Can't get into my '08 Civic

Asked by RAS10298 Dec 31, 2014 at 06:14 PM about the 2008 Honda Civic LX

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Neither my remotes or keys will open my car doors or trunk. I'm locked out of the car. Any suggestions?

9 Answers

23,590

does the car have the right license plate ? I saw an 84 year old man get all the way home with a car before he realized it was just like his but the floormats were different.

1 people found this helpful.
23,590

if you reverify everything and the car is your car, call your dealer and report your condition. They will want to verify you have the right car. They can tell you about key remote batteries and perhaps explain why you cannot open yours. My experience with coding key remotes when batteries are replaced is done with a scan tool. Our customers had remote trouble but their keys worked.

23,590

Our key remotes could have their batteries cleaned with a white eraser used for erasing ballpoint pen. you wear latex or nitrile exam gloves. you erase around the circumference and across the faces of the battery to clean it, then reassemble and retry................If or when the parts were all replaced with new or batteries replaced, we reprogrammed their computer and operated their new remotes and it all worked again. Their key was used to operate their ignition, to enable the power to their computer for the relearn.

23,590

a key that is recognized by a signal can be cleaned by the same method, i would hazard, as a guess.

It's MY flippin car and have talked to the Honda dealer several times today. They don't know anything but to tell me to tow it in. It's NOT the remote batteries either. Thanks for making sure that I knew that it was my car though!

23,590

Well thats what i have experienced and it worked. You should have seen stepdad when he realized the car had a side mirror and his did not. I have never seen an old man move so fast in my life. When he got to the grocery store there was a woman standing by HIS car. She had a smirk when he pulled up and started apologizing..................... But if your locks dont fit your keys, and your batteries are making contact and not subject to skin oils, dirt, etc, oxidation, then your car has some explainin to do

23,590

Is there some power supply in your security module at fault ? And did your car's battery fail? Or a matter of connectors or water entry may even be the causal factor. Seems to me the car would be designed with a way for you to access it to even open the hood and inspect your connections. verify your battery voltage and check circuit protections to enable it to read your key remotes. A car like that needs AAA, a manufacturer's extended warranty. Mechanical breakdown coverage. etc. Or the car owner needs a set of service manuals to see how the system works. The dealer likely cannot say the cause till they have actual evidence and verifications and a signed workorder saying you permit them to touch it. I suppose this is the reason for their first step being the tow truck instead of recommending any action taken by you. If you cannot afford them, there are automotive databases you can access for free, provided by the library. Sometimes they have even looked things up for me over the phone, or I accessed their info online with a library card. When it comes to auto info more in depth, I have had to access it at the actual station they have set up in the library because they pay fees to use the database which is the professional type. Some honda forums may have discussion on this past or current if you are impatient and without transpo in this current time. I hope you did not have your phone in there too.

Your Answer:

Civic

Looking for a Used Civic in your area?

CarGurus has 3,999 nationwide Civic listings starting at $440.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    ColdinMA
    Reputation
    2,370
  • #2
    Guru9CNGV
    Reputation
    2,110
  • #3
    GuruDMD1V
    Reputation
    2,090
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Honda Accord
47 Great Deals out of 974 listings starting at $2,995
Used Toyota Corolla
132 Great Deals out of 2,268 listings starting at $103
Used Toyota Camry
47 Great Deals out of 1,118 listings starting at $2,500
Used Honda Civic Coupe
10 Great Deals out of 275 listings starting at $3,995
Used Honda CR-V
192 Great Deals out of 4,984 listings starting at $440
Used Hyundai Elantra
159 Great Deals out of 3,028 listings starting at $1,995
Used Mazda MAZDA3
74 Great Deals out of 1,308 listings starting at $3,499
Used Ford Mustang
36 Great Deals out of 1,623 listings starting at $8,995
Used Nissan Altima
28 Great Deals out of 677 listings starting at $3,795
Used Lexus IS
23 Great Deals out of 426 listings starting at $4,400
Used Toyota RAV4
140 Great Deals out of 3,035 listings starting at $3,900
Used Dodge Charger
30 Great Deals out of 897 listings starting at $4,888
Used BMW 3 Series
59 Great Deals out of 1,213 listings starting at $2,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.