So I recently bought a 2015 EX (that has the Smart Key as you know), but I just realized I have a bit of a predicament now... I'm a surfer, so my routine for my old car (traditional transponder key without a built-in remote) when I went surfing was to pull my key off the keychain, attach it to the little lanyard in my board shorts pocket, and lock the doors; easy. Now, I'm not sure what to do with the smart key. It's probably got a decent level of water protection like most key fobs, but I don't want to test if it's actually waterproof. I can pull the physical key part out and take that... but then I have to leave the key fob in the car which I think would allow anyone to walk up and open the doors (because of the proximity).

Has anyone else had this issue and come up with a good solution?

 

Thought provoking use case. Nothing comes to mind. As you note, just using the physical key and leaving the fob in the car will buy you nothing since the car will not lock in that state.

 

Use clear plasti-dip. I've seen people dip their entire phones in that stuff. I had a fob coming apart one time and I used that just to hold it together and it worked fine.

 

Look for the smallest otterbox or pelican case you can find?

 

What will happen if you leave the fob inside and then lock the door with a key? If the programmer was smart, this should put the car in a mode where the fob won't work until the doors are unlocked with a key.

Of course, you'd have to get a conventional key cut to try this.

Other than this, a tiny Tupperware container or large pill bottle might do the trick.

 

Remove conventional key from your smart fob.
Toss smart fob in the car.
Close door.
Lock door with key just to be sure the lock really works with the key.
Put key in pocket or on lanyard and go surfing.

 

This! If the door could be unlocked with the fob in the car, there'd be no point in locking the doors while driving.

 

Good point--easy enough to test. Wonder if you use the mechanical key to lock it whether it locks all--as pre-smart key Hondas do. Suspect so.

 

Pop the battery out of the fob and then leave it in the car.

 

Why bother to take out the battery?
The door won't unlock if a random person pulls on it.


Go ahead, try it.

 

Get a rf blocking container, an Altoids tin should do the trick. Put the smart key in the tin and leave it in the car. You should now be able to lock the car and take the mechanical key with you.

 

I have a similar issue except that I paddle a sea kayak. I used to keep my Toyota valet key in my PFD pocket (in a plastic bag). That let me lock my main key in the car when I was ready to launch.

I don't have the smart entry key and hope I'll be able to lock my keys inside the car so I can carry an extra key in an Aquapac Keymaster waterproof bag.

I guess I should try that tonight - seeing if I can lock the car with the key inside.

Edited 2/4/16: No problem locking the car with the key inside. Glad I chose to go low-tech on the entry system.

 

While I don't recommend it, my 2015 Subaru FOB went thru an entire wash cycle of our clothes washer.
Don't know if I was just lucky or they are built to take that sort of abuse.
This may not apply to Honda's or saltwater.

 

Put the FOB in a plastic ziplock sandwich bag go get wet.

 

Do what dogs do just put yours in a plastic bag and bury it at the beach. Dig it up before going home. lol

 

Sure enough that works too! I always found fumbling with trying to remove the key from the lanyard with a surfboard under my dominant arm was cumbersome and sometimes tricky depending on the pruney state of my fingers. So my goal was to keep the SmartKey functionality.

I wound up coming up with this. Not as elegant as the key fob itself, but super effective so far! If I had the extra money to splurge on another key, I'd probably try to just epoxy the board and use some silicone to make the original fob enclosure waterproof, but this solution works fine for me. Hope it helps others out!

 

buy a small waterproof container for your key. you can get them for under $10 on amazon.

 

My dealer solved my problem by sending me a key for the door. No electronics, no need for a waterproof bag. It works nicely. $15.

 

And what do you do with the fob? Or do you not take the fob at all>? If you have an EX with push button start, don't you need the fob to start the engine?

 

There's already a "door" key in the fob. Push the button and pull on the silver end. The key will separate from the fob. You knew that, right?