Batttery went dead , put new battery in , now radio says locked, supposed to be anti-theft , but now I have to take it to GM dealer to get code to unlock it . They want 140 dollars to do this ,This is the only robbery going on , they must have a code that goes with the vin # , this just is not right, and the radio will not turn on , so I can’t fix this . myself,
The radio should prompt for an unlock key code when you turn it on. The code is found in or with your manual or service booklet.
Radio will not turn on , screen says locked. I bought the car used and there is no code in any manuals. I would think GM has the code for vin# of this car , but no such luck .
Did you ask for the radio code in person? You will need to show ID and proof of ownership. They don’t give out radio codes over the phone.
A quick Google search finds this
https://www.gmpartsonline.net/blog/how-to-unlock-your-chevy-or-gmc-radio-without-paying-a-dime
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Guess I didn’t explain this good enough, I cannot turn radio on , I have a backup camera and the screen says locked when car is started, CANNOT TURN RADIO ON !!!
Thanks for trying to help anyway.
You explained it perfectly. “Radio will not turn on , screen says locked” If the screen says “locked” the radio has turned on. It just needs the unlock code.
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Your radio likely needs a gm factory scanner to unlock the radio. Many larger independent shops will also have the scanner. A locksmith may also have one, as it is needed to program factory key replacements. Unfortunately, most shops will charge an hour of labor to do this, so the dealership price isn’t necessarily out of line.
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Makes you long for the old am/fm cd radios doesnt it ?
When I was growing up, the used cars my Dad bought were bottom of the line and didn’t have radios. Many cars didn’t have radios. I didn’t hear of radios being stolen out of cars back then, but I suppose it did happen. It seems strange to have to have a code to unlock the audio system. Is having to have this code really a theft deterent?
I had a 1986 bare bones Toyota that left the factory without a radio and speakers.
There was a a block off plate in the dash and speaker grilles, but obviously no speakers under there.
Interestingly enough, it was prewired for the radio, so it wasn’t too difficult for me to add one.
Our 1982 Toyota had a radio, but no tape player. We added an under-dash mounted tape player
Maybe they could just look it up in their database, but b/c this is an anti-theft feature, common sense says they won’t provide that info to you until you prove you own the car. I expect you understand that if they freely gave out the radio security codes, thieves would be tempted to steal more GM radios, which wouldn’t serve your own interest. It seems like $140 is a little steep, but I’m assuming they have a reason for that. If other companies provided this info for $5 (with proof of ownership), while GM charged $140, that wouldn’t be good for GM’s future sales.
There’s some slight chance the radio code is written somewhere on or near the radio, as someone else before you may have had to solve this problem. But you’d probably only be able to find that by temporarily removing the radio from the console.
That isn’t corporate policy, that is one dealers standard fee for a service visit.
While someone at the dealer might very well go out to the customers vehicle and assist in entering the security code the secretaries that set the appointments don’t have the authority to offer free visits.
Good thinking . . .
The Hondas in our fleet . . . the factory put the radio code on a sticker on the side of glovebox, but you have to know what you’re looking for
On my Benz, I wrote the radio code on top of the radio itself, in blue sharpie. That way, if I ever forget it . . . it’s written down on a slip of paper in the glove box . . . all I have to do is find my radio keys, pull the radio and look at the numbers I wrote down
What model? I’m interested, given your past comments on Mercedes Benz products, which one was good enough for you.
1999 C280 . . . pretty basic V6 model with automatic transmission
power everything, sunroof, automatic climate control
But no seat heaters, no air suspension, no active body control, no tpms
Even though it’s older than my 2005 Camry, the Benz handles better, shifts better and has the more comfortable seats . . . I’m not talking about the leather, but rather the seat contours, if that makes any sense
Obviously I do all my own work, with some exceptions . . . steering alignment and some other things . . . but I’ve done quite a few pricey maintenance and/or repair procedures the last few years, which probably exceeded the value of the vehicle. Suspension, steering, ac components, and so forth. On the other hand, that is not atypical for any 20 year old vehicle.
I drive it every other week.
I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody that can’t/won’t do their own auto repairs and maintenance. Better off getting a Honda or Toyota, if that’s the case.
There’s no way in ____ I would ever recommend an S-class, SL-class or anything that had air suspension, active body control and so forth, because that will get very pricey to maintain. But I also wouldn’t recommend a domestic vehicle with those features, for pretty much the same reasons
I don’t mean to sound like a braggart, but my car was known to have far less electrical problems, versus many of the models that came soon afterwards
The engine and transmission on my car was also known to have far less “issues” than the successor engine and automatic transmission
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