April 15, 2018
Resetting the Radio in a 2006 Honda Accord
I recently replaced the battery in this vehicle.
Doing this activates the anti-theft feature in the radio
and it is necessary to enter a 5 digit code to reactivate
the radio. In more recent cars this code (and the radio
serial number) is on a tag glued inside the glove comparment.
My code was on a business card sized card in the packet of
manuals and stuff we got when we bought the car.
In retrospect, the smart thing to do might be to connect a
second battery while doing the battery replacement and avoid
all of this. But if you have the code, it is a pretty easy
matter to enter it.
Before I got involved, my wife had tried various things and the
radio was apparently locking out any further attempts.
Reportedly you get 3 tries before this happens.
So what I did was this:
- Disconnect the battery and wait 5 minutes.
- Reconnect the battery.
- Turn the key to the on position, but do not start the car.
- Ensure the radio is off (only the time is blinking).
- Hold down button 1 and 6 for 20+ second.
- Continue holding them down and press the power on button.
After this sequence, the radio began displaying two numbers that
are the radio serial number (these numbers match the 8 digit
second number on the card in my glove compartment.
What I see is first "U 1321", then "L 0924", so the
serial number is 13210924. Write them down, since by the
time you run and get some paper, the display moves on to something
else. You don't need them anyway if you have the little card.
After a while the display will just say "CODE" and is waiting for
you to enter the 5 digit code. Something like 46362.
You use the buttons labelled 1-6 to do this (so the code cannot
contain the digits 7,8,9, or 0.)
Once you do this, the radio immediately unlocks with a loud beep.
Congratulations.
To set the time use button 4 and 5 while the time is blinking.
To get the clock into the mood to set time, hold down the "Sound"
button until the time starts blinking (about 4 seconds).
Press "Sound" again once you are happy with the time you have set.
Wise advice
The wise man would hook up a parallel battery or similar 12 volt
source. It can be quite small since it doesn't have to start the car.
And even if you don't do that, if you have the code card, as soon as
you hook up the new battery and turn the radio on, it will ask you
for the code and it will take you only a few seconds to type it in.
A more elaborate process is only needed if someone has fooled around
trying to guess codes and the radio has locked itself due to the 3 strikes
and you are out rule.
Have any comments? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Tom's Camry pages / tom@mmto.org