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Quick answer
- Turn the ignition on and switch the radio on.
- Hold buttons 1 and 6 together for 2–5 seconds. Nothing? Try 2 and 6.
- Write down what appears — letters and numbers exactly.
- Still nothing? Check the radio card in your handbook wallet, then the label on the radio.
Where it is, by brand
| Brand / radio | On screen? | How | Looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford (up to 2008) | Yes | Radio on, hold buttons 1 + 6 (or 2 + 6) for 2–3 seconds | M123456 or V123456 |
| Renault, Dacia, Vauxhall Vivaro, Nissan vans | Yes | Radio on, hold buttons 1 + 6 for 5 seconds | A123 (precode) |
| Toyota / Lexus | Yes | Locked radio: hold 1 + 6 (some: DISP first) | 16 characters, 0–9 A–F |
| Jaguar | Yes | Buttons 2 + 6 (Ford-made radio) or PTY + EJECT (Alpine) | M123456 or 5 numbers |
| Land Rover | Yes | Buttons 2 + 6 or 1 + 6 | M123456 |
| Honda | Often | Ignition on, radio off: hold 1 + 6, press power | U1234 L5678 or S/N |
| Blaupunkt | Sometimes | Press DISP (hold); otherwise the label | BP3782R3701682 |
| Volkswagen, Audi, Škoda, SEAT | No | Radio card in the wallet, or the label on the radio | VWZ… / AUZ… / SKZ… / SEZ… |
| Vauxhall CDR500 / CDR2005 | No | Label on the radio | GM0205Y9019162 |
| Fiat, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Relay | No | Label on the radio (4 removal pins) | 8573 or A8573 |
| Rover, MG, classic Mini, Volvo (Philips) | No | Label or stamped case; security card | AR…, RG…, VO… (14 chars) |
| Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge | No | Label on the radio | 4–5 numbers |
Not sure which radio you have? The radio guide lists every type we unlock, with what its serial looks like and what its screen says.
Removing the radio
Not on screen? Slide the radio out and read the label on the top or side. The short version is below; how to remove a car radio has the long one, with which keys each radio takes and where they go.
- Buy a set of radio removal keys (also called DIN keys, a few pounds at any car parts shop or online). Sets usually come with both shapes: flat U-shaped keys for a pair of slots at each side, and thin pins for the four small holes at the corners that Fiat, Renault and Vauxhall units use. Buy the set rather than guess.
- Push them into the holes at each side of the radio until they click.
- Pull the keys outwards and ease the radio forward.
- Photograph the label — don’t copy it out by hand.
Can’t make it out? Order from a photo: pay £9.99, upload the photo, and we’ll find your code — or refund you in full if we can’t.
Mistakes to avoid
- Part numbers aren’t serials. Numbers like 97KP-18C838-AA or 7 643 782 010 are part numbers.
- O and 0. On Ford serials the letter O is a zero. On VW and Philips serials letters are letters.
- The other look-alikes. 1 and I and L, 5 and S, 8 and B, 2 and Z, 6 and G. Labels are printed small in a narrow face and often behind a layer of dust, so hold the photograph up and enlarge it rather than trusting a glance. A single wrong character gives a code that will not work, and one that counts against the tries your radio allows.
- Handbook numbers can be wrong. Radios get swapped, so the radio itself is what counts.