I put a new battery in my car. Now the radio is "frozen" where I last used it. The CD and tape player work, but nothing else, i.e. the volume and radio controls.


To make the issue more confusing, every once-in-a-while, it works normally. The radio has never asked for the code, so I'm not sure if it thinks it is stolen or what.


All I really want is the volume control as I don't listen to the radio. In fact, when I get the time, I'm going to cut the #7 wire on the harness in the armrest and do away with the antennae.


Any ideas?

 

Try a hard reset first, put neg cable of battery on pos term (with pos term cable connected) for about 20 secs.. reatt neg cable, you will need to reset you windows (long hold down till beep, then long hold up till beep) and if you need a code it should pop then. Not many NA cars had radio codes. Check your owners manual / docs and see if you have a card with 4 digits that would be it.

 

No, I don't have any radio codes, just the key code.

 

Put the ground cable on the positