Mike S asked;

Why Shouldn’t I Ask the Main Dealer to Supply Me a Code?

By all means ask them, but remember that the Dealer will charge you simply for looking for a code whether it is right or wrong (If they can actually be bothered to look!), and I do know of quite a few dealers who will charge and then make up a number, just to get your money.

But please bear in mind that any Code held on record from the Main Dealer will only ever relate to the Radio that was first fitted to your car when it was manufactured. As with the majority of cars, the Radio will have probably been changed several times without your knowledge. Whether upgraded from the original forecourt sale, upon delivery, within the warranty period, or when the used car salesman gets hold of it. The chances of your Radio being the original one it came down the production line with are very remote. So if you Main Dealer asks you for a Chassis number of the car, and not of the Radio, you can be sure this isn’t going to work.

When the Dealer supplied Code doesn’t work, they will often refer you to ourselves, or may offer to send it away to have it Decoded, so why not cut out the middle man, save a few quid, and deal with us direct. After all, where do you think the Main Dealer is sending it to?

-Dave Watts

George N asked;

Is there any Harm in Entering an Incorrect Number?

Yes, very much so. If you enter the wrong code into your radio, then the radio will assume that it has fallen into the wrong hands, and there will be a penalty time of anywhere between a few minutes to several hours before you can try to enter the code again. Each wrong attempt will result in a longer penalty time. If you have tried to enter what you believe to be the right number more than once, and it didn’t work, please don’t keep trying, as the number is almost certainly incorrect. There are only a limited number of times that you can try this number before the radio locks up permanently. Some radios, once they have locked up, cannot be reset, and the stereo may end up being scrapped as new code chips are often uneconomic or unavailable for replacement. Better to send us the unit whilst there are still some attempts left, as resetting a penalty timer on a low setting is much cheaper than replacing locked out Code Ic’s, and certainly cheaper than scrapping the stereo.

-Dave Watts

Victor D asked;

I know my code number, but do not know how to enter it?

If you know your Code Number, but do not know how to actually enter it, have a quick search on the DECODE link within the blue bar at the top of the page and see if you can find the listing for your own model. If you can, you will find the Code Entry procedure shown for your Radio along with loads of other useful information. Because you may only have a limited number of attempts before you are “Locked Out” it may be better to read these instructions before any attempts are made!

If you do not find the information you are looking for, please Contact Us by E-Mail.

-Dave Watts

Terry H asked;

I Can’t find my Stereo on your Database, Can you still Decode it?

If your Radio is not shown on our Database, it’s probably on our update list. We still have many Stereos to add to our website, and we are constantly researching new models on a daily basis, so if your model is not shown, don’t worry, we may well have a solution for you.

Please contact us with all the Radio details you can find from the label, such as Make, Model, Serial and Part Numbers, and we will be happy to advise you accordingly by return.

-Dave Watts

Karl T asked;

How Long does it take to Decode?

Please note that we do operate a very strict first come – first served basis, and we do not entertain queue jumping by anybody, no matter how important you think you are. Most Radios that arrive at our workshop are Decoded and processed for dispatch within 48 hours, but it can depend on how busy we are at the time. Our busiest times are during the cold and wet months, (due to lots of flat batteries), and also around the new vehicle registration launch dates.

-Dave Watts

Liz C asked;

Can you turn off the code completely?

Easy answer – No! Our business is derived from code number recovery, and it would not make any financial nor commercial sense if we turned off radio codes, since this is how we make our money!

-Dave Watts

Sarah J asked;

What is the difference between an E-Code & an Instant Code?

In order to explain the difference between them, I shall give you a quick insight as to what goes on behind the scenes. Since 1992, we have been collecting data from every radio that has ever passed through our workshops, so that we can find quicker and more efficient means to extract the Radio Codes. In many cases we have successfully developed procedures that can determine a Radio Code either from its Serial Number, or from other data that is easily identifiable without having to actually see the Radio ourselves. Once internal trials of these procedures have been carried out, the next stage is to offer the service Online. These are initially listed on our website as E-CODEs as once an Online form is submitted to us, each Code application is then manually checked and verified, and then sent out via E-Mail (hence the name E-CODE). There is obviously a short delay whilst this is carried out, and this can be anything from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the current workload and who is in the office at the time. Priority is always given to responding to E-CODES though.

Once we are satisfied that our E-CODE service can maintain a 100% accuracy rate over a given period of time, we then take this up to the next level and fully automate the service. This is then called an INSTANT-CODE. When the Radio Details are submitted this time, you are automatically directed to the PayPal website, where payments can be transferred, or for those of you without a PayPal account, Credit or Debit cards can be used to pay. Once Payment has been made, you are then directed INSTANTLY back to a web page where your Radio Code number is INSTANTLY displayed, (hence the name INSTANT-CODE) and if we have them on file, your Code Entry details will also be shown. An automated E-Mail will follow shortly afterwards as well.

-Dave Watts

Robert A asked;

Can you Decode my Stereo from its Serial Number?

In some instances, Yes. If your Model of Radio is one that we are able to supply the Security Code for from its Serial Number, then our Decoding Database will indicate this. We will show you easy to follow instructions about the information we require from your Radio, and you will be guided towards an Online form to submit them. Upon submission of Radio details and payment, we will then email your code numbers back to you either via our E-CODE or INSTANT-CODE service, depending on which is available for your radio. But please remember, if the information shown on our website about your radio asks for the unit to be sent to us, please don’t ask if we can do it via E-Mail – we can’t, or it would have said so!

For those that are new to using us, there is obviously the concern of what happens if we get the code number wrong and supply you an incorrect code? Well, we are very good at what we do, and providing that your radio does not show any signs or labels indicating that it may previously have been tampered with, decoded, repaired or reprogrammed, then we are confident that the code number we supply will be the original one that the radio left the factory with. However, should the code not work, then the radio will have to be returned to us for manual decoding, costs of which are readily available upon request, and we will credit any monies paid from our online service towards this. To prevent any fraudulent claims that our codes do not work, we do not offer any refunds on our online Radio Decoding service.

Please note that we are unable to supply any code numbers by telephone.

-Dave Watts

Luke R asked;

What does it cost to Decode my Stereo?

Because every Car Radio is different, and the Code number has to be recovered in a different way for each model, we have priced the Code number recovery for each Radio accordingly. We strongly believe that we are able to Decode more Radios than any other Company in the UK, and possibly the World, and as a result our Decoding Database is one of the largest you will find anywhere, so before asking us how much your radio is going to cost to decode, have a quick search on the DECODE link within the blue bar at the top of the page and see if you can find the listing for your own model. If you can, you will find the price and procedure shown for your Radio along with loads of other useful information.

-Dave Watts

Jim D asked;

If I Don’t know my Code Number, How do I find out what it is?

If you do not know the Security Code number for your Radio, then don’t panic, it really isn’t a problem. We have the technology to be able to assist, but before we do, we need to know exactly what radio you have fitted in your car. Telling us that you have the standard radio fitted to the car is of little help, as if you think about it – every radio fitted from new could be called “standard”. If, for instance you told us that it’s the radio that came with the car, and you had a Ford, we would still not be able to identify which Radio you had fitted, as our Decode Database currently lists several hundred different models of Ford Radio, and each and every one could be called “standard”. What we really need is a Radio Model Number. In some cases, the Radio Model or Name will appear on the front of the radio, and in other cases, the radio may need to be removed to find any labels with numbers on. If you are unable to remove your Stereo yourself, you may need to ask your local Mechanic to remove it for you. If you have a browse through the decode pages on our website, you may even be able to identify your radio from the pictures we have listed. Once you have identified your radio on our website, there will be detailed instructions as to what needs to be done next. Some radios may need to be sent to us for reprogramming, and some models can even have the Code numbers supplied Online, it really depends on which radio you have as to the procedure involved. But please remember, if the information shown on our website about your radio asks for the unit to be sent to us, please don’t ask if we can do it via E-Mail – we can’t, or it would have said so!

-Dave Watts