Volvo Radio Codes Explained
Overview
Volvo radios have a theft-proof system that freezes the radio if power is interrupted. It was designed that way to prevent theft of the radio. The downside is your radio will be locked if you disconnect the battery for any reason, or if the battery dies.
When you restore power, it will say ‘CODE‘ on the display. This is your cue to find the easily misplaced credit-card lookalikes that have your radio’s code written on it. New Volvo owners got two, I believe.
Store Your Code Here
Once you get your code, store it here on this site so you’ll always know where it is.
How to Reset the Radio
- When the radio displays CODE, you may enter the code using the preset radio station buttons
- For instance, my number is 1615, so when I get the CODE on the radio’s display, I press the radio preset button 1, then the radio preset button 6, then the radio preset button 1, then the radio preset button 5.
- If your radio says OFF, leave the ignition on in the first position for 2 1/2 to 3 hours in order for it to display CODE. In certain models you can clear the OFF state by pulling the fuse for the radio (#7 in my car). That’s a bit simpler than leaving the ignition in the first position for a couple of hours — particularly if you don’t have a garage.
The four-digit code is unique to your radio; your neighbor’s code will not work on your radio. So what to do if you’ve misplaced, or never received, the white card, like most people?
Dealers have your radio code in a database, and can look it up. Many will give you the code over the phone if you’ve lost your card. You can call any Volvo dealer: they all have the same computer system to look up your Volvo radio code.
Sometimes the code is written on the radio itself. But you have to pull the radio out (not hard) to see it.
Other dealers will have you drive to their lot and speak to them in person. Because the dealer will need to read off the radio’s serial number to cross-reference it with the unique code, bring your radio, and your Volvo. Some reportedly charge US$10-$100 for this. Hmmmmm. I suppose dealers can choose to charge for this, and we can choose to not go back, right?
Summary
Don’t intentionally break the flow of power (disconnect the battery) from the radio unless you have the code.
If you have the code write it down in several locations. Don’t keep any of them in the car, although Volvo radios having much value on the black market is questionable.
If you don’t have the code, call the dealer to ask what they need from you. Don’t pay the dealer any money for the code! If they want money, hang up and call another.
Volvo Repair Details
17 Mar 2009Posted in FWD General Information Radio, Speakers, iPod input
Tags: CODE, Volvo Radio Codes
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As an addendum to the radio codes issue. If you purchased a Volvo with an upgraded radio from your dealer, the radio code you were given by the dealership at the time of purchase may not be correct (this is also true for the code in the national database – which has the original factory code). To find the new code the radio must be pulled out and somehow a Volvo specialist can extrapolate the code from the radio’s serial number. When you have your correct 4 digit code for your radio then enter as directed in your auto manual. This will work so do not despair!
Is there a way to reset the radio without turning the key into the first position for two hours?
I’m happy to report that I found a way to shortcut all of this. I am making a video of how to do it so stand by.
Thanks,
Jack
kayla555@gmail.com
Awesome thanks for the help. Had to replace my battery in my car and then my radio was screwed up. Your info helped me get my radio back free of charge. Went to another site that was charging $29.00 to give you the code.
Thanks, Robyn
I’m very confused on how to do this… i know how to put the code in and what to do but i don’t know how to find the code… especially since everyone has been saying it is a four digit code and mine is six… i would appreciate the help without having to pay $29… and one site had asked me to give the fourteen digit serial number… well the serial number on the back of my radio (which i had to take out to get it) is not fourteen digits, there are eight digits and two letters… so help anyone please
I got the code from my local dealer and rechecked it with them and it still doesn’t work. I get code, put in the 5 numbers, nothing happens??? I have tried it time and time again, I do sometimes get a rPe code???? Any suggestions?
If you have an radio with diodes, you can also cut these and then code always will be 6666, it is easy with the older type of radio’s CR-type.
…no dealer..no bullshitt..
Thank you! Thank you! I had a new batter put in my 1995 Volvo 850 today preparing for winter. I got in and my radio was flashing code. I thought I could just put in a number and make it work. Well, you guessed it it said OFF after 3 tries. I called the Volvo Dealer and they said I had to leave the ignition on for 2 hours for the reset. I read your help here and started the car and pulled the #7 fuse and put it back in and CODE flashed and I put in the proper 4 digit code and the radio works! You are great! I can’t believe the dealer didn’t know this. Mark
I have a 2000 s70 and just got it a new battery yesterday. (The one in my car was from the factory!!! Lasted so long!) Anyway, I took a few guesses as to what my radio code was, not knowing it would go into OFF. A nice dealer was kind enough to give me the code over the phone, but he also said that pulling fuse 7 wouldn’t work and I would have to leave my radio on from anywhere between 1.5 – 2.5 hours– continuously!!! Anyone find anything else to work? I live in a city so I have to park on the street and I don’t have time to my car running for that long unattended!!
Your Volvo doesn’t have to be running, just have the key turned enough so that the radio is on.
hi, i have purchased a pre owned Volvo 850 1995 model. The car is fine but the only problem is that i cant find its Radio Code. Kindly let me know the place to find it. i live in dubai , UAE,so tell me any specific dealer to contact or shuld i send you the chasis code to let me know. i shall be thankful
Greetings from the US. You should get the vehicle identification number or the radio’s serial number (better) and call the closest Volvo car dealer. Tell them the number of your car or radio and ask them for your code.
http://www.volvocars.com/ae/Pages/default.aspx
If your top level cd player stops working in 850 and some v70, but the radio is fine, there is a tiny reset button on the rhs when you remove the radio. It6s there to protect the cd player from misuse, but dealers dont know about it…. You send off your radio and they charge you £££££. Google this fix and you will find pictures
i have a 1995 volvo 850.i’ve done everything that everyone has said but i steel can’t get the radio to come on all it wants to do is say off wate about 1.5 hours. and do it all over again please help.
My daughter has a 98 S70, I called the dealership gave them the VIN #, they gave me a code and it didn’t work. Called the dealership back with the serial number on the radio and they gave me another code. Let the car sit for another 2 hours and that code didn’t work. Is there another option? Please help, my daughter is going to go crazy without her radio. Typical 17 yo
Thanks
did u get an answer – i have same problem. thanks. i am presently witing 2-4 hrs with the key in the ignition & then shall try again!
the radio code i have has a 7 and the preset buttons there is no 7 how do i enter the 7?
hi, i have purchased a pre owned Volvo 850 1997 model. I bought the car from japan, The car is fine but the only problem is that i cant find its Radio Code. Kindly let me know the place to find it. i live in Kampala , Uganda,so tell me any specific dealer to contact or shuld i send you the chasis number, radio serial no, to let me know. i shall be very greatfull.
Oh my God!!! I FINALLY got my radio to work!!!!! This has been the most helpful site. You need to pull out your radio (VERY EASY TO DO) I had my battery replaced LAST WINTER—I have been driving around since with a portable boom box just to hear something. I had the wrong # written in back of owners manual. When I called dealership, they gave same code which was in my book. Still didnt work.
After reading this site, it mentions, if you have a refurbished radio, the code will be different even from what is in database. it says one way to find out is to pull out radio—very easy to do—and it is sometimes written on the radio. when i pulled out radio there was the code !!!! I did the 2.5 hour thing and IT FINALLY WENT ON!!! It comes out by pressing in the two sensory panels on sides of radio component. Look closely, and you will see the indentations for this. press in with pointy instrument like keys or pen, and the handles will pop out. Then pull out radio–the code should be written on top!!! GOOD LUCK !!!!
I bought a used volvo, and dont have the card for the radio code. please help!
vin # YV1LS5512T2274339
Did you read this post?
hi
i have a volvo s40 the battery was disconnected and then i got that it shows the radio is off and also i do not have my code for that can you please advise me to give some other solution thanks
Hello
the car radio volvo 850-XD-LV-50 to give out.
passe code radio model no.708/4451 series?
please help me with the code?
friendly thanks.
Henk de Mots
hi there is 2 things i need help with (1) i pulled out #7 fuse for radio do i have to wait 2-3 hrs before putting them back in and (2) i cant get the 5th gear in my car some one said i need a new box and then someone else said it was a rubber on the rods can ayone help thanks warren
Okay my radio is displaying “off” so I am assuming i need to wait the 2 hour thing with the key in the first position. Now does the “off” need to be displayed while the key is in the ignition or should i have the actual radio turned off???
p.s no music is so annoying!
i have a 1998 s70 i have called dealership about my radio code they gave me a code that dont work can someone please help i just got this car and would like to have radio working
Please help my. I’m not from US and when I call the dealer in my country they want to charge my. I have 2002 S40. radio serial No: VO2090 18235086K and the Vin: YV1VS29562F837419. Mail my if You can help s-e-n@o2.pl
Useful site. Thanks a lot
jai 1problem avec ma radio je ne connait par le code svp aide moi .le numero de chasie es yv1ls5506w2506238 une volvo s70 merci
If you have a sleazy dealership in your area the easiest way to obtain a lost code is to go to the Volvo website for your country and click on the “contact us” link at the bottom left of the page. Fill out the form and include your VIN and radio serial number in the comment section and they will get back to you by email within 1-2 business days. My local dealership wanted to charge and have me show up in person and this bypassed them completely.
my radio code contains figures 8 and 9 and my radio keys has number 1-6. how do i input the figures 8 and 9 into the radio.
hi every1! i got no idea how to get 9 in ur radio , and im not sure if im doing this rite , please drop a line how to put the cod cheers
I have a 1995 850. I am seriously annoyed with having no music!! I think i am going to try out every code on top of my radio. If it doesnt work then hopefully the little #7 fuse will do the trick.
Hi, I called the dealer and got the code, but it didn’t work.. It said EEEE. Anyone else have this problem? Do I have to just get a radio form Best Buy or something? Help please.
@Andy, you must have gotten the code wrong or they gave you the wrong one. Maybe they misheard your licence plate number or you misheard the code. Try calling again.
can anyone tell me how to enter a 0 as part of the radio code for a cr 902 please
Well I just wanted to say this blog was helpful on my volvo. I needed a lead to go from to get my code on the radio. Now thanks to one of the bloggers who said to give the volvo site your vin and serial number. I gotta wait 48 hrs but I’m sure they will help since they help everyone else. Thank you soooo much!
So, you get a flat battery, jump start your car, then have to leave the ignition on for 2.5 hours if you have an OFF? You’ll flatten the battery again!
I tried pulling out fuse #7 left it out over night put it in this morning and my radio still says off! I really don’t want to leave my battery on for 2 hours. Did I do the fuse thing right?
I tried the all the 4 digit numbers on the radio itself and nothing worked. After I simply called the volvo dealer and asked, he told me that he needed the car’s serial number and not the radio’s which is on the registration. 10 seconds later he gave me the code, I entered it and my radio was working again.
Guys, this site looks like lots of help… right now, i am gonna go down to my garage and put the key in position number one. The I will walk to my sister’s place and watch the game between Argentina and Germany. After the game, if we beat i ll go out and celebrate -means the car will have to wait for an extra couple of hours in position number 1- if not, i ll come back home try to put the code and see if it works. If it does, i ll sure let you know. thanks for the help i ve found here. VAMOS ARGENTINA!
hi thanks. did the hour and a harf thing and phoned my dealer took 5 mins cheers
I left the key in position 1 for almost 3 hours, but when i came back and pushed the power but i didnt get the code display and still got the OFF one.
Should i leave the key in position 1 and the radio on (displaying OFF) o just leave the key in position 1 with everything off (like i did)? In some forums ppl say you should leave the key in position 2, I am trying again like you guys tell, position 1. hope this time it will work. i ll let you know.
My code has a 9, How do you enter 7, 8, and 9? Other people have asked too, does anybody else know how to enter 7, 8, and 9, with only 6 preset buttons?
Thought I would share this just in case you can’t get your code over the phone and are too far from a dealer. A few years back, my casette only radio sc-810 died (no i did not clean it out). I bought a used sc-816 radio from a junkyard and they told me the code was lost. It was around $100, which at the time was a steal. I was a little worried about buying this as I was unsure whether or not the dealer would give me the code if I bought it from somewhere else. I cracked open my broken SC-810, and ripped the eeprom out of it and read it in a universal eeprom reader. I dumped the memory contents and then searched for my “known” code. I found it once in the hex. So, it is possible it was just a random code but it gave me confidence that I had good odds I could read it in cleartext if the dealer could not give me the code. So, I bought it. I then took it in to the dealer and they gave me the code for free anyway. I never tried to see if the new radio’s code was stored in the same location, but it probably was. If you happen to have an eeprom reader at work or home, you could do this if the dealer is to far for you to drive to. Has anyone else done this before? I am curious if the code I found was the actual code or random data in the ROM. Seems weird they would store it in cleartext, but I guess why bother caring. One other thing I was thinking of… It might have been possible to replace my SC-816s ROM with my SC-810s ROM. Anyone try this?
I bought a radio from a wrecking yard for my 960 the radio was on the shelf so there was no code and the car was gone. When i put the radio in my car off was displayed i tryed pulling #7 fuse but no change still shoed off. I then left the key on and shut off the radio then held down button #6 and turned on the radio–it works! the on ly problem is when the key is turned off the radio goes back to the off setting. O well ai least i have a radio until i can find the code.
UPDATE: Okay, so I tried pulling fuses – NOPE didn’t work. I tried the 6666 that someone mentioned above, NOPE didn’t work. I tried putting in the “code” that was listed on the radio itself after I pulled it out, NOPE didn’t work. Ya know what did work, Calling the dealer. Just call the closest dealer and tell them, “Hi, I bought a used Volvo and need the radio code.” They ask, what’s the VIN of your car. You tell them. They punch it in the computer, 2 minutes later or less. And Wah-la, They give you the code. If your radio does go to OFF, start the car. Turn it off, then turn on the radio, turn the key to position 1. Make sure Daytime running lights are off and all doors and trunks are closed too. You probably have 2 keys, lock the doors. Set a timer for 1 hour. Check.
Just FYI, after my local Volvo place wanted me to make an appointment to go in, I called the nicest Volvo place in Santa Barbara (http://www.hughesvolvo.com) and they gave it to me over the phone is two seconds. If I ever move to CA that’s where I’m shopping.
My radio in my 2000 v40 is dead no off message or code message just a dead radio. Is there an inline fuse or something? I have a code just not able to get anything to display on the radio screen. Please help. Thanks.