[Fooltergeist]

I am not a big fan of these electronic locks & keys where you leave the car and press a button on the dangling keypad to lock/unlock the car from a distance. I prefer the old-fashioned way of pressing a side button while you are still sitting in the driver's seat and the car locks as you get out and slam the door, like the Isuzu Trooper for instance.

My question is: is there a way to do this on the Honda Element 2003, and where/how can I get a plain old flat key to lock/unlock the car? My hardware keymaker says they cannot make a Honda key duplicate for one reason or other.

My reasons for preferring the old-fashioned manual key are:


1. When I park at the train station, I like to put my car keys inside my back pocket while I'm still sitting in the car before I get out and make a sprint for the train. These electtronic keys keep one of my hands tied up while fumbling for the button while running, backpack in one hand and lunchbox in the other hand. I just don't have a 3rd hand to hold the keys while sprinting towards the train.

2. These electronic keys are thick, bulky and put pressure on my butt when I'm sitting down, and I'm on my seat the whole day at the office.

So please, show me a way to lock the car while I'm still in it, and let me use a flat, small key instead of this horrible big fat Honda car key and this big fat dongle with the big fat buttons.

Fil

 

[E_Causatum]

It can be manually locked. Once you take the key off the ignition, the doors can be mauanlly locked by pressing the power doorlock button on the driver side door but you can't do it on the passenger side door. :shock: My 05 sienna can be armed by doing the same thing without using the remote. I have not tried it on my E yet. To test it, I suggest that you lock it manually following the above procedure and manually open the door to see if the alarm goes off. BTW, wait at least 2 minutes before you manually open the door.

 

[ramblerdan]

Flat, brass, door-only key discussed in this thread.

 

[Tim Vance]

It can be manually locked. Once you take the key off the ignition, the doors can be mauanlly locked by pressing the power doorlock button on the driver side door but you can't do it on the passenger side door. :shock: My 05 sienna can be armed by doing the same thing without using the remote. I have not tried it on my E yet. To test it, I suggest that you lock it manually following the above procedure and manually open the door to see if the alarm goes off. BTW, wait at least 2 minutes before you manually open the door.

You can manually lock the doors, as described above, but the door needs to be open, otherwise you are locked in...lol
just open the door, hit the door lock, get out and close the door. It's locked...

 

[ApriliaGuy]

just open the door, hit the door lock, get out and close the door. It's locked...

nope. The door will only lock (via door button, remote, or key) when in the closed position.

The op needs to either get the flat key mentioned by RamblerDan or just use the remote fob. You can tuck the regular key under the floor mat or seat take the fob with you. You don't need toturn around and point it....just hit the buttomn and listen for the "honk" to let you know its locked. Or just use the regular key and leave the fob at home.

 

[packyeow]

yes you can lock it manually!

nope. The door will only lock (via door button, remote, or key) when in the closed position.

The op needs to either get the flat key mentioned by RamblerDan or just use the remote fob. You can tuck the regular key under the floor mat or seat take the fob with you. You don't need toturn around and point it....just hit the buttomn and listen for the "honk" to let you know its locked. Or just use the regular key and leave the fob at home.

I usually lock the door before I go out and I use the tab/latch, not the automatic power lock switch. The tab on the driver's side locks all doors once you hit it. Then I just make sure the key is in my pocket before I slam the door.

 

[ApriliaGuy]

The tab on the driver's side locks all doors once you hit it. Then I just make sure the key is in my pocket before I slam the door.

Wow! News to me....mine won't work that way at all.(i've tried when new with both the "tab" and the power lock switch) I think there was even something in the owners manual about it as a feature to help prevent locking the keys in the car.

My "tab" does just the one door....I need to use the pdl switch to lock both sides and the hatch all at once.

Sounds plenty simple...maybe it is only on the newer cars ?! :?, 'cause I think the op woulda figured that out.

 

[ApriliaGuy]

WOW! :twisted:

:shock:

Brain fart ! Flashback.....


i'm gettin' too old for this stuff.

You gotta hold the interior (or exterior?) door handle in the "open" position to push the tab down....all doors lock and you can just close the door.

If the handle isn't pulled first the tab won't go down.

Jeesh I'm forgeting all kinds of cool stuff I learned way back when.

Sorry.

 

[lizzurd]

WOW! :twisted:

:shock:

Brain fart ! Flashback.....


i'm gettin' too old for this stuff.

You gotta hold the interior (or exterior?) door handle in the "open" position to push the tab down....all doors lock and you can just close the door.

If the handle isn't pulled first the tab won't go down.

Jeesh I'm forgeting all kinds of cool stuff I learned way back when.

Sorry.

All you have to do on my 2006 is push the lock button and close the door......No pulling on handles or standing on your toes while holding a greased pig under your arms.



(And yes you are getting old)

 

[loghousemom]

been there

With my 03 I have to pull the driver's door handle and press the lock button at the same time to get all of the doors to lock. then you can use the black key to open it. As far as I know the grey "valet" key will not work.

