My 1995 VW GTI VR6 battery went dead (kids left a light on) and the anti-theft alarm went mental. Anyway, I jumped it, ran it and all is good with the battery, except... the radio went into "SAFE" mode. It won't play. When I turn it on, it just says "SAFE." What the heck is that and how do you reset it?
It's the basic radio that comes with the car off the shelf.
I checked the manual. Nothing about radio-SAFE mode.
Can any of you VW afficianados help?
Look in the radio booklet. Safe mode keeps theives from using the radio after they take it from you. Now you need the radio code, four digits, and the procedure on how to reset it. There was a tear out card with the radio code on a sticker in the radio booklet when the car was new. If you can't find the code then remove the radio and take it into the parts counter at vw with proof of ownership of the car and ask them nicely if they can get the code for you. Or take it to the service department and have them do it.
Jo Bo
First you need the code.
Do you have that?
If not, you have to go to the dealer and pay him to give you the radio code.
Once you get the code (and some dealers will cough it up gratis), then when the 'safe' message comes up, hold down Mode and Scan simultaneously, then '1000' will come up. On my '95 Passat radio ('Premium Audio'), the preselect button '1' changes the 1000's digit, the '2' button increments the
100's digit, and so on. Once the code is entered, hold Mode and Scan again until it comes back to life.Theo
Its so annoying when ur very new radio gave u " safe" instead of singing, and u cant find any code anywhere on the manual. I guess the only sensible thing to do now is to calmly pull it out as quickly as I can and stump on it real good. The volkswagen premium audio which came with my used Eurovan '93 model 2 weeks ago is useless to me anyway since there's no Volkswagen dealer in my area (sount-eastern Nigera) to run to for another code
-- opunarms
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I had the same exact problem with my radio once i first got my car as well...the best thing you can do is call the service number on the back of the radio head unit itself, and they should give you a code you can punch in and get the radio working again instead of reading Safe Mode...but good luck..
Cya Matt
96PassatGLX
In related news, that check you sent me just bounced.
Stumped, yours in Christ.
The best way to avoid the need for a code is to buy a non-VW brand radio. There are plenty of them, at all price ranges and all options, and they are easy to install.
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