplugging the battery, you
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should have any radio or navigation
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codes handy in case the system asks for
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them. If you get immobilizer codes or
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the OBD scanner shows ECU errors that
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won't clear, it's time to see a dealer
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or a trusted shop because that usually
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means the keyless entry antenna,
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immobilizer unit or ECU module is
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failing and needs professional
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replacement. All right, now go try it.
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Replace the tiny fob battery first. Use
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the fobon on button start. Check your
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brake lights. Swap the cheap fuse if
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needed. Read codes with an OBD scanner.
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and reset the ECU module if nothing else
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worked. That sequence fixes the problem
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fast and it gets you back on the road
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without drama. If you want, drop a
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comment with your Accord year and what
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happened. I'll tell you the exact fuse
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and the likely brake switch location for
