Key Malfunction?
 

I recently purchased a 2007 Honda Accord. Everything was fine until Saturday when it wouldn't start. When I turned the key, it turned on the radio but wouldn't start the ignition. After several tries I had it towed to the dealer. (the guy who towed it tried jumping the battery but it didn't work) The computer didn't trigger anything and the dealer said the only thing he could think of was that the key malfunctioned. He wanted me to bring my second set of keys to him to see if those would work. Unfortunately, by the time I got there the previous key was working again - so both keys worked at the same time. (Wish I could have seen the other set of keys working while the first ones didn't to prove his theory...) He told me to carry both keys with me and that he was going to contact a Honda Dealer.

Has this happened to anyone before...or has anyone heard of it? The electronics in the key malfunctioning? (How do we know it's the key and not the electronics in the car malfunctioning?)

Saturday was also the hottest it has been here so far (hitting 90 degrees) and the dealer had the car sitting in his garage while when it wouldn't start for me it was out in the open sun.

It worked fine for me on Sunday and this morning.

Well - the dealer told me that Honda said a green key indicator light would be flashing if it was the key - which we didn't see. So they have no idea what it is. Great. Now I just have to wait and see if my car starts each time I try it.

Main relay can do that, especially in older Accords. I don't know whether that is much different for 7th-gen.

Hey Jim -

Thanks for the input. They said it's possible, but like you said - it generally only happens in older models - or cars with higher mileage. I only have about 25,000 (which is good since it will be covered under warranty if it happens again.) Tomorrows supposed to be really hot and humid, so we'll see if it happens again.