How to Start a Honda or Acura with a Dead Key Fob
Starting Your Honda or Acura
- But first, if you are still locked out, click here for help getting inside!
- Second, for video help, click here!
- Finally, if you need or want another manufacturer, click here.
There are several methods for starting a Honda or Acura vehicle. To start a Honda and the newest Acura models lacking a slot, touch the “H” in the Honda logo or the “A” in the Acura logo on the remote control to the Start / Stop button until the small indicator light in the button begins to flash. For the next 30 seconds, the vehicle can be started using the Start / Stop button normally. You can also simply press the Start / Stop button with the remote control itself, while stepping on the brake of course.
Note that the Honda Insight and Clarity have a Power button instead of a Start/Stop, but the process is 
exactly the same.
The Acura ZDX EV and Honda Prologue EV marks a rather large shift in engineering. The back up start process uses a cup holder. Place the key fob in the rear cupholder in the Acura or the left cupholder in the Honda with the buttons facing down (right). Then with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start/Stop button, which like the Insight and Clarity is a Power button.
In earlier Acura models (newest models are above), there is a slot for the remote control (key fob) to the left and below the Start / Stop button. Insert the remote and use the Start / Stop button to start the vehicle as normal.
Note that in these later models, there is a keyless access remote system main switch that may be turned off. The vehicle will start with the remote in its slot as described.
In the oldest keyless start Acura models, there is a cover on the ignition switch that must be removed. This will allow the use of the mechanical key built into the key fob. To remove the ignition switch cover, slip the built-in key into the parallel slot underneath the cover. Push the key in while pull it towards you at the same time and the cover will come off. Once the cover is removed, the mechanical key can be inserted and turned to start the vehicle.
Note: If you have made an attempt to start the vehicle without success, there may be residual pressure in the brake system and a new warning light may appear (left) or text message to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.
Finally, we do have some video help for you.
… Return to Part I, Getting In
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Two methods exist in Nissan and Infinity vehicles. Some models use method 1. In this case, insert the Intelligent Key in the port provided. It will be found to the left of the steering column. It might be horizontal (first image) or vertical (second image).
port or with the buttons facing the door in the vertical port. Make sure the key ring side is out.
If a port does not exist, method 2 comes into play. Simply touch the ignition switch with the Intelligent Key (a chime will sound). Push the ignition Start / Stop button while depressing the brake pedal within 10 seconds after the chime sounds to start the engine.
And finally, in the Infiniti QX30, the Start / Stop button appears to ‘float’ above the dashboard. Pull it away exposing the ignition switch. If necessary the tip of the mechanical key can be used as a pry bar.
Here’s the deal: Buckle up, find your model, and if the main start battery is still good, we’ll get you underway.
With Style 1 (square) key fob, used in most GM vehicles prior to 2014, and in some Cadillac CTS Coupes and Sedans ongoing, place the transmitter in the transmitter pocket at the top and rear of the center console storage area with the buttons facing towards the front of the vehicle (right).
The XLR Coupe use either a small key fob that does not hold a mechanical key or the Style 1 fob. Regardless of the key fob type, the pocket for the transmitter (or fob) is on the left of the inside of the glove box. Place the transmitter in the pocket with the buttons facing the glove box storage area (right).
In the Cadillac SRX, the transmitter pocket is located at the bottom of the console storage area (right). The new CT5 crossover uses this location as well, but using the Style 3 key fob. The spot may be beneath a storage tray, which must be lifted out, or at least beneath all the stuff that has gathered inside. Then insert the transmitter with the buttons facing up and with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.
The new key style, Style 3, was introduced in 2014. In the ELR Coupe and some CTS Sedans and Wagons (later models all use this location), locate the transmitter pocket on the shelf in the front of the console, as shown to the right. It is beneath a rubber that will need to be removed, and is the shape of the transmitter. Place the transmitter in the pocket, buttons facing up, and with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.
