What kind of screw face is this and how can i open it

[sairfan1]

Hi its Honda CR-V remote starter can you please look at face of screw used here, they are not inward rather they are outward
I need help where can i find screw driver for this, or how can i open it.

[pigrew]

I believe it's a "Tri-groove" or "T-groove" drive. I'm not sure which exact size it is (probably a small number like #0 or #2)

For example, find bits at McMaster-Carr.

[sairfan1]

I tried to find some screw driver for it but no luck, can someone help how can i open these screw?

[Benta]

Tri-groove is correct. Here's a nice list for future reference:

https://wiki2.org/en/List_of_screw_drives

[sairfan1]

I could not find any screw driver, any idea how can i open this.

[TimFox]

With esoteric screw heads, probably the best approach is to obtain a 1/4” hex bit (either individual or as part of a set).  McMaster-Carr is very good, and I have seen sets at tool online vendors such as Garrett Wade.  Where have you looked?

[drussell]

You can't manage to just twist them with a decent set of small needle-nose pliers?

They're only into plastic, they should come out rather easily even only being able to grab one groove, so long as you're pushing down a bit so it doesn't pop up off the opposite, rounded side....

You could try a piece of tiny copper tubing or something that just fits the OD of the fastener, tap it down a bit and twist.  I've opened lots of external-torx using an appropriately-sized hole drilled in the end of a copper pipe cap or something, lightly swaged down onto the fastener.  It'll only last a couple of screws before you have to re-make, but that's usually all that is required.

[jeroen79]

I could not find any screw driver, any idea how can i open this.

-Glue a normal screwhead onto the screws.
-Dremel a slot in the screwhead.
-Drill into the screw and drive in a selftapping screw with a reverse thread.
-Construct a screwdriver that will last just long enough for these three screws.

Then unscrew them and replace them with normal screws.

[CatalinaWOW]

The key is that you are looking for a socket, not a screwdriver.  A search for tri-groove sockets turns up many sources, ranging from expensive to really, really expensive.

One of the less expensive is here

https://www.amazon.com/10-12-14-Tri-Groove-Socket/dp/B00DF3IA56/ref=pd_lpo_60_t_1/136-5059412-9410957?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00DF3IA56&pd_rd_r=39b3e9b5-12f8-4118-8289-93cce91946f1&pd_rd_w=5WKW5&pd_rd_wg=iOwbt&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=SPE076TKNAN6WT62FVKQ&psc=1&refRID=SPE076TKNAN6WT62FVKQ

Given those prices I would try jamming a standard hex socket on before I pushed the buy button.  Or drill 3 holes in the end of a dowel with the appropriate spacing and stick bits of drill rod into the holes.  As others have said it shouldn't take too much torque to release these.

[mikeselectricstuff]

I'd find a nut driver bit that just fits over, then fill with a strong metal-loaded epoxy to make a mould, silicone grease on the screw for mould release

[TimFox]

From McMaster-Carr: (to second pigrew above):
https://www.mcmaster.com/tri-groove-drivers/
A choice of 1/4" hex bits, 1/4"-drive sockets, sets of 1/4" hex bits, and a set of three sockets and a driver.
The sets are pricey, but if you can determine what size you need, a single bit is between $12 and $13 (each).
If you already have a set of 1/4" drive hex sockets, then CatalinaWOW's suggestion should work if you only need to do this once.

[sleemanj]

If were me I would take an allen key and some superglue, temporarily superglue the allen key to the top of the offending screw, hopefully it will hold enough against torque that you can unscrew it, it's only into plastic after all.
 Break the screw off the allen key, and repeat for the other screws. 

Throw those screws away and replace with something more serviceable when you put it back together.

[Gregg]

It looks like they copied the medical implant industry. https://pdf.medicalexpo.com/pdf/implant-direct-europe/tri-lobe-system-catalog/72808-130275.html

[S. Petrukhin]

Carefully take the spout of the side cutters in diameter and slowly unscrew.

[helius]

Carefully take the spout of the side cutters in diameter and slowly unscrew.

Oh the poor side cutters!
For gripping any shape fastener, there are purpose-made pliers.
https://www.engineertools-jp.com/screwremoval

[S. Petrukhin]

Carefully take the spout of the side cutters in diameter and slowly unscrew.

Oh the poor side cutters!
For gripping any shape fastener, there are purpose-made pliers.
https://www.engineertools-jp.com/screwremoval

The pliers won't fit in there. The screw, I think, is made of soft metal and the wire cutters will not suffer, but you can use not very good wire cutters, which are no longer a pity. And without fanaticism - do not try to bite off the screw. 

[Jwillis]

One way is to drill a small hole in the centre and use a screw removal tool. or drill the head right off . their should be enough of the shank protruding to grab with a pair of pliers  . Another easier way is to use a small die grinder bit and carve a slot in the centre for a flat screw driver . 

[Mechatrommer]

-Dremel a slot in the screwhead.

i vote for this. the easiest and a permanent fix to those fucked up screws type.. once slot is created, we can unscrew with flathead screwdriver anytime.

[drussell]

Yeah, if you can't just grip it with pliers or something, I second the motion to just cut a slot in it.  That's always my go-to method for oddball fasteners.  Had to do that on the throttle position sensor on my mom's CRV's throttle body since Honda used some weird kind of tamper-proof screw.

The superglue-something-to-the-top idea is bad because you're much more likely to just end up getting glue down pas the fastener head and gluing it in, making the situation worse, than you are to manage to get something to stay stuck to just the head of the fastener. 

[sairfan1]

One way is to drill a small hole in the center and use a screw removal tool. or drill the head right off .

What kind of screw removal tool could be used if i drill the center.
What kind of drill bit can be used to drill the head off?

[TimFox]

Google is your friend.  Here is one of many results from searching "screw removal tool":
https://www.thedrive.com/reviews/30266/best-screw-extractors
The tools normally specify the appropriate drill bit for each size extractor.

[drussell]

All of the normal "screw extractor" sets are likely to be too large at their minimum to work on such tiny screws in a remote.

[TimFox]

Indeed, it might take a very small tool, but the OP has not given any information on dimensions.  The initial drill would need to go through the centroid of the trefoil.  It might be possible to drill a larger hole after that pilot hole—that would depend on the overall head diameter.

[CatalinaWOW]

BbIndeed, it might take a very small tool, but the OP has not given any information on dimensions.  The initial drill would need to go through the centroid of the trefoil.  It might be possible to drill a larger hole after that pilot hole—that would depend on the overall head diameter.
[/quote]

There are no dimensions, but there is a photo of this screw in a key fob, so approximate dimensions can be estimated.  It is clearly a quite small.

[TimFox]

Micromark.com, who cater to model railroad enthusiasts, have miniature screw extractors from Moody down to 0.039 inch diameter.