Weird Honda Radio Code Issue

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2017 1:08 pm

A story that some may find interesting...

So many months ago I bought a 2005 Honda Civic for my daughter (to replace her previous that was wrecked!). It was a salvage title car without much documentation and that included not knowing the radio code for the factory radio (no manual that it might have been written in, no sticker inside the glove box, etc.). I eventually needed to do something that required disconnecting the battery (which would trigger the anti-theft in the radio and require me to input the radio code), but I wasn't overly concerned because there is a procedure to extract the serial number for the radio via the front controls plus an online website that Honda provides to get the radio code if you know the serial number.

Sadly, to get the serial number you have to trigger the code entry process which means disconnecting the battery and loosing radio usage. But, why worry, right? So I go through the entire process, but the online system seems to think I have a navigation system and gives me a four digit code that only works on a Honda navigation system. How do I know it will not work? First of all on this radio the codes are five digits and only use the number 1-6 (because you use the 1-6 preset buttons to enter the code). One of the digits I get from the online system is a "9". There is physically no way to enter that code on this radio. There is also a toll free Honda customer care number that provides the same info as the online system. I try them and they have the same info (four digit navi code). They are stumped and have not had this issue and tell me to visit my local Dealer.

I take my info (but not the car) into the dealership. They need the same info (serial number) to use in their system. They show that the serial number doesn't exist. As I don't have the car, and I am providing the serial number to the dealership, I can tell the guy there is likely doubtful that I wrote it down correctly. The eight digit serial number is displayed as two four digit sections. He even tries it with the two four digit sections transposed, but that doesn't work either. I leave without satisfaction.

Months pass. My daughter eventually tells me she is tired of no radio. So I decide to take the car in to the dealership and leave it and let them figure this out. This is for a factory radio from a 10+ year old car. I am not going to spend any real money to fix this. Also... this is now a puzzle that needs a solution! But if I have to spend money, I will just pull the radio and replace it. Regardless, the service guy doesn't want to check me in and leave the car, but rather wants to figure it out right that second. Which is OK other that my wife is in the parking lot waiting to pick me up so we can run other errands. But I appreciate him wanting to fix it for me right then. He pulls the serial number via the display himself (matches my orig numbers), he does the online thing again (serial number not found), calls customer care (same four digit value that has a "9" and can't be entered), etc. I tell him at each step what is going to happen, but I know he has to verify I am not a wack job.

Person on the phone says this is new to them (like first time), but this time offers to open up a support case and escalate to their internal radio team. That maybe they can go back to the manufacture to get help or something. I suspect they did this because it was a dealership calling vs. just me. We open a support case and about a week later I get a call from Honda with two five digits codes to try. First.. no go. Second... It works! Yes, I have it written down somewhere now for next time!. I secretly wonder if those were codes for my specific radio or... that there might be some number of master codes that work on some radios. Anyhow, I don't care, it works.

Richard

davidnblack · **Joined:** Wed Feb 10, 2016 1:39 pm **Posts:** 6

Funny story about Honda radio codes...my 2000 S2000's radio needed the code, and I hadn't found the sticker at that point (I later found it). I figured the dealer could get the code for me, but didn't feel like dealing with it right then, and figured I had at least a few tries so for giggles I started sequentially trying codes.

11111 - Denied.
11112 - Correct code!

So, great security on that one Honda, the second code anyone would try :lol:

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:41 pm

Sort of like the story that between 1962 and 1977 the US nuclear launch code was supposedly 00000000. The story being Strategic Air Command (SAC) didn't like the Permissive Action Link system (Civilian control, etc.) that was put in place. SAC feared that if something went wrong they needed a backdoor way to launch if needed. So that was the all zero code.

Who knows if it is true. The story came from someone who should be in the know. It likely is difficult if not to corroborate or debunk these days and likely nobody wants to step forward and say they approved it.

Richard

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Jan 24, 2017 9:03 am

Why does a factory radio even need a code? Since most literally only fit one model of car, why would anyone want to steal one in the first place?

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Tue Jan 24, 2017 2:19 pm

I have never quite understood the need for radio codes in factory radios given they seem to be proprietary. I suspect (for Honda), it was a marketing feature from years ago that was part of an overall anti-theft system. These days I suspect it creates more hassle than it's worth.

Richard

RickyBeam · **Posted:** Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:22 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

why would anyone want to steal one in the first place?

Never underestimate a meth head's need to steal.

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Weird Honda Radio Code Issue

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