In the XTS sedan, the transmitter pocket is found in the front of the center console storage area. A storage tray may have to be lifted out. Place the transmitter in the pocket with the key ring up and the buttons facing out. See the image below. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. Check out the video 
In ATS sedan, the transmitter pocket is located in the face of the front of the inside of the center console, similar to or as shown to the right. Slide the transmitter into the pocket with the key ring facing out and buttons up. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.
CT6
previously in a Cadillac model. And the Escalade went along for the ride.
Meanwhile, the new CT4, CT5 and Lyriq EV models, for no apparently good reason, use the rear cup holder as the back up start location. Again, make sure the cup holder is empty and that the key fob’s buttons are facing up. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal to start the vehicle.
In the XT5 and XT6 SUVs, clear away anything being stored in the center console. At the bottom near the back, there is a depression shaped like the Cadillac key fob. Set the fob down in the depression with the buttons facing up. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, step on the brake pedal and press the Start / Stop ignition button as normal.
pocket also located in the face of the front of the inside of the center console. However, the pocket points down, as shown to the right. The pocket in the Escalade is placed to the center and a bit lower. Slide the transmitter into the pocket with the key ring facing out, buttons forward (in a Suburban we had on hand, the engine started with the buttons facing either way). It is a loose fit, so don’t be concerned. With the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. Check out the video 
message to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.
fob (remote control or ‘clicker’) styles, and two (GM Styles 1 and 3) have mechanical keys embedded inside. That key will be used to unlock the driver’s door or the trunk (yes, the trunk) and in some cases to remove a piece of the car!
The Style 3 key fob is similar to Style 1, in that the mechanical key is removed from the fob for use getting into the vehicle. To remove the mechanical key, press the button on the side of the transmitter near the key ring, as shown, and pull out the key.
CT4, CT6, CTS, XT4, XT5, XT6, XTS, ATS
key hole. The cylinder is hidden in the same place and manner, but the cap is the top, 1/8 of an inch portion. To remove it, the door handle must be pulled fully open. Then, push the cap towards the handle to release it. It may take a bit of force to accomplish this. See two videos 
Then in 2020, Cadillac came up with a whole new cap. As with the first style, there is a slot beneath the cap (right). The handle is first identified by its more curved appearance front to back and a separation near the top. Only the bottom can be removed. It is found on the Escalade and CT5.
cover frees. It will pop out about 1/8 of an inch. Remove the key – do not pry or pull with it. Once free, the cap simply swings up and can be pulled away (right).
The CTS, XLR and ELR Coupes have flush door handles (left image) with no key holes
at all. They have a very different trick up their sleeves.
We have two videos for coupes 
With the flip key key fob, the mechanical key remains attached to the fob, but several back-up locations are used. In the Buick Verano, Regal (through 2017) and pre-2014 LaCrosse, remove the cup holder from the center console in front of the storage area. This may be the entire cup holder assembly (above right), or simply a cup holder insert (below right).
Look for a notch at the top rear of the cup holders to insert a finger or tool to aide removal. Then place the transmitter in the transmitter pocket with the buttons facing up. The pocket will be shaped somewhat like the key fob.
The back up location is changed in the Regal beginning with the 2018 model year, and the car uses a newer key fob. The spot is in a narrow compartment at the front of the center console, as can be seen in the image at right. And for the first time in any GM vehicle, the spot is marked. There is an image of a padlock with lines radiating from it, meant to invoke radio waves.
For the LaCrosse in 2014 and later, the transmitter pocket is moved into the storage area inside the armrest near the auxiliary power, USB and audio ports (right). Place the transmitter in the pocket.
The newest key style was introduced in 2014. It features a removable key. Note that there are still some flip keys in use. The Buick Encore, with exception, and Envision, until 2021, crossovers will use this spot. Simply drop the key fob into the front cup holder with the buttons up, and start the car as normal. Check out videos for these models 
The exception is the Encore GX, beginning with the 2020 model. There is a small depression at the rear of a tray on the center console that is just in front of the center console storage area. This is the back up spot. The new Envista model introduced in 2024 uses this spot as well. Drop the key fob onto this spot with the buttons up and start the car as normal, again pressing the Start / Stop button while stepping on the brake.
