Some car radios come with an anti-theft feature that kicks in whenever they lose battery power. This feature typically locks the unit up until the correct car radio code is entered. The code is almost always specific to not only the make and model of the radio, but also to that specific unit.
If the code for your head unit isn’t written down anywhere in your owner’s manual, you’ll need to have a few different pieces of information ready before you can proceed.
Some of the information that you’ll typically have to need includes:
- The make, model and year of the vehicle
- The vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle
- The brand, serial number and part number of the radio
Search for Specifications Find automobile specifications; Directory of Services Listing of dealers, companies and individuals offering cars, parts and services for antique, classic, vintage and muscle cars. Engine VIN Codes Decodes engine codes used in Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN's) for cars starting around 1953. A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (also known as a serial number) is a 17 character code of letters and numbers that identifies your vehicle. You can find your VIN in several places: On top of the dashboard on the driver’s side Inside the driver’s side door On forms such as your bill of sale. Some Club Cars ® will be missing their serial number plate. If this is the case, look at the brake and accelerator pedals. If this is the case, look at the brake and accelerator pedals. If it has two brake pedals and one accelerator pedal, then you know it is a 1975-1980 model. How can I find my old car? For the past 24 years of searching with only the plate and what help the DMV could offer me and no serial number, I was slowly loosing. A Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (also known as a serial number) is a 17 character code of letters and numbers that identifies your vehicle. You can find your VIN in several places: On top of the dashboard on the driver’s side Inside the driver’s side door.
In order to obtain the brand, serial number, and part number of your radio, you will typically have to remove it. If you're uncomfortable with removing and installing a car stereo, you may be better off just taking your vehicle to a local dealer and asking them to reset the radio for you.
After you’ve located and written down all of the necessary information, you’ll be ready to track down the code that will unlock your specific head unit.
At this point, you have three main options available. You can contact a local dealer and talk to their service department, go directly to the website of the automaker that manufactured your vehicle, or rely on free or paid online resources and databases.
Where you choose to start is up to you, but the chances are excellent that one of these places will have the code you need.
Official OEM Car Radio Code Sources
In order to obtain a car radio from an official, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) source, you can either contact a local dealer or request a code directly from the manufacturer.
Most automakers direct you to your local dealer, but there are a handful like Honda, Mitsubishi and Volvo that allow you to request your code online.
After you've gathered all of the relevant information about your car and your radio, you can use the following table of popular vehicle manufacturers to either locate a local dealer or the official online car radio code request site.
If you decide to contact a local dealer, you will usually need to speak with the service department. You can then ask the service writer whether or not they can look up your car radio code.
There is a chance that you will be able to obtain the code over the phone, but you may need to make an appointment to actually visit the dealership. You also have the option to just take your car straight to the dealer, where they will figure out the serial number of the radio and input the code for you.
If the manufacturer that built your vehicle offers online code lookup, you will typically have to enter information like your VIN, the serial number of the radio, and contact information like your phone number and email. The code may then be emailed to you for your records.
Official Head Unit Manufacturer Code Request
In addition to local dealers and OEM online code request services, you may also be able to obtain your car radio code from the company that actually built the head unit. Some examples of head unit manufacturers that can provide car radio codes include:
Every head manufacturer has its on policy in regards to car radio codes. In some cases, they can help you with any 'personal' codes that may have been set by a previous owner, but they will direct you to the vehicle OEM for a 'factory' code.
In other cases, they may require some type of proof of ownership to ensure that the head unit isn't stolen. Unlike vehicle OEMs, head unit manufacturers typically charge a lookup fee to find a car radio code.
Other Sources, Including Online Code Lookup Services and Databases
If the manufacturer of your vehicle doesn't have an online code request service and you prefer using an online resource to contacting a local dealer, there are both free and paid databases that may be helpful.
Another option is to contact a car audio installer in your area. Since they deal with this type of situation all the time, some car audio installers pay for access to car radio code databases. Keep in mind that since they have to pay for the information, they will typically charge a fee for this type of service.
Club Car Serial Number
Exercise caution when using any site that promises free access to car radio codes, especially if the site asks for your credit card details. There are legitimate sites out there that offer this type of service, but there's always a chance of contracting malware from a malicious site or falling prey to a scammer.
Car Serial Number Vs Vin
What's a VIN Number (Vehicle Identification Number)?
