Changing battery without losing Radio code

Higgsy

Folks,

Anyone know of a way of changing a car battery without losing the code on the radio. DOnt have the code and dont want to have to pay to get it. Car is a volkswagon.

If I take the radio out before changing the battery would that make a difference?

Cheers

$Leon$

have you looked in the boot for the code?
Sometimes it's on a little sticker in the wheel well of the boot on the VW's

CJhaughey

Hook another 12v battery up to the leads before you take the old one out.

Higgsy

Had a look in the boot Leon....there is a sticker with the vechicle id number etc. with a series of other numbers, no mention of code for the radio.

CJ.....I will have to disconnect from one battery to hook into the other, so there is a chance that the radio will be affected. unless I hook jump leads to the battery connectors before I disconnect from the old battery

Gary ITR

Higgsy wrote:

Had a look in the boot Leon....there is a sticker with the vechicle id number etc. with a series of other numbers, no mention of code for the radio.

CJ.....I will have to disconnect from one battery to hook into the other, so there is a chance that the radio will be affected. unless I hook jump leads to the battery connectors before I disconnect from the old battery

That would work but there is a good chance you will electrocute yourself so be careful

$Leon$

Is there a little sticker like an old fashioned price tag sticker with a 4 digit code anywhere under the carpet in the boot?

OldmanMondeo

Higgsy wrote:

Folks,

DOnt have the code and dont want to have to pay to get it

You should not have to pay to get the code from a dealer. All they need is the Chassis number and they should give you it. You probably will have to bring the car to a dealer to prove the radio is yours.

I would slip the radio out, the previous owner might have written the code on it.

Rovi

Most motor factors carry this sort of thing-
http://www.toolsource.com/ost/product.asp?pf_id=71759&sourceid=nextagkas295a

Plug it into the cigarette lighter socket and it'll supply a bit of juice to the radio/alarm system/clock/etc/etc and keep all their settings intact while you change the main vehicle battery.

Higgsy

Thanks lads.....

One of the above is bound to work :-)

Cheers

mike65

Thank goodness for a radio with a secuity card system!

Mike.

$Leon$

OldmanMondeo wrote:

You should not have to pay to get the code from a dealer. All they need is the Chassis number and they should give you it. You probably will have to bring the car to a dealer to prove the radio is yours.

Not necessarly. The radio codes for VW's are not usually recorded on the MDL system. Most dealers don't record them either. Only way to get them is to plug the car onto the diagnostic computer to get it. Dealers will charge about an hours labour for the job

Antenna

Rovi wrote:

Most motor factors carry this sort of thing-
http://www.toolsource.com/ost/product.asp?pf_id=71759&sourceid=nextagkas295a

Plug it into the cigarette lighter socket and it'll supply a bit of juice to the radio/alarm system/clock/etc/etc and keep all their settings intact while you change the main vehicle battery.

Make sure the cig lighter socket stays live in your car when the ignition is off (not always the case, but should be the case with VW) before buying that thing. Make sure everything (interior lights, door lights etc) is OFF.

BTW
I recall temporarily removing a radio (called a 'Beta' made by Philips) from someone's Golf a few years ago and attempting to run it indoors (on a 12V supply of course). Prompted for a code! Oh dear.
Put radio back in the car. Again prompted for code. It was a secondhand car (no code available).
However on starting up the engine - thankfully the radio sprang back into life! I presume the ECU in the Golf must automatically 'tell' the radio the code provided it is installed in the original car!

$Leon$

If your disconnecting the battery the thing that runs the radio off the cig lighter won't be much good as cig lighter won't work either.

AMurphy

CJhaughey wrote:

Hook another 12v battery up to the leads before you take the old one out.

Perfect.
Or plug a 12v DC supply into the cigarette lighter socket, assuming your cig lighter is powered when the car is off.

Cmar-Ireland

Haven't ried this, but seemingly a 9v PP3 battery joined across the terminals before you take out the car battery will retain radio codes. Like has been said, ensure all interior lights etc are off, because they will suck the life out of the 9v very quick (even door open warning lights!!)