 

[lizzurd]

With my 03 I have to pull the driver's door handle and press the lock button at the same time to get all of the doors to lock. then you can use the black key to open it. As far as I know the grey "valet" key will not work.

The valet key should open the drivers door and start the ignition. It will not work on the passengers side door,the glove box or tailgate.

 

[ApriliaGuy]

..No pulling on handles or standing on your toes while holding a greased pig under your arms.

Must be a Canadian thing eh?!

Yup...stupid old.

 

[acb384]

It must be a canadian thing. In the US since at least 1990 maybe earlier, honda cars (excluding Izusu rebadged trucks) are unable to lock your keys in the car because you are unable to lock the doors without the key from the outside or a FOB. All the hondas I have had if you pressed the lock button from the drivers door all doors but the drivers door would lock. you cannot physically push down the lock tab with the driver door open. you can however lock your keys in if you do it from the passenger side (if you have a honda with a pwr lock button on that side.)
I have heard the trick where you can bypass this by holding the door handle out but for some reason never tried it. I always have had and use a fob.

 

[nacranym]

i know for a fact that it's possible to lock the key in my 2002 CR-V. for some reason i wanted to leave the key in the ignition, but briefly leave the vehicle. so i took the remote w/ me and locked up the vehicle w/ the key in the ignition.
i was rather miffed when i returned to the vehicle and learned that the remote doesn't work w/ a key in the ignition. fortunately, i had another key outside the vehicle that was only a short walk away.
i haven't tested this on the Element, but would expect it to behave similarly.
and, as far as i know, neither vehicle has ever been to Canada.
not that they wouldn't want to...

 

[rymo926]

I know exactly what you mean. I think that stop in the US in 93. I have driven civics and accords up to that year that did it. And a 93 civic and a 94 accord that didn't.

 

[acb384]

i know for a fact that it's possible to lock the key in my 2002 CR-V. for some reason i wanted to leave the key in the ignition, but briefly leave the vehicle. so i took the remote w/ me and locked up the vehicle w/ the key in the ignition.
i was rather miffed when i returned to the vehicle and learned that the remote doesn't work w/ a key in the ignition. fortunately, i had another key outside the vehicle that was only a short walk away.
i haven't tested this on the Element, but would expect it to behave similarly.
and, as far as i know, neither vehicle has ever been to Canada.
not that they wouldn't want to...

I should say its not possible to accidentally lock your keys in, of course you can find a way to do it deliberately. you had the FOB so that makes sense that you could lock the key in. on every US honda i have seen you need to have either a key or a fob to lock the car after you get out (or pull the handle and lock from the inside before you close the door.)

I had a 90 accord 96 accord 2003 accord and 2007 civic and now a 2004 element that were all like that.

 

[fooloof]

My reasons for preferring the old-fashioned manual key are:


1. When I park at the train station, I like to put my car keys inside my back pocket while I'm still sitting in the car before I get out and make a sprint for the train. These electtronic keys keep one of my hands tied up while fumbling for the button while running, backpack in one hand and lunchbox in the other hand. I just don't have a 3rd hand to hold the keys while sprinting towards the train.



Fil

..........

 

[psschmied]

You can lock your keys in the Element, but perhaps not with them in the ignition.

Mine fell out of my pocket once when getting out, and I locked the doors by pulling the interior handle and pushing down the door lock button. Fortunately my wife had her keys in her purse.

What has surprised me is that if I use the remote to unlock the doors, but don't open the door soon enough, the doors re-lock. Very irritating, as is the horn beeping when you try to lock it twice with the remote.

 

[nacranym]

I should say its not possible to accidentally lock your keys in, of course you can find a way to do it deliberately. you had the FOB so that makes sense that you could lock the key in. on every US honda i have seen you need to have either a key or a fob to lock the car after you get out (or pull the handle and lock from the inside before you close the door.)

I had a 90 accord 96 accord 2003 accord and 2007 civic and now a 2004 element that were all like that.

you may have missed my point. although i had the remote fob w/ me, i didn't use it to lock the vehicle. in fact, w/ the key in the ignition, the remote won't lock the vehicle.

 

[chelleb]

What has surprised me is that if I use the remote to unlock the doors, but don't open the door soon enough, the doors re-lock. Very irritating, as is the horn beeping when you try to lock it twice with the remote.

I rather like this feature....if I accidentally unlock the doors and don't realize it, they will lock again automatically.

I also like the horn beeping, I can just point the fob over my shoulder and know the car is locked.

I also like that you can't easily lock the doors without the fob. I have locked keys in cars before and it's a big hassle when not at home. I always lock/unlock with the fob. It gives me piece of mind that I "can't" accidentally lock the keys in the car.

I do use the valet key if I'm going somewhere and don't have room for the regular key and fob (like an amusement park...valet key slips nicely into my pocket).