www.dodo-upgrades.nl

Okay the second worst thing that can happen to any car owner has happened to me (1st being having your car stolen).

Some scumbag decided to break into my car (in the process smashing the passenger window and bending the door), they tried the old screwdriver in the ignition tumble trick which didnt work however they have teared apart the tumbler and wheel and I can no longer start the car.

My car is about 15 minute walk from where I am living (at uni) so I could push the car to my home.

I have two questions:

1. How do I get around the steering lock on my car so I can tow/push it home? I assume its a mechanical device. I was wondering if unplugging the battery would allow me to do it but I doubt Honda would've been that stupid.

2. How to go about getting a new tumbler for my car? I assume you have to get them straight from Honda, anyone know how much that will cost?

PS Insurance wont cover me as I'm "only" Third Party Fire and Theft

Thanks Guys

Bad news man
I hope to solve it quickly
Unfortunately you will need a new tumbler.
But you can find it in a junky-yard from donor car too with it's own keys.
If you want you can get the locks for the doors from the donor car in order to not use 2 different keys (one for the ignition and one for the doors)

I managed to get the car towed back to my house (luckily the bastard(s) ruined the steering lock so I could steer).

Still need help resetting the immobiliser aswell...

im guessing not the time but... you could do your OBD1 swap and then you wont have an immobiliser lol

Dwardu wrote:im guessing not the time but... you could do your OBD1 swap and then you wont have an immobiliser lol

=P Good idea but I cant afford to do that now

Okay so update:

My issue is that the thiefs have destroyed my ignition barrel i.e. I can no longer use my key with the immobiliser in it; I am semi happy to get rid of the immobiliser since I would have to ditch it for OBD1 anyway, especially since at the moment I cant start the car to get it home. This is my suggestion and I need the hexperts (you guys) to let me know if it would work :-

Buy a new Ignition barrel and keys

(like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/IGNITION-LOCKCY ... es&vxp=mtr)

Fit it into the car...

Oh no it wont start because of the immobiliser...

Next step, remove the immo chip from the ECU

(as per: http://www.civiclife.net/board/topic/73 ... ser-obd2a/)

ECU no longer has immobiliser chip so it doesnt need the chip (in the old key) to start.

I know its along shot but I cant think off any other way of disabling the immobiliser. A lecturer told me I might be able to disable it by providing/removing the positive battery power to it (cant really remember what he meant.... =[)

Does anyone know how far away the chip in the key can be from the ignition barrel and still register? I'm assuming the ECU check wirelessly i.e. it doesnt check "through" the key as it doesnt look like a conductive material (I may be wrong....).

EDIT. Also I still dont know what to do about the locks in the rest of the car not working, except for maybe carrying around two sets of keys (one for locks, one for engine starting).

Oh damn what an *ssh*les.

Getting new tumbler and set of keys programmed from Honda is not an option? I understand its expensive but still wanted to point it out, Honda can reprogram all parts of the immobiliser setup if needed.

Now is getting the tumbler off still a problem? It is simply removing all the plastic parts of the cockpit and I think steering wheel (no airbag???) until you see the device from above. There you see the ignition/tumbler assembly is kept together with two screws which have been broken off at the factory, so no ordinary tool can unscrew these two. You have to cut them using a small grinder (I used Dremel, but is it a Dutch brand?). So that you can fit a normal flattop screw driver in, I managed to do it that way with the Green Civic and made somebody in Rotterdam happy with all locks of the entire car since he got the same problem as you have now.

As for the immobiliser. It is a chip which somehow does not have to be in physical contact, I remember someone taping the actual chip with the correct IMMO code to the ignition and using another key without chip, wasn't it on this forum somewhere?

Now if you have 96-98 model (OBD2a) you have two checks on IMMO. We all know the ECU which can be overruled by changing to OBD1. (Btw the ECU refuses to apply power to the fuel pump, you can simply come over this problem by feeding 12V to the pump yourself.... I think).

The other is the starter won't work. I don't know which relay it actuall yis, despite taking the green EJ9 entirely apart. Again you might be able to overcome this by simply overruling the 12V by yourself.

Now as you understand, I don't really like to put this info out in the open so I post it now for discussing purposes, but I might delete this very post and any derivatis eventually. Luckily only a few people are able to read here.

To make things more difficult, I have a complete set of locks and (bit old) keys of a Civic Coupe 92-95 lying around. Any interest in that? You can get them for the cost of the postage, and the locks and keys are free for you. So without immobiliser system and I am not sure if the locks and tumblers do fit. But I got the steering assembly, left and right door cylinders and trunk cylinder. It might give you a single set of keys working on all locks eventually. But I am not sure about the fitment. Btw these come from my girls old purple EJ2 .

Thanks for the reply Joris

Umm I could get it from Honda but like you said I expect that to be really expensive... I might give them a call and see if they will tell me what the range of the immo chips in the keys are (if I can convince them I'm not a thief myself...).

As it is at the moment the tumbler is literally hanging down by the cables as you can see in the pictures below:











Since they've snapped the steering lock off I assume whatever held that on in the first place (probably with those screws your were describing) will still be there so I might have to do what you said with the dremel...

Supplying battery power to the fuel pump and starter is an option but I'd rather give it a miss if possible. I think having the immo chip on me (maybe put into some sort of cutom key incorporating the new keys and old immo chip), or just in the car with me might work, put I will need to check.

So are you saying you could send me locks and tumbler with matching keys???!!! That would be amazing

Other possible solution is to swap a barrel from junky-yard civic with it's own keys.
But after swaping the barrel you will need to go to a keymaker with the new key.
He will make a new key (coping the teeth) with matching chip to your immobiliser.
Then you will have 2 keys (one for the ignition and one for the doors).
But if you want you can buy whole locking system from junky-yard civic that will give you the possibility to use one key for both ignition and doors. This option is expensive rather than having 2 separate keys.

And if I can see well from photos you don't have the immobiliser reading ring.
You will need one from another civic but I think that if you will buy a used barrel it will be included on it