Car Stereo in Anti-Theft Mode
Dear Miss Mota Mouth,
My battery on my car died and now my radio will not work. I have been driving around without any music for days now and it is driving me batty! The screen is flashing a bunch of dashes and I know that I am supposed to have a code somewhere but can’t seem to find it anywhere. Should I just buy a new one?
Julieta I., Seattle, WA
Dear Soundless in Seattle,
It must be so difficult having to endure all of that silence! When your battery went dead, your car’s stereo was unable to get any power so it enabled it’s own anti-theft mode. Pretty clever, huh?
Well, it is only clever if you can find the security code which should be printed on the stereo manual in your glove box. It will be a 3-5 digit code and you will need to either enter it by pushing the pre-tune buttons or scrolling with the tuner knob or toggle. If you do not get it entered correctly within the first couple of tries, the stereo may lock you out for 30 minutes to an hour until you can try again. In some brands of stereos you may have to leave the car running and the stereo on for the entire period that you are locked out before your next attempt.
If you cannot find your original code you could just head to the nearest dealership (provided that it is the stereo that was installed by the car manufacturer) and ask if they can print the number out for you to do it yourself. Some dealers may want to see your registration and ID so be prepared to show them. If they insist that they need to have a technician fix it the cost will be around $40.
If it is not a factory stereo then a qualified sound shop might be able to help you with a little persuasion.
Once you have the code make sure that you stow a copy in the glove box so that if it should happen again, you will not have to listen to yourself hum!
Audibly,
M
Labels: Anti-theft, Car Stereos, Dealers, Used Cars
Stumble It!
posted by Miss Mota Mouth@ 4:16 PM 2 Comments
2 Comments:
I am having a problem with Chevy Surburban Radio. My battery was disconnected and now I have no display or sound other than a hissing sometimes. I can play a cassette and hear it ok with volume control enabled. I have no display for time or anything otherwise.
HELP,
Carl Albrecht
Hi Carl, Ford OEM radios made between 1998 and 2004 have a recurring problem where it seems that the soldering iron was waved in the general vicinity of the board and because the system tends to run hot, the connections just fall off. This can be fixed by an experienced technician if you don't feel brave enough to do it yourself for under a $100.
The thing is that I have to wonder why this happened when you reconnected the battery because that wouldn't have anything to do with it unless it caused a power surge or the power supply is not connected correctly. In that case you really should take it to a technician who can look at the whole system and do a diagnosis.
I hope that you get it fixed! Good luck!
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