How many characters: | 17 (digits and capital letters) |
---|---|
Where to find: | Dashboard on the driver's side |
First digit stands for: | Country of manufacturer |
A vehicle identification number (VIN) is a unique code that is assigned to every motor vehicle when it's manufactured. The VIN is a 17-character string of letters and numbers without intervening spaces or the letters Q (q), I (i), and O (o); these are omitted to avoid confusion with the numerals 0 and 1. Each section of the VIN provides a specific piece of information about the vehicle, including the year, country, and factory of manufacture; the make and model; and the serial number. VINs are usually printed in a single line.
How to Find the Vehicle's VIN Number
On most passenger cars, you may find the VIN number on the front of the dashboard on the driver's side. The best way to see it is to look through the windshield from outside the car. You may also find the VIN number on the driver's side door pillar. Open the door and look around the area where the door latches to the car. A motorcycle's VIN is usually on the steering neck below the handlebars, although sometimes it's on the motor or on the frame near the motor. A semitrailer's VIN is located on the front part of the semitrailer on the left side.
If you can't find the VIN number on the vehicle, you should also be able to locate it on your vehicle's title or liability insurance documents.
How to Use the VIN Decoder to Do a VIN Number Check
Enter your vehicle's 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) in the field above to check it and receive an instant report on its manufacturer, brand, make and model, body style, engine size, assembly plant, and model year. The information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safetly Administration (NHTSA) from the data submitted by the manufacturers to NHTSA. The VIN Decoder lookup is intended for use with vehicles manufactured since 1981. If your vehicle was made before 1981, the VIN will most likely contain 11 characters.
How to Decode the Vehicle Identification Number
Wondering what all the characters in your vehicle's VIN stand for?
Why the VIN Is Important
There are situations in which you will want to check a vehicle's VIN, since many data registries use it to record details of the vehicle's history. If you're interested in buying a used car, you can do a VIN lookup to get the vehicle history report and find records of its previous owners, accidents, and repairs. You can also find out if the manufacturer had ever issued a recall of the vehicle and whether those repairs were made. Finally, law enforcement agencies do a VIN check to identify vehicles that have been stolen.
Model Year Character Codes
Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year | Code | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | 1980 | L | 1990 | Y | 2000 | A | 2010 |
B | 1981 | M | 1991 | 1 | 2001 | B | 2011 |
C | 1982 | N | 1992 | 2 | 2002 | C | 2012 |
D | 1983 | P | 1993 | 3 | 2003 | D | 2013 |
E | 1984 | R | 1994 | 4 | 2004 | E | 2014 |
F | 1985 | S | 1995 | 5 | 2005 | F | 2015 |
G | 1986 | T | 1996 | 6 | 2006 | G | 2016 |
H | 1987 | V | 1997 | 7 | 2007 | H | 2017 |
J | 1988 | W | 1998 | 8 | 2008 | J | 2018 |
K | 1989 | X | 1999 | 9 | 2009 | K | 2019 |
World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI): Country of Origin Character Codes
The first three characters of every VIN number uniquely identify the manufacturer of the vehicle. This is called the World Manufacturer Identifier or WMI code.
WMI | Region | Notes |
---|---|---|
A-H | Africa | AA-AH = South Africa |
J-R | Asia | >J = Japan KL-KR = South Korea L = China MA-ME = India MF-MK = Indonesia ML-MR = Thailand MS = Myanmar PA-PE = Philippines PL-PR = Malaysia RF-RG = Taiwan |
S-Z | Europe | SA-SM = United Kingdom SN-ST, W = Germany SU-SZ = Poland TA-TH = Switzerland TJ-TP = Czech Republic TR-TV = Hungary TW = Portugal VA-VE = Austria VF-VR = France VS-VW = Spain VX-V2 = Yugoslavia XL-XM = The Netherlands XS-XW = USSR X3-X0 = Russia YA-YE = Belgium YF-YK = Finland YS-YW = Sweden ZA-ZR = Italy |
1-5 | North America | 1, 4, 5 = United States 2 = Canada 3 = Mexico |
6-7 | Oceania | 6A-6W = Australia 7A-7E = New Zealand |
8-0 | South America | 8A-8E = Argentina 8F-8J = Chile 8X-82 = Venezuela 9A-9E, 93-99 = Brazil 9F-9J = Colombia |