Radio Code Entry Issue - 1999 Acura TL
 

After a transmission rebuild, needed to reactivate the radio. I have the Acura supplied code, 31222.

The problem is that when the radio is turned on, I get a variety of displays, depending on what was done to the radio when it was last on. So my wife tried to get the radio working after we picked up the car from the transmission shop, and whatever buttons she pushed resulted in the radio displaying "C d 2" when I started fooling with it. I note that you can push number buttons and the radio will begin displaying C, O, D, E, a space and then a number, so you arrive at "CODE 1" or CODE 2" but no matter what you do after that, you get a beep and an error count. I'm pretty close to being frozen out, I think, if you are allowed ten attempts.

Along the way, I tried just punching in 31222, no matter what the screen said, but that also generates an error.

What am I missing?

undo the battery for 10-15 minutes, plug it back in and try again.

Call Acura, they'll step you through the process (which doesn't always follow the published script).

I'll give this a try. Thanks.

I had to take the car for other issues the next day, and Honda fixed the radio. The service writer had no idea the radio S/N was obtainable behind the passenger side console trim. Ah, youth.

Just in case it happens again, or your battery is disconnected for any reason. When you first turn on your vehicle enter your radio code using your preset numbers right away and it will take it. If you push random buttons it is taking it as your radio code entry and you will get error messages because you're entering the wrong number sequence. If you are doing the previous but you're still getting an error code after entering the correct code, your antenna needs to be blocked and you can either disconnect it after disassembly of your lower dash and left side console (search you tube video), or you can enter your code while in an underground parking lot. All that concrete will block your antenna, enter your code and it will accept it and your radio will work right away. :)