Volkswagen Radio: What Does Safe Mode Mean?
All Volkswagen car radios are equipped with an anti-theft feature that displays “safe code.” Like many automotive security systems, this feature can accidentally be activated. Thankfully, it’s easy to unlock a Volkswagen radio that’s reading “safe code.”
Understanding the Safe Code Security Feature
The safe code security feature is meant to deter thieves from stealing radios out of Volkswagen models by locking the radios. Once the feature is activated, a radio will turn on — but it will only display “safe code.” Until the appropriate code is entered, the user can’t tune to a radio station, play a CD, connect an MP3 player or even turn on the volume. The radio is effectively rendered useless.
The security feature is activated if a radio ever loses power. In order to steal a radio from a car, a thief must disconnect the radio from the car’s battery — and the radio will lose power. Even if the thief is quick and immediately connects the radio to another power source, there will be a moment when it’s not connected to any power source. Thus, an interruption in the power supply indicates a potential burglary.
A burglary, however, isn’t the only way a radio might lose power. If a car’s battery is replaced or dead, there will be at least a short time when the radio doesn’t have power. This break in power will activate the safe code security feature, because a radio has no way of knowing whether there is a burglary in progress or a car’s battery is being removed.
Entering Your Radio’s Safe Code
If your Volkswagen radio reads “safe code,” you won’t be able to use it until you enter its safe code. The safe code is a four-digit number, which you need to know to unlock the radio.
There are a few places where you might find your Volkswagen radio’s safe code. It’s included with your Volkswagen’s original paperwork, in the radio manual. If you don’t have this document, you might find the code in the trunk or on the spare tire. Often when a driver brings a Volkswagen to a dealership for this issue, the dealer will affix a tag with the code to the lid of the trunk or onto the spare tire.
If you can’t find the code, you’ll need to have a dealer look it up. Any Volkswagen dealer can look up the code, by either looking up your car’s VIN, or pulling the radio out and checking its serial number.
Once you have the code, it’s easy to enter. Each of the first four preset buttons corresponds to one of the digits in the code. That is, the first preset is used to enter the first digit, the second preset the second digit, and so on. Pressing a preset will increase the corresponding number by one, with “9” going back to “0.” (If you have more than four presets, only the first four are used.) You can use the seek buttons to go back and forth between the digits.
If you see “2 Safe Code,” then the incorrect safe code has been entered twice. You’ll need to wait an hour before you can enter the code again.
After the proper code is entered, your radio will be unlocked and fully functional.
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