Having owned several older volvos and going through the hassle of resetting radio codes, my 1998 v70 wagon is just not getting the message!

Ive tried the trusted steps - if anyone has specific to this car instructions on resetting the radio from OFF to CODE - please help!! Ive read about this many times but the usual process doesnt seem to be working-- i cant get it to say CODE. What am I doing wrong!! THANK YOU ALL -

 

If you enter the wrong code in three times then it switches to OFF. The only way I have found to get it back to CODE is to keep the radio on for a couple hours.

I have read that it does not need to be continuous hours but my experience is it DOES.

After fighting with ours for a while it finally switched to CODE after a long drive of close to 2 hours.

I am sure the dealership can reset it as well.

Good luck!

 

 

Dealer can't do anything, there is nothing special about it. Not sure what steps you've read though as there's plenty of wrong info on the net.

 

Thank you rspi ! I guess I will try this, I did leave it in the first position for what I felt was 2 hours but all it did was drain my battery to almost zero and still didnt revert to CODE. I am going to now, leave it on and accumulate some driving and hope for it pop up! Then I have to pray that the code I have (written in pen atop the radio) is the right one!!
I'll report results.

 

Reporting back that this didnt work for me ;( - I
1. definitely accumulated well over 2 hours of driving time with the radio on but it never went from the "OFF" position to the "CODE" position ;-(

2. Leaving the key in first position, drained my battery but didnt move the radio to "CODE"

3. Swapping the fuse for the radio also didnt work ( i read this worked for some people to reset the radio back to "CODE")

1998 V70 Wagon - anyone else have a suggestion ?
depressed without my radio ;(

 

As mentioned in early responses, the radio must be powered up by leaving the ignition switch turned to the "on" position. If your battery is weak, make sure the doors are all closed so that the int.lights don't stay on. (Open the window as a precaution,...for whatever reasons) close the doors, and leave the radio alone. In my experience it took more than two hours for the radio to reset itself from the LOCKED position to CODE.

Your radio could be on the fritz...not that you want to hear that, but I had a similar problem with a factory radio that initially did work. (I even posted my problems on here). Radio would power up, prompt me to enter the "CODE", and upon entering the correct code, (called the dealer, to double check code was correct, and it was...) nothing would happen. I tried it numerous times = nothing. The only cheap solution was to hit a wrecking yard, and ask for a working radio (with the code).
Good Luck.
-Andrew

 

Thanks Andrew - I have left it in the "on" position - for almost 4 hours, and had no luck. The radio - I believe - is sound because this did happen because of a battery change. The traditional way we end up in this predicament. ;-)
I wonder, if it's best to just completely disconnect the battery and re - connect, because essentially that's how the radio reset the first time.
I just dont know how to do this.
But I am bereft without my radio.

 

Sam, any luck on this ? I'm going goofy without my radio as well. Bought the beater last month and it displayed "Off ". Only banged it around town for a few miles here and there a few weeks so I never had the car on for 2 consecutive hours , which is what the dealer said to do. ( 2 consecutive hours , not an accumulation of 2 hours after multiple trips , Ive seen the conflicting info on the site ) Anyway, I decide to take it into NYC for some meetings this week , 3 hours in and 3 hours back ....nada. Still displays "Off". Unless their is another trick or shortcut ( done the sit for 2 hours thing and the fuse thing )I think I am going to assume its cooked. Any tricks to verify cookage ?


BK1

 

Bla, Bla, Bla,... Most of the radio's have to be 1) ON and 2) the key has to be in the i position (accessory), not ii running.

If you guys want, you and ship your radio to me and I will unlock it for you. I also have a radio for sale that I can sell you and core for yours if you'd like. Just PM me.

 

Yes actually! Success at last but nothing that rhymes with reason ;-) I just left the radio on all the time, and one day, i looked down and noticed that it had finally stopped saying OFF and now was saying CODE - amazing! I'd have to say it was an accumulation of many hours, like 20 hours of driving, and then it just reverted to CODE. so that's what worked for me! good luck ;-)

 

Resorted to swapping mine in my kids S70 and it didn't revert to CODE either . Got one on EBay for $45 bucks and I'm back in business. I don't think I've had a cassette player in a car for 10 years. Actually went in the basement and dug some old tapes out...pretty cool !