Which radio is in your Ford S-Max?
The S-Max has had 3 sets of radios since 2006, from the 6000 CD and Sony CD to the SYNC 2 and SYNC 3 touchscreens. Find yours by year below, but go by the serial: radios get swapped, and the free check reads it for you.
How to find your Ford S-Max radio serial number
On the screen
- Turn the ignition on and switch the radio on.
- Hold buttons 1 and 6 together for 2–3 seconds.
- Watch the screen: the serial scrolls past, usually last. Write down the letter and 6 numbers.
- Nothing? Try buttons 2 and 6 instead. Still nothing? The serial is also on a label on the radio itself.
On the label
The serial is also printed on a label on the top or side of the radio. It comes out with a pair of radio removal keys. Which keys, and where they go: how to remove a car radio.
Photograph the label rather than copying it by hand — 0 and O, 1 and I are easy to mix up.
Tips for your Ford S-Max
- Hold buttons 1 and 6 with the ignition on; on some cars 2 and 6 does it.
- A SYNC touchscreen doesn’t ask for a code at all — if yours has gone quiet after a battery change, it isn’t locked.
- A TravelPilot sat nav radio keeps its serial on the label and we look those up by email.
What your serial looks like
-
V123456Ford V-series (6000 CD)V and 6 numbers Instant -
M123456Ford M-series (Visteon)M and 6 numbers Instant -
Z123456Ford Z / A serials (2008 on)Z or A and 6 numbers Not available -
1234567Ford TravelPilot7 numbers (leave out the BP or C7) By email
How to enter your Ford S-Max radio code
- Press button 1 until the first number of your code shows. Do the same with buttons 2, 3 and 4.
- Press button 5 to finish (Land Rover: the right-hand arrow button).
- Code not accepted? The screen shows LOCKED and a number. Stop before it gets to 10 and read our locked radio help.
- Press button 1 until the first number of your code shows. Do the same with buttons 2, 3 and 4.
- Press button 5 to finish (Land Rover: the right-hand arrow button).
- Code not accepted? The screen shows LOCKED and a number. Stop before it gets to 10 and read our locked radio help.
- Set each number with the numbered buttons, then confirm.
Every button press, and what the screen does if the code is wrong: How to enter a Visteon radio code.
If your Ford S-Max radio says LOCKED, WAIT or SAFE
| Radio | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ford V-series (6000 CD) | LOCKED 10: leave the radio and ignition on for about an hour, then try again, or hold button 6 for 10 seconds to get 3 more tries. LOCKED 13 means those tries are used up: the radio then needs a Ford dealer or a radio specialist. |
| Ford M-series (Visteon) | LOCKED 10: leave the radio and ignition on for about an hour, then try again, or hold button 6 for 10 seconds to get 3 more tries. LOCKED 13 means those tries are used up: the radio then needs a Ford dealer or a radio specialist. |
What LOCKED, WAIT and SAFE mean, and how long to wait →
Ford S-Max radio code questions
Where do I find my S-Max radio serial?
Hold buttons 1 and 6 with the radio on and it scrolls across the screen: a letter and six numbers.
My S-Max screen is asking for a code but it’s a touchscreen.
Touchscreen SYNC systems aren’t code-locked. Check it isn’t simply waiting to start up, and try the free check with any serial you can see.
Can you do a 2013 S-Max?
Not at the moment. Fords from about 2008 have a serial starting with Z, and from about 2018 with A. These work differently, and our free check tells you straight away, before you pay.
Can you do every Ford S-Max radio?
For 2006–2010, yes: the code appears on screen as soon as you have paid; for 2010–2015, some of the radios but not the usual one; for 2015 on, not at the moment. The free check tells you which yours is before you pay.
Which radio does my Ford S-Max have?
It depends on the year. 2006–2010 (S-Max Mk1): 6000 CD and Sony CD. 2010–2015 (S-Max Mk1, facelift): 6000 CD, Sony DAB and TravelPilot sat nav. 2015 on (S-Max Mk2): SYNC 2 and SYNC 3 touchscreens. Radios were often swapped, so the serial on yours is what counts.
What does the serial look like on a Ford S-Max?
2006–2010: Hold 1 and 6: V and 6 numbers. 2010–2015: Z on most, V on some; a sat nav serial starts BP or C7. For example V123456.
Do I have to take the radio out of my Ford S-Max?
Usually not: with the radio on, hold 1 and 6 and the serial shows on the screen.
How do I enter the code on a Ford S-Max?
Press preset 1 until the first digit shows, then 2, 3 and 4 for the rest. Ten presses brings a digit back round to zero. Press 5 to submit — on Land Rover and other Visteon units it is the right-hand search arrow instead, not preset 5.
Updated October 2026