And the 2021 Envision finds the back up spot moved to the front of the center console storage area, See the image to the right. Inside and at the front of the console there is a small, flat depression. Drop the key fob onto this spot with the buttons facing up and start the vehicle as normal, stepping on the brake while pushing the Start / Stop button. See a helpful 
Finally, the Buick Enclave gets keyless start for the first time in 2018. The back up spot is beneath the rubber mat at the bottom of the center console. Remove the mat and place the transmitter on the fob-shaped depression that is now visible. As always, with the vehicle in Park or Neutral, press the brake pedal and the Start / Stop ignition button as normal. We’ll post more information as it comes available.
Buick uses the last two of GM’s three key fob (remote control or ‘clicker’) styles. Style 2 is a flip key, shown to the right. Simply press the unmarked chrome button to extend the mechanical key. It remains attached to the key fob.
Envista
the oval cap that can accept the key (right). Insert the key into the spot and press the key inward. This will allow the cap to move. Move it towards the rear and remove it. The key hole is now visible and the door can be unlocked.
Stress Can, Will, and Does Put Drivers in Danger
Stress Dangers
In our last post, we discussed the gap in the knowledge of automotive technology in first responders, as represented by a video from truthaboutcars.com and YouTube. It featured a man pulled over in his Tesla for having a computer mounted on his dashboard. The item is linked here.
But as we thought more about this, the video painted a very clear picture of how people tend to react to stressful situations.
In truth, it is the car’s entire instrument panel! The screen offers control of everything, as well as a view to the functioning of the car, and mapping, etc. The center console is simply not in play.
A Thank You
“Thank you 73 year old lady, 2013 mini nervous and panicked in parking lot with dead FOB yesterday. Your video heloed get everything up and running. Hard to read a manual with out reading glasses in stress situation. Thank you again.”
She describes perfectly the difficulty people face solving a problem and reading a manual while under stress. And stress is the central theme.
She identifies herself as 73, and the stress is due to the all too common key fob problem that we put a great deal of emphasis on here at DashboardSymbols.com. The video we discussed earlier puts the stress of being pulled over on full display.
Is Age the Issue?
But first we also get to once again dispel the ageism myth. The driver in the video is clearly quite young and still stutters and stammers his way through his interactions with the police officer.
This reaction to stress happens to us all irrespective of age, and returns us to our primary thesis. The relentless increase in automotive technology continues to outpace driver knowledge. And for those of you tempted to blame the driver for lack of effort, we will repeat that all of us learn by use and repetition, and if a new problem crops up, it will make little difference whether or not the driver has read about it in the manual months earlier.
And it is all too often the little things — and things that could easily be removed from the equation, taking us back to key fobs. If the battery in the fob dies, there is a back up plan, but there is no standardization. We know of and have documented exposing hidden keys holes from 15 manufacturers, a dozen variations for retrieving the standard ‘hard’ key from the fob, and over 50 distinct starting variations.
The hidden key holes are a particularly pointless exercise intended only to make a square inch of the car prettier. What it does in truth is leave drivers with dead key fobs vulnerable outside of their cars, fumbling for a mechanical key and trying to expose a lock cylinder. Will it happen on a warm summer day at home? Most likely it will be dark, rainy, cold, snowy, or in a parking garage with cell service blocked.
Make no mistake, these are safety issues and the responsibility lies with the manufacturer to make getting in to the relative safety of the car as easy as possible, and the majority of manufacturers are failing.
At the very least, once inside a manual can be consulted to get help to get the car started, but remember that stress is still in play.
Unfortunately, it will take someone getting hurt or worse, or a manufacturer getting sued before this will change, and even if it does, there will be millions of vehicles already on the road holding tight to the old ways.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY