1997 Honda Civic lx factory keyless entry
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=83259
Printed Date: July 07, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Topic: 1997 Honda Civic lx factory keyless entry
Posted By: crichols82
Subject: 1997 Honda Civic lx factory keyless entry
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 2:58 PM
I havn't posted in a while, but I have a question about my 97 honda civic lx's factory keyless entry. My remote broke last week, and I cannot start my car without the remote. I need to know if there is a way to disable the keyless entry so that I can actually start my car. I'm an electrical engineer, and have installed sound systems, but I've never messed with entry devices. Any advice would be great, thanks in advance.
Replies:
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 3:09 PM
You put the key in the door, unlock it....and you CANNOT start it? Your certain it's a "factory keyless" ? If it is....find the alarm/keyless connector. Green in color, to the right of the steering column. There is a yellow wire on the plug, it's on the end of it. Cut this wire, make sure you leave yourself enough wire on BOTH sides of the cut so you can re-connect it later. This should allow you to start the car with out disarming factory security. -------------
Posted By: crichols82
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 3:13 PM
haha you have to be kidding me. When the keyless/security is enabled, you cannot start the car without disabling it.
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 3:15 PM
KarTuneMan wrote:
You put the key in the door, unlock it....and you CANNOT start it? Your certain it's a "factory keyless" ? If it is....find the alarm/keyless connector. Green in color, to the right of the steering column. There is a yellow wire on the plug, it's on the end of it. Cut this wire, make sure you leave yourself enough wire on BOTH sides of the cut so you can re-connect it later. This should allow you to start the car with out disarming factory security.
LOOK....try this first....OK! -------------
Posted By: captainzab
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 8:51 PM
I think 97 civic, (any honda under 2000) is dealer installed keyless/alarm.
If it is dealer installed, you would have a seperate "brain" (instead of newer cars that are built into the ECM/BCM).
Dealer installed always use T-Connectors for main harness, (like 12v, ignition, starter). Unplug the T and reconnect the harness. Its obvious to see the T connector
https://www.directwholesale.net/secure/
doesnt look exactly like that, but you get the point ------------- Note: You Always Dont Get What You Pay For.
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 10:12 PM
If it is dealer installed, you would have a seperate "brain" (instead of newer cars that are built into the ECM/BCM). I was wondering about that. Get under the dash and look at the starter wire....see if there's a relay wired into it. (starter kill relay) The start wire is BLK/WHT -------------
Posted By: caraudio904
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 10:21 PM
What did the remote look like?
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Southern Stylez
Jacksonville, FL 32218
Posted By: flobee4
Date Posted: September 23, 2006 at 10:38 PM
the 96 to 98 civic has the "Factory" Alarm is built into the radio. the starterkill relay thats stopping the car from starting is in the drivers side. Its where you put you left foot, just above that plastic piece where you can place your left foot. Its a white plug and a black relay plugged into it with 2 thick wires going to it, both are black in color, one is definitly BLACK/ white other might be BLACK/ red. you need to unplug the relay and jump the 2 thick wires. The car will then start. But that won't stop the alarm from sounding as you drive down the road.. You can just simply unplug the alarm harness plugged into the radio(green plug) follow these instructions to get the radio out. https://www.installdr.com/InstallDocs/Honda/PDF/466013.pdf Before you go through all that, maybe you should check your manual or call your dealer, I kinda remember a valet mode by pressing something on the radio. You might want to calll them monday and ask them first.
Posted By: crichols82
Date Posted: September 24, 2006 at 7:44 AM
Thank you for all your help. Once I opened up the dash and checked out the unit, it looks like the system in NOT factory (sorry KarTuneMan). The system is a Your Valet model 710T, and it looks like the biggest hack job I have ever seen (Electrical tape and wirenuts everywhere). There is a starter kill relay and a brain unit, I just want to disconnect it and hook up the original setup. Or at least bypass the relay so I cann start the car. If I jump the relay and connect the ingition wires can I start the car?
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: September 24, 2006 at 8:38 AM
You're right now..... the 710T is a basic keyless entry, also with a starter-kill feature.
There are a few ways to deal with this, depending on how much work you want to do, and how permanent you want things to be.
1. Easiest thing is to put the keyless unit into "valet mode" and forget about it.
Is there a flashing red light on the dash? Also, is there an add-on pushbutton or toggle switch under the dash someplace?
If you are looking at the brain of the 710T, the LED uses a 2-pin white plug, and the valet switch uses a 2-pin blue plug. Follow the wires to find the switch.
I can never remember exactly how you put this brand of product into valet mode, but you'll figure it out if you fool around.
Try turning the ignition on and tapping the button.....try ignition on and HOLDING the button..... try ignition on, off, and then tap the button....... eventually you'll get the red LED to come on solid.
When the red LED is on solid, you're in valet mode. The keyless would still operate (if your remote worked), but the starter kill will not.
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2. Bypass the starter kill relay from the 710T.
Follow the wires coming from the brain.....you will see that they run off to various parts of the car...... parking light wire goes to one location, doorlocks to another, for example.
Follow the wires that seem to go toward the steering wheel.
Coming from the Honda's steering column, you'll see that they've made a couple of simple splices into the car's wiring (for constant and ignition power), but that's also where the starter kill is hooked up.
They would have taken the Honda's thick, BLACK/ white starter wire....cut it in half....and connected both sides to their relay.
So, all you have to do is cut out the relay, and put the Honda's starter wire back to the way it was from the factory.
If you're an electrical engineer, I'm sure you'll take care to make a strong connection. Just don't forget to do it well, because if it fails and the wire comes apart, you'll be stuck.
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3. Remove the entire unit and all of its wiring.
Simply follow the instructions in #2 above, but also trace EVERY wire from the unit.......untape and disconnect where it splices into the car...... retape the factory wires..... remove brain.
Posted By: crichols82
Date Posted: September 24, 2006 at 10:57 AM
Chris,
I found the toggle wires you mentioned and wired up a toggle switch. I switched it on while turning on the ignition and switched it into valet mode. Thanks alot man, I can actually start my own car now.
Ryan
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: September 24, 2006 at 1:13 PM
In my first post, I asked you if you were SURE of it being factory. In my third post I suggested looking under the dash for the starter wire(look for the starter kill relay) Glad you got er up and runnin.... -------------
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