a few days ago my battery died, so of course the stereo reset & i had to enter the code... i found the little card with the code on it, and tried putting it in like it said to.

well it didn't work... i tried 3 times until the "err-3" showed up, then i called the dealer. the guy then tells me "ohh yea, it doesn't tell you this in the manual, but you have to hold in the last number until it beeps." ummm okay.

so i got the damn thing to reset again, then tried entering the code and HOLDING the last number in like he said to. it still didn't work. so i called the dealer back & he's like "umm yea i guess you'll have to bring it in here so we can look at it."

this makes me a lil nervous cuz i've read all these other posts about how the dealer charges you crazy amounts of $$ just to take the thing out & get the serial #... plus i live an hour away from the dealer so it's a pain in the butt just to get up there.

*SO* my question is... does anyone here have any experience with the code just NOT working?? am i doing something wrong here that's messing it up?? help me please!! thanks

 

I've had that same problem and I ended up going to the dealer. I believed they charged me between $45-$55 to get the code. After they get it for you, the good thing is you can always get the code again by just calling them up.

 

After you try (and fail) to enter the code 3 times, it won't take the code anymore (it "thinks" you are a thief).

Disconnect the negative cable on your battery for about 10-15 minutes, then reconnect it.

Then retry the code. It should work fine.

The security code can only be tried 3 times before the headunit in a sense "shuts down".

If that doesn't work, my guess is that the code is incorrect.

 

Continuing from dustbuster4:

To check and verify the code, look under the main fuse box under the hood. When you take the lid off of the fuse box, look at the other side of the lid. There should be a 5-digit number there. That was the code for my headunit. I sure hope your car has that.

 

mine doesn't have it there... anyway toget the code should be free from the dealer don't let them charge you for that shit. You can always take out the radio and look at the back it is real easy to take out the radio now that I've done it about 6 times. remove center console and then pull out the radio if you need a tutorial one can be found at the pspec tuning site for installing the shifter. just follow the directions on removing the center console and the plastic wood grain that the clock, warning light button, radio, and around shifter piece (the big piece in the middle)

http://www.pspectuning.com/tutorials/98-99-cl.php

then all you need to do is take an 8mm and remove the 2 screw bolts and pull the radio out.

oh and then you just tell the dealer the serial number, and they'll look it up for you... you need your VIN too.

 

i think those damn codes are all over the place. every time you ask somebody, they tell you it's in a different location.

i just went outside to check the ashtray, back of glove box, black of fuse box lid, found nothing.

sorry but you might have to take out the radio to see if it's there.

 

oh weird....mine is located under the fuse box lid... -_- sorry if i made you waste your time...

 

There are three acura dealers in the cleveland area. I bought my car used at Park Acura, but they suck so I started going to Motorcars Acura for service. Anywho, the car must have been originally purchased at Motorcars because every invoice I get from them has a spot next to the VIN with the radio code and also has the original purchase miles. So find out where your car came from! The original dealer could have it on file in their computer.

 

Acura placed the stickers fairly randomly in a number of different locations on our cars. 97s don't have them (to my knowledge, at least i've never found mind). This fact is almost as pointless as needing the code in the first place. Think about it...lets say a thief stole your stereo. He gets it home, plugs it in, and finds out he can't use it. Do you think he is gonna bring it back? No you still won't have your fucking radio. Who they hell cares if the thief can use it or not?

 

97cl22 your missing the point, its to prevent theifs from taking it, if they know they need a code then they wont stealing, its called theft deterrant.

 

True true. But why would a theif steal a stock radio anyway? Wouldn't they just look around for a nicer more expensive aftermarket deck? Why should i have to deal with trying to find a radio code everytime i take my battery off to work on my car? I know this is just a pet peeve of mine.

 

i did disconnect the battery and try it again (after i called the dealer & they said i wasn't holding in the last # like i was supposed to). the code i have still doesn't work. i can't find the code anywhere else on my car either, which seems weird since (from the other threads i saw on this subject) most of the '98-'99s usually have that sticker somewhere (mine is a '98 3.0)...

grrr i guess i'm just gonna have to take it to the dealer... i'm gonna be mad if i have to pay for this though -- considering that i already *have* a code, it's just not working!!

 

i agree with ya... and i don't think most stock-radio-thiefs would even know about the anti-theft features until after they stole it, which kinda reduces the effectiveness of whole theft-prevention thing.

 

and you know what's funny?

some people said that the code in on the back of the stereo. so the theif jacked your HD, takes it home, pluges it in and goes "oh shit, i need a code. but yay, it's written on the back of the stereo".

so what's the point of that code again?

 

so yea... today i finally caved in and took it up to the dealer to see what the problem is. the guy tries putting in the code i have, then says "yep, it doesn't work!" (wow really?) then he tells me they're going to charge me $60 to remove it and get the serial number, since apparently at some point the original stereo (the one i have a code for) was replaced. grrrrrr.

well i didn't have a spare $60 laying around, and if i did i wasn't gonna give it to them :P so instead i came back home and tried to figure out how to take the dang thing out. (searching ACL for "stereo removal" gives ya some verrrry mixed results...)

so finally i just did it... got the consol out, all that woodgrain stuff, and eventually got to the stereo. yep, turns out the serial # was different from the one my car came with originally, and therefore had a different code. so i called the dealer back & told them the serial # & they gave me the right code. yay!!

...most of all, i'm just ridiculously impressed with myself for taking my car apart & putting it back together without breaking anything i have a bad record with this kinda thing

 

yay congrats now you can can take it apart whenever you want. Comes in handy when installing new stereo lights... shifters, enbrakes and things of that sort.

 

yay, good job. i love a girl that can do things like that. next time, bring your car around and i'll help you change your oil

 

Gotta start somewhere. Keep it up! :P

 

Code for a stock radio. What shit. What looser would steal a stock radio? Guess these jerk-offs are out there though.

I wish the stock radios were like, three feet deep and wouldn't fit in ANYTHING else! That would be cool. Fukn' theives!

 

Congrats!


It's a great feeling to have done the work yourself!

 

I just had the same experience. Unfortunately, I live 125 miles from the nearest dealer.

 

this just improves on the point to get an aftermarket stereo :P