Highly specific this one, but when you need it it can save a lot of money.
Following a repair for accident damage my radio was left locked. On contacting the dealer I bought the car from I was told that they had no record of the radio code and that it would cost £25 plus VAT to get it for me (nice little earner for them this one, which I refused to pay on principle!).
Anyway I went radioless for a few months, but had a trip to do and wanted the radio. So after a bit of a search yesterday, I found:
http://www.dekodes.com/
This allows you to enter your radio serial number and for a CC payment of £5.88 (this was for a Blaupunkt radio) it will immediately tell you the code. Worked very well indeed. You need to register and provide a 'company name', though I just put in 'no company'.
The only problem I had was extracting the radio itself. In the end I found some help using a google search, but essentially there are 4 grub screws that I needed to extract using a tamper proof screwdriver bit (you can get a set of these at screwfix for £9.99, but probably an allen key would work). Removing these provides 4 holes into which you need to insert 4 small screwdrivers or similar (I used some wooden kebab sticks) whereupon you can pull the radio out by pulling carefully at the cassette slot.
Following a repair for accident damage my radio was left locked. On contacting the dealer I bought the car from I was told that they had no record of the radio code and that it would cost £25 plus VAT to get it for me (nice little earner for them this one, which I refused to pay on principle!).
Anyway I went radioless for a few months, but had a trip to do and wanted the radio. So after a bit of a search yesterday, I found:
http://www.dekodes.com/
This allows you to enter your radio serial number and for a CC payment of £5.88 (this was for a Blaupunkt radio) it will immediately tell you the code. Worked very well indeed. You need to register and provide a 'company name', though I just put in 'no company'.
The only problem I had was extracting the radio itself. In the end I found some help using a google search, but essentially there are 4 grub screws that I needed to extract using a tamper proof screwdriver bit (you can get a set of these at screwfix for £9.99, but probably an allen key would work). Removing these provides 4 holes into which you need to insert 4 small screwdrivers or similar (I used some wooden kebab sticks) whereupon you can pull the radio out by pulling carefully at the cassette slot.
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Replies
This is so not true. From my experience Main Dealers will charge for this
An independent got me the original code for £20.
Renault have NEVER charged me for this, and I have had to replace two radios in the last year (retreived from car breakers).
Volvo never charged me.
So, in my experience, "main dealers will give you this informaion for nothing"
because as written above - Ford charge and I know Vauxhall also charge.
I accept no responsibility for any consequences of any knackered radios or frost bites for the above statement!
Thats disgusting! It should be on the main dealer computer system. Less than a minute to find. How they can charge for that is beyond me.
http://search.ebay.co.uk/unlock-radios
If it its that easy to get the codes it makes the whole security system a bit of a joke!