How To Deactivate Honda Immobilizers – 3 Smart Hacks

Did your Honda car refuse to start? Several factors like a dead battery, alternator, faulty starter motor, or spare key can be the culprit. However, if all these components are functioning properly, you should doubt the immobilizer to be the villain.

Yes, the immobilizer can be the culprit, especially if your baby ride stalls when starting or refuses to start for no reason. If you’re facing this situation, you may want to know how to deactivate Honda immobilizer and get your car back on the road.

Here, Rx mechanic teams will outline common Honda immobilizer faults, how to disenable Honda immobilizer, and Honda civic immobilizer reset. But first, what is an immobilizer?

honda civic immobilizer bypass

What is an Immobilizer?

An engine immobilizer (also known as a car immobilizer) is an anti-theft device designed to prevent car thefts via hot-wiring.

Here’s how it works; every Honda vehicle manufactured from 2003 onwards has a chip in the key fob and a chip in the key ignition. Once you insert your key in the ignition, the chip on the key fob and the one in the ignition will communicate and transmit a passcode before starting the vehicle.

This is why several car manufacturers have started using key fobs to add an extra layer of security to the vehicle. Key fobs also add additional functions to vehicles. For example, a driver can lock or unlock the trunk and doors and start the car remotely.

If you insert the keys and the immobilizer receives false passcode when starting the car, the vehicle will not start. In some vehicles, the system will beep an alarm and may notify a security company that car theft is taking place.

On Honda vehicles, when you insert your key fob into the ignition, a green key light will pop up on the dashboard. The light will blink once or twice before going off, depending on your vehicle model. There’s an imminent problem in the system if the light refuses to disappear.

The underlying problem could be a blown fuse or an immobilizer issue. With that in mind, let’s look at the Honda immobilizer’s common faults.

Honda Immobilizer Common faults

Several Honda models suffer immobilizer issues. The most common reported immobilizer issue on Honda is a situation where the transmitter will affect the immobilizer. In other words, a bad Honda transmitter usually affects the immobilizer.

If this happens, you’ll need to replace the transmitter and the immobilizer. However, you can do a Honda Civic immobilizer bypass or a Honda Accord immobilizer bypass if you own any of these models.

I recommend you make a better-informed decision before bypassing the immobilizer because a bypass will void your insurance warranty against theft, and you have removed the extra safety security.

 Another common Honda immobilizer issue is transponder problems. If you have a transponder issue, you may want to read this article – how to program key transponder without the original.

It’s okay if you still want to disenable your Honda immobilizer, knowing it’ll remove the extra security layer on your vehicle. But, if you’re asking, how do I disenable Honda immobilizer? Check the guide in the next section.

How To Deactivate Honda Immobilizer

How to deactivate a Honda immobilizer is pretty straightforward. Here are the possible steps to follow depending on your Honda model.

honda immobilizer programming

Method 1

If the anti-theft system on your Honda car is triggered, possibly because there’s a break-in attempt and the car refuses to start, here’s a simplified guide on how to disenable it and get your vehicle running again.

  1. Turn off the ignition and see if the anti-theft light illuminates the instrument cluster. It should be red, blue, or green light.
  2. Switch the ignition to the ‘ON’ position and see if the light pops up on the dashboard. If the light has stopped blinking, return the key to the ‘OFF’ position and allow it to sit for 5 minutes to reset.
  3. After the 5 minutes interval, start the vehicle.

This is a simplified Honda Accord immobilizer reset guide. If this doesn’t start the vehicle, try the following method.

Method 2

This method will help you disable your Honda anti-theft and reset the system. But first, let’s see the steps involved.

  1. Insert the key into your driver’s side door lock.
  2. Turn the key to unlock the driver’s side door and let the vehicle sit for 45 seconds before starting.
  3. If this does not rectify the problem, insert and try turning the key back and forth.

Method 3

This is an alternative method. Some Honda users have reported that this works for them. Press the key fob a couple of times (say five times‌) and the lock button. Wait for a minute and see if this will reset your Honda immobilizer.

