Hey all,
I've searched these forums and I'm desperately hoping someone her can help with a strange problem.

I bought my 2010 Honda Fit Sport about a year ago from a salvage shop and have had 0 problems with it. With stupid cold temps here in MN, I went to replace my battery today. When I did, the 'Enter Code' message appeared on the radio. Since I didn't have the card with the code, I went to the dealership and they pulled up the serial number and retrieved the code. Here's the thing - the code they pulled up didn't work. They tried it many times, no luck. We tried unhooking the battery and resetting it - we also checked the batt to make sure that it had needed voltage (surprisingly, the dealership was pretty cool about trying to help me). They told me that the serial number from the stereo came up as a 2008 model, even though the car is a 2010 model.

In the end, they told me there was nothing they could do. They did suggest that I could buy an aftermarket deck. Uhg. I would much prefer to just keep the stock deck for aesthetic reasons. As of now, I have a nice Fit with an unlockable stereo.

Does anybody have any ideas? I promise I own this car legally and would be happy to send whatever proof people want - I just want my stereo back!

 

Have you tried the Honda code retrieval site?

https://radio-navicode.honda.com/

It will ask you for a phone number and zip code; I'm not sure where they get the info, but you could try registering your car on Ownerlink first (https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com).

Other than that, I've got nothing for you.

EDIT: Just to add, make sure you get the serial number from the radio display. I'm guessing either the dealer typed in the serial number of the radio incorrectly into their system or punched the code incorrectly into the radio .

 

Here's another place to check. There's a few more posts about radio codes on this thread below:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...ck-engine.html

Good luck!

 

Thank for the ideas, but - no go. Honda wants the original phone number and zip, which I don't have. The dealership checked the serial number from the radio multiple times, and entered it it in to the deck about 13 times (after disconnecting the battery to reset the error code timeout.

 

2008 and 2010 are completely different generations of the Fit in the US.

1st generation (GD3): 2007-2008
2nd generation (GE8): 2009-present

Their radios are interchangeable? Because it doesn't look like they'd be. Does your radio look like the first one, just all hacked into the dash?

 

Best bet would be to trace which dealership the Fit was from for they most likely are the ones that would have the original code. I know this because I used to coordinate pre-inspections of new vehicles at Honda and the technicians puts paint code/engine code/interior trim code/radio code together with the vehicle file.

If all else fails, just get an aftermarket deck and take the faceplate off every time if you're concerned about it getting stolen. Goodluck!

 

I'd be a little concerned about you being ripped off on that car. Smells like that 2010 may not really be a 2010? Hard to believe as a 2008 and 2010 are noticeably different but......k
Just sayin.

Salvage title cars are notoriously sketchy.

 

Did you contact the salvage shop you bought it from? They obviously used the radio from another car so had to have the code to activate it before selling it to you. Check your paperwork good, maybe they wrote it down somewhere?

 

Do you have the serial number still? If you do what is it? What is your VIN?

 

my code is on a sticker on the side of my glove box (it was the lower glove box, on the outside facing the stick shift if you open it glove box door.

I thought everyone had such a sticker.

 

Yes, the sticker is gonna stay after at least one previous owner and a visit to a body shop after salvaging.

There's absolutely no chance the previous owner could've taken it off.

 

When a car comes into the dealer they have a tech look it over, plug in a fuse or two and also type the radio code in. What the tech is supposed to do is put the sticker on the side of the glove box or on the owners manuel on the inside of the front or back cover. Chances are it's in the manual and that manual got lost.

Why would the previous owner take the sticker off of a glove box? What are the odds the glovebox was replaced, there is no reason unless it was broken.

 

Could always yell at the salvage yard and suggest they call you the next time a Fit comes in so you can swap the radio with one that has a working code...

 

I'm confused. Why would anyone put the code ON a sticker on the glove box? That's like saying, "Hey, thief! Take my stereo, and by the way, here's the code to unlock it!"

 

A thief that's stealing the stock radio from an economy car is probably not the brightest bulb in the box. Thinking to look for the code may not be on their mind, particularly as I can't imagine it making a whole lot of difference to their fence.

The code for my radio came printed on a little card that I promptly filed in one of the handy card slots in the cloth owner's manual protector bag. I'd guess that most people do something like that, at least around here; I'm more worried about losing the code when I need it than I am about having the radio stolen

 

Well, the car does have a salvaged title for a reason. who's to say the glove wasn't replaced? were you the previous owner?

Aside from that... i take of stickers just for the shit of it. the previous owner could have ANY reason to take it off, maybe simple thought that, since it's on the card, on file with honda, easily accessible on the owner's link, that there's little reason to keep it there.

I don't know what happened... my point is... you're all making assumptions as if this were a new car, which this isn't.

 

VIN - JHMGE8H40AC024853
Radio SN - 24100494

I'm going to try to call Honda directly tomorrow and plea my case, hopefully someone will take pity on me.

 

wow.....that is really strange, I've never seen that happen. I went in and checked what cars the tuner itself fits and it definitely only fits 2009 and up. I would say have someone at the dealer call tech line and see what they say. Salvage title or not...that doesn't make any sense.

 

Said it once and I'm gonna say it again........check the VIN#s! Should appear in multiple places on the car, not just under the windshield. My father owned a body shop in NYC for 30 years. I've seen and heard about stuff like this many times.

Make sure that VIN matches everything else on the car. I suspect it does not. Salvage is salvage......we get that. But a stolen VIN with a hodge-podge of stolen parts......that is something different.

 

RESOLVED!

I called Honda's main support number, my new best friend Melanie gave me a new code (after talking to her tech support) that she said had something to the U or the L that is a part of the serial number.

For all you folk that hang out on these forums - if you see this issue again, the tech guys said that the salvage title should not affect the radio at all. The radio generates the serial and that is what the code is based on. Even if the radio is replaced, the serial number of the code is the big deal. Basically, if someone's code isn't working, try the U/L varient first.

Thanks for all your help.