Radio Code

[#1]

Mrs G got another car recently....Toyota Yaris.....

I noticed there was no radio code so checking with the previous owner was advised no code was needed.

Has anyone got a car with a factory fitted unit that does not need a code or are we being fobbed off ?

My own 5 year old car has a code....different make...Nissan.

[#2]

Not much else I can say, but I am going to meet a school friend who works in the motor trade on Saturday so can ask.

He knows his stuff.

[#3]

Dig into the Toyota Yaris owners forum - https://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/forum/49-yaris-club/  always lots of advice on those forums about such things as radio codes - one sure way to find out if you need a code is to disconnect the car battery for 5 minutes LOL....  I made up a lead for keeping the supply on a car when battery is removed,  A couple of these --  https://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/garage-equipment/fuses-electricals-fixings/halfords-fused-ci...

and a reel of cheap twin core speaker cable ( about 10 metres ) -  with speaker cable one core has a stripe or marking on it - just make sure you connect that to centre pin at each end to maintain polarity,  most cars lose the supply to cigarette lighter socket when ignition off,  so need to turn on the ignition to 'aux' on donor car and car that is having battery replaced and it maintains power on radio etc when battery removed so all the codes etc are safe.

 I have a theory that with integral radios ( the ones moulded into dashboard facia that are impossible to remove ) do not have codes,  and the easy to remove ones have codes...

[#4]

Radios that require a security code imputed by the owner are very old fashioned, most car manufacturers have now copied PSA Peugeot / Citroen & security locked the radio to the car its fitted to - something PSA started doing about 20 years ago.

[#5]

Most factory fitted units these days are keyed to the vehicle VIN, especially the integral entertainment systems. So no code is required if power is removed. Certainly, all my cars since a 2014 one have been. That one I had to remove the power at least twice, by removing a fuse, to reset it and get the Dab radio functions to work again!

[#6]

Yeah some cars do have factory fitted radios with no code. Our neighbors have a Peugeot like this. Don't ask how I found out... What a pain that turned into

[#7]

Thanks for the advice.....the battery looks like it’s been in from new so likely it will need changing in the near future.

I do have one of those devices that contain a 9volt battery and plug into the power point but unlike older cars it does not remain powered with the ignition off.

I think the advice given is likely correct in that a code is not needed.....once the local dealership opens I will give them a ring just to make sure..........hopefully advice is free. !

😀

[#8]

I will ask my friend who will know the answer (knows his stuff) and post back here tomorrow. Just in case it helps really.

[#9]

About 5 years ago the head unit in my wife's Smart car gave up the ghost.  The dealership (Mercedes) couldn't install another unit for weeks because Daimler didn't have any spares!  

Because of that the dealership suggested putting in a head unit from one of their showroom cars, but Daimler refused to tell them my wife's car code.   (If there had been a spare, the car code would have been installed before the unit left the stores in Germany.)

Eventually I contacted the Daimler CEO and the car code suddenly became available.

[#10]

Car stereo codes were a good idea initially but with the internet and crooked employees robbing manufacturer databases for their own financial gain they were pretty soon short lived. I've got 2 or 3 renault alpine stereos that use codes, one of htem literally has the code written on the top of the metal housing - perfect for any crook that were to remove it from the car lol.

[#11]

A second hand car I bought turned out to have a faulty radio.

I took it back to the dealer and they replaced the radio.

The fitter who did the replacement told me he had written the code on the side of the radio as well as in the service book.

He added that the code written on the radio wasn't a security risk as nobody would be able to see it.

I found out what he meant when 3 years later I bought a new radio with DAB including fitting.

The guy was unable to remove the old radio even with an impressive array of tools.

He said normally this type are no problem at all and couldn't understand why it wouldn't come out.

My purchase was cancelled and I still have the original unit in.