If that doesn’t work, manually unlock and lock the doors with the physical key twice. After that, turn the ignition to the ‘ON’ position and let it sit for 10 minutes before starting the vehicle.

Alternatives 

A blown ACG S 15 amp fuse can keep your Honda accord immobilizer light flashing on the dashboard. With this light blinking on the dash, you can’t start the vehicle. Replacing the blown fuse should enable the vehicle to start.

Here’s a quick trick I learned over the years. Typically, you can’t start your Honda car with a non-programmed spare key. However, if your programmed key is broken and you have the non-programmed spare key, you can start the car with the spare using this trick.

Here’s how to do it. Insert the spare key into the ignition, place the broken key on the spare and watch the blinking anti-theft light disappear. Watch this video for visual clarification.

FAQs

Q: Where is the immobilizer located?

Different car manufacturers may have different locations for the immobilizer. However, the immobilizer comprises two principal components. One is in the transponder key, and the other is a reader in the steering column. It is beside or near the ignition switch with a single or two wires connecting to the ignition switch.

Q: How do I turn off my Honda immobilizer?

 You can turn off your Honda immobilizer or anti-theft by resetting it. To do this, insert your ignition key into the ignition column, turn to the ‘ACC’ position, and return it to the ‘OFF’ position. After that, take off the key from the ignition. Then, re-insert it and switch the key to the ‘ON’ position. 

Q: Is it possible to disable immobilizer?

Of course, yes. You can disable the immobilizer in a vehicle. In fact, there are several ways to pull through it. You can either do this by inserting the key into the ignition and switching it to the ‘ON” and ‘OFF’ positions. After that, completely remove the key and re-inserting it to start the vehicle. You can also pull through by unlocking and locking the car doors using the physical keys.

Q: Does immobilizer stop the starter motor?

Most times, your anti-theft or security system stops your vehicle from starting. Immobilizers are a second-layer security system fitted in vehicles that prevent cars, trucks, and bikes from starting by unauthorized people.

If your car fails to start due to immobilizer issues, it could be you have a dead battery in the key fob. Or the immobilizer is receiving false data from the transponder key. This is primarily true when using a wrong key or a non-programmed key.

Q: How do you know if your car is immobilized?

Like other car system components, the immobilizer can malfunction and prevent your car from starting. Here’s how to know if your car is immobilized.

  • Unlock button on the key fob is not working
  • Unable to lock the car with the remote control
  • Car not starting for no reason
  • Issues with the car alarm
  • The car key won’t turn the ignition

It’s important to note that several issues within the vehicle systems can cause the outlined issues above. For instance, a dead battery on the key remote control can prevent the fob from locking and unlocking the doors. Electrical issues can also affect the car alarm. And lastly, several issues can prevent the engine from starting.

Q: What happens when your car is immobilized?

When a car is immobilized, it means it is impounded or incapacitated. Therefore, when a vehicle is immobilized, it prevents it from functioning the way it should. Here is what happens when a vehicle is immobilized.

  • The key fob can’t unlock or lock the car doors
  • The car alarm malfunctions
  • The car key may not turn the ignition
  • The vehicle may not start.

Final Words

A car immobilizer is an essential anti-theft car feature that helps in reducing car thefts. It works by preventing the car from starting whenever it notices unauthorized access to the vehicle. Unfortunately, despite the critical role in adding an extra security layer to a car, it can malfunction and prevent car owners from starting the car.

However, if the immobilizer prevents you from starting your Honda ride, you can rely on this article and learn how to deactivate Honda immobilizer.

Immobilizers add an extra security layer to all vehicles. But there are different approaches to resetting or bypassing them. So, if you have immobilizer issues on your Toyota vehicle, check out how to deactivate the Toyota immobilizer.

Osuagwu Solomon

Osuagwu Solomon is a certified mechanic with over a decade of experience in the mechanic garage, and he has over five years of experience in the writing industry. He started writing automotive articles to share his garage experience with car enthusiasts and armature mechanics. If he is not in the garage fixing challenging mechanical problems, he is writing automotive repair guides, buyer’s guides, and car and tools comparisons.

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