How do i get the radio off of safe mode, so we can listen to the radio

800

Asked by LLONG Nov 25, 2012 at 11:33 PM about the 1996 Volkswagen Cabrio 2 Dr STD Convertible

Question type: General

On out radio in the car it has the word safe on the radio when it's turned on, when i turn it off, the word safe goes away, but when i turn it back on, the word safe come back..... how do we listen to the radio, on fm channels.

35 Answers

800

I called the dealership & they said that they have to take out the radio & find the serial number, & that they would charge me $50.00 to do that...... how can i find out the serial # for the radio, without having to go to the dealership??????

64 people found this helpful.
4,375

Typical main dealership !!! Have you checked your service book pack, generally you were supplied with with the 'Radio security code' a four digit number, not to be confused with the serial number. If you have the code you will first need to to leave the radio switched on, the 'safe' mode should turn to '----' at which point you will need to enter the code using the preset station buttons, once code has been entered the radio should now work. If you punch in 'Volkswagen installing radio code' or something similar into your search engine you should find the correct method for your vehicle.

24 people found this helpful.
800

We bought the car from craig's list & no book, or owners manual was given to us....

16 people found this helpful.
4,375

O.k, you will probably have to approach your dealer unless you can remove the radio yourself and retrieve the serial number, then you could try searching 'radio code breakers' on the net. You may even find the code on the back of the radio - long shot!

12 people found this helpful.
1,010

So I punched in my code that I got out of my manual and nothing happened. The code just displayed on the screen and my radio did not come back on. When I turn off my car and then turn it back on, the SAFE thing comes up again so then I put in my code once more...and still nothing. I tried pressing every button on the radio; seek, tuning, bass, everything. What am I doing wrong?!

101 people found this helpful.
470

hold right side of seek button for more than 2sec. after you enter code. You only have 2 tries, than you must put key in to start, and leave for 1 hr. to reset radio.

47 people found this helpful.
340

Process of setting the radio security code on VW Cabrio 2001 GXL You would need to do this. Obtain the unlock code that was shipped with the vehicle. If you don't have the unlock code, your local dealership can pull the radio and look up the code with the serial number. Once you have the unlock code, then turn on the radio. You should see SAFE displayed. After about 3 seconds, "0001" should appear. Use the station preset buttons 1 thru 4. Preset 1 changes the first digit of the code, and preset 2 changes the second digit, etc. Enter all 4 digits of the code. After code is entered, press right side of "Seek" button for about 2 seconds, or until an audible signal is heard. If you hose up and get the wrong code...will go back to SAFE displayed. You will get another chance to enter the code. After 2 failed attempts, you have to wait 1 hour again for it to unlock. So carefully enter the correct code the first time.

34 people found this helpful.
290

I have my code with me but the first digit starts with 0, and I don't have number 0 on the car it's only 1 to 5

29 people found this helpful.
110

Maral, did you discover that if you press the radio presets, 1-6, that's how you enter the code. So even though you see 0 as your first digit on the radio screen, if for example your code starts with 4, you press the #4radio station preset.

11 people found this helpful.
570

Have just gone through this incredible hassle (thanks, VW!) on my old 1997 Passat GLX. A lot of the answer is included in the various points above, but I still encountered a lot of problems. Quick summary of what worked for me: ______ 1). Find the 3- or 4-digit code. That's been amply discussed; while I didn't have to do this, one point I saw on another forum seemed worth passing along: if you DO have to go to a dealer, GO TO THEIR PARTS DEPARTMENT, not the service department. Service procedure often obliges the dealer to charge you some kind of fee, as a ticket has to be generated. ______ 2). Prepare the radio to enter the code: In my case, press the SEEK and left-arrow SCAN buttons simultaneously, for two or more seconds, until the "SAFE" display changes to "1 0 0 0". (This probably varies, from model to model -- keep pressing pairs of buttons until the dreaded SAFE display finally changes to a display of numbers.) ______ 3). Enter the code: Again, listed above -- use the radio's "1" button to enter first digit, "2" button to enter the 2nd digit (example -- if code is "1-3-4-5", press the "2" button three times until three is displayed, the "3" button four times until four is displayed, etc. Also: if code is a three-digit code, press the "1" button to CLEAR the digit "1" from the display -- in other words, enter __-3-4-5 if your code was "3-4-5". ______ 4). Set the radio (accept the code): On my radio, after entering the numbers and having them appear on the display instead of the "SAFE" display, press the same SEEK and left-arrow SCAN buttons again, and *hold them in* for several seconds. Display will momentarily change back to SAFE, then to an actual station number, if you're lucky. ______ 5). If you didn't enter it correctly, somehow: This is where VW makes it such a hassle. My radio gives TWO tries, each displayed on the radio's LCD screen with another digit (1 or 2), to complete the process properly. If (When) you screw up, after two tries, when you try to press SEEK and SCAN together, instead of "1-0-0-0" appearing, the radio gives only a blinking SAFE. *You are locked out at this point.* Here's another place where on-line info was confusing. ______ 6). Re-setting a radio locked in SAFE mode: Radio will re-set *IF* you turn radio on (SAFE displayed); turn engine off AND LEAVE KEY IN IGNITION, IN "OFF" POSITION (SAFE still displayed on radio); leave radio on with SAFE displayed on-screen for roughly an hour. Yes, this means you essentially have to park the car and leave the keys in it, with the radio turned on. Note that in my case, simply removing the battery ground cable, waiting a few minutes, and re-installing it did NOT re-set the radio and unlock it. _______ VW has really done a disservice to their customers with this arcane "anti-theft" feature, but after all the hair-pulling I've gone through, I wanted to pass this along.

39 people found this helpful.
570

When you press the two buttons simultaneously and "SAFE" blinks repeatedly (instead of "1-0-0-0"), you have been locked-out. This happens after 2 or 3 unsuccessful tries. To UNLOCK the radio, turn it on with ignition in its ON position (engine can be running or not, shouldn't matter). Now, turn ignition OFF, but leave key in ignition with radio in its ON position (SAFE still displayed on radio). Now, leave everything like this for about an hour or more. With most cars, this means leaving the car parked with the key in it -- admittedly, a crazy system! After about an hour, turn ignition on (engine can be on), and press the two buttons that enable entering the Code. You should get two or three tries to get it successfully entered. This is the re-set process, if you've been locked-out and get that blinking SAFE display on the radio. Good luck!

9 people found this helpful.
570

Blinking "SAFE" instead of "1-0-0-0" after you press the two buttons to enter the radio code? You've been locked-out, after two or three unsuccessful tries. Radio re-set process: ____With ignition ON (engine can be running or not), turn radio ON (SAFE is displayed without blinking on radio). _____Turn ignition OFF, **but don't remove key.** Leave radio ON, so "SAFE" continues to display. _____Leave key in ignition same position, and let car sit with "SAFE" displayed for about an hour or longer. THIS RE-SETS RADIO. After an hour or so, you can turn ignition back on, and have two or three tries to re-enter the radio code. If you're not successful for whatever reason, you'll be locked-out again, and have to repeat this procedure. Good luck!

9 people found this helpful.
30

I went to Hertzog Motors in Beaverton, Oregon and the service tech was k very accommodating and fixed my radio issue quickly - at no charge Rich

3 people found this helpful.
60

My code was scratched into the underside of the dashboard ashtray. Pull the ashtray out, flip it over, and take a look there before you pay to have the whole stereo pulled.

6 people found this helpful.
60

also checking the manual book and the model of the car.

6 people found this helpful.
380

Finally after i took my radio off to get the ID number and broke some clips while taking it off just to get the safe mode serial number from the dealership but once i got it it dosent allows me to isert it becouse it was on SAFE 2 and i have to wait some hours before , so i said let me take the radio fuse off and guess what its works JUST TAKE THE FUSE CALLED F8 FROM THE FRONT FUSE BOX AND SWITCH THE CAR on THEN SWITCH it OFF AND REPLACE TGE FUSE AND YOUR RADIO WILL WORK WITHOUT CODE .

38 people found this helpful.
80

Hey I have a car vw golf5 2007 and I need a code thanks

8 people found this helpful.
130

His do i recover my radio code from manual? Which page should I refer to? Single cab Amarok TSI 2012 Model

4 people found this helpful.
130

How do I recover my radio code from manual? Which page should i refer to? Single cab Amarok TSI 2012 Model.

9 people found this helpful.
10

Hi , I have a VW stereo out of a 2009 golf (i think ) i am not wanting to use this in a car but as my main stereo in the garage , i have soldered wires to all pins and it works fine However , after about half an hour it turns off (thinking its in a car and the car is not running ((Power save mode)) ) I have the positive connection powering the UB+ Connector and the negative just on the outside Please Help so it doesent auto turn off

1 people found this helpful.
50

I took my radio out just by modifying 2 plastic toothpicks then I called my local vw dealer and gave them the VIN# and the number on the top of my radio and got my code over the phone. Btw I have a 2002 vw cabrio convertible. NO NEED TO GO TO DEALER!!!

5 people found this helpful.
30

Just leave the engine on for about 1 hour - 30min to 2hrs. It's not necessary to run the engine. Just make it one. The provision to enter the code will be restored.

3 people found this helpful.
160

I can't get my radio to go off of safe mode to enter the code. The factory code is "1111", but I can't get to this step to enter code! HELP

16 people found this helpful.
50

My vehicle security code is not in my Manuel book provided from the dealer and now my radio is on safe mode, and I cannot reset without a code I do not have

4 people found this helpful.
50

I have a polo vivo hatchback my radio shows safe mode when I checked my Manuel there is no code in the book and now I am unable to reset my radio

1 people found this helpful.
80

Found a neat trick today online that said "hold in the power button and mode button simultaneously for a 3s and it should bypass the safe mode. We didn't believe it, but It worked for us! Sharing in case it works for others.

8 people found this helpful.
10

Turn on the radio and also just leave the key in the ignition for one hour.this will clear stored junk and allow you to get to 1000.at this time enter your code the hold seek forward for three to five seconds.easy to do.

1 people found this helpful.
10

My VW amorok 2012 model radio goes into safe mode, I then punch the code , but it only plays for few minutes the abruptly off.... what could be the problem. I once took out a battery to charge from another car about 4 months ago, however the battery has been working fine since then yet the radio keep sliding back to safe mode

1 people found this helpful.
20

Hi I'm hoping someone will be able to help me,I own a 2006 Jetta 2.5 , my battery died a while ago got it replaced and now my radio is locked in safe mode asking for a code called vw and they are charging $75 I'm really trying not to pay that ,I looked in the manual to no avail,I'm unable to open the radio if someone can help me that would be greatly appreciated

2 people found this helpful.
10

YES!!! Just press and hold the “Mode” button and the “On/Off/Volume” button at the SAME TIME until the radio comes on!

1 people found this helpful.

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