thejobman

So my battery died because I left my headlights on. When I jumped it, the code request as many of you know came up....

I looked in the glove box, under the ash-tray, and behind the fuse box, but cannot find this code at all! I am the second owner, just bought the car 2-3 months ago.

It is pretty rediculous to from me to have to take the wood triming and all off and have yank my radio out just to find out the code for my radio! I mean, the crook who steals it can ask the dealer for the code just as easily as I can!

Sigh, this design sucks!

01tl4tl

Actually the crook has a hard time because the dealer wants to see your car registration and some ID unless they know you

Its not the code you get off the back -its the serial number

Have you called the old owner??- there is no way the original battery is in there so the code has been used before- look under the fusebox covers too, any owner manual or biz card from selling dealer with code on it?

Might be stored if last guy had account at www.acura.com
call them 1-800-382-2238 x5 register as new owner and ask if code in file online
also register here
https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura
with luck its been stored there by last owner

BENDER08

the code is under the fuse lid under your hood every tl has it...... at least everyone i looked at

sequoia

not sure if it's the same for the first as it is the third generation, but my radio code / navi code was on the outside of the glovebox on the left as it is opened.

KaMLuNg

iTrader: (5)

u have your owners manual??? mine was in there...

TLin401

I am here to save you! You can take your radio out with a butter knife (it really works) the code is on the bottom of the radio and it might also be under the armrest in there. It is also behind the woodgrain that is below the vents. The code is all over the front of the car they just hide it in weird places.

undyroos

mine was on a sticker on the underside of my cointray. i found it when i removed it to access the obdII port for my scan gauge...i looked at the sticker and i was like hey that number looks really familiar and then i realized what it was...

01tl4tl

once you know yours, register a free account for your car with acura.com
Has a secure storage place just for your codes, in case you ever need them, or the next owner does
https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=acura

thejobman

I only looked behind the fuse box cover that is in the driver side's footwell... no sticker with numbers....

I will look under the hood as well.

BIG BALLA - can you expound on exactly how the butter knife trick works?

Thanks for the responses!!! I am going nuts driving this car w/out a radio!!! Thats why I rode my bike to work today... sound track by Yoshimura

01tl4tl

Look for hand wriiten numbers as well as small white sticker with computer printed numbers

Some owners write it on the edge of the glovebox door- think creative- where will YOU hide the code for future referance??? Look there!!!

The under a fuse cover in engine compartment is an old Acura trick
What good is a security code if you give the crook the code right where they are working!!!!

desired_speeds

butter knife wont work unless the radio has been previously unscrewed and been left unscrewed. the quickest way to remove the radio is to pop the covers on both sides under the dash out and stick a socket with an angler and extension in to unscrew it. I've always just taken the whole dash apart to do it though.

meazz1

Easiest, is to remove the molding from passenger side using a small flat head. Takes less than 30 sec. Than remove the radio. 2 or 4 screws, I forgot.

phazein

Easiest way to get the code. Call your local dealership. Tell them you are a local car service shop(find one in the yellow pages) you replaced the battery and the radio doesn't work. Give them the vin and they will give you the code.

mamitaxchula

iTrader: (1)

YUP IT IS THERE...Bingo!

thejobman

Nope... no bingo... no sticker with the code!!!! arghhhhhhh i am hating this car! I need to listen to something when i drive!!! this sucks!

I went to dealer the car was mostly maintained at by the prev owner.... they dont have any radio code.... i call the place that sold the car when it was new, they dont have it either since they purger records every 5 or so years! Now, if PAY THEM $110, they will take the sterio out, read the serial #, look it up, for me.

If i take out the sterio myself, i can just pay them $10 for the code look up. This sucks! I KNOW i will somehow bend or damage the fake wood trimming when trying to remove the sterio!

TLin401

Have you tried taking the woodgrain out because the code is behind there. Your radio must have been taken out at least once so try sticking a butter knife on the outside of the radio n slide it all the way down the sides and across on top. If there is anything that is sealing it then it should come out. Then try pulling the radio out with the knife but you might need another knife though so have two just in case. If you are able to get it out then you can undo he harnesses and the code should be on the bottom on the radio.

If you try to take the woodgrain out to get the code then you can also use a butter knife and take it out. There are clips so start on the passenger's side and lift that side up a little but don't force it because it will break. Then you should be able to figure out where the clips are so you can take it out and then hopefully there should be the code like 3 or 4 times written in white, I believe, on the passenger's side.

Good luck!

ImSofaKingWeTaDid

Its very easy to remove the wood trim covering of the radio and climate controls. Unless you get angry and try to rip it out too fast. Like the above post says, just open your glove box, reach inside behing the wood grain and you`ll find a clip. Now just sqeeze the clip and the trim will pop right out, like butta.
Now there will be two more of these clips, just do the same thing with those and the complete right side, the side thats thickest will pop out. After you get the passenger side off, use a flat head screw driver and carefully pry off the trim underneath the radio and go from there, its very easy. After all the clips are out, just remove the harness`s from the climate control. The right harness is for air condintiong and the other is for the power. The point is to get those clips out underneath the glove box.

thejobman

I have to formally appoligize to any one participating or even reading this thread... cuz i was really being a wuz about that whole thing!

I was able to take wood trim off and take the radio out, snap a pic of the serial #, and put everything back in less than 15 minutes... maybe 10 minutes... it turned out to be a lot easier than what I thought it would be! FYI, i used a butter knife to wedge off the wood trim.

Anyways, I CANT BELIEVE the dealer wanted to change me $100 in labor for that! Truely a stealership indeed!

Thanks for all you help!

myTaLizaS3.2

congrats. there was also another easier way..Getting the serial by pressing 1 and 6 and turning on the radio. then calling Acura Client. And you get the code over the phone.

Not sure if that'll work on your 1st gen though.

TLin401

I'm glad to see that you got your radio working again. Butter knives do come in handy at times.

teekay3001

i donno i couldnt find mine under the glove box so i called the dealer who looked it up with alot of verification and told me mine was 52252, i donno if that code will work 4 yours but try it

thejobman

Not sure if that would work on mine... either way, i call the acura dealer and the guy gave me the code over the phone. He was like "i know i should make u come in, but im to busy and just dont care"... i as so freaken relieved!

flyinghighagain

i just changed my battery two days ago and the same radio code bs came up and i am the second owner as well....luckily the previous owner had a piece of green paper in the owners manuel plastic book thing and the code was in there

dan jacobsen

I changed my battery tonight. I have my code written down in my Acura book, but I entered it incorrectly, after which the radio would not allow anymore code inputs! Yuck. So I came to the forum, read some posts. I had already tried to disconnect the neg post of the battery to no avail. So, I disconnected the pos post. Now the radio is looking for a code! Woohoo! Thanks to the folks who post here!!!!

Ken1997TL

If you know what you're doing.. you can remove the fake wood trim piece without ANY tools and just your bare hands. I open the glovebox and use my middle finger to push on the plastic clip and the trim piece pops right out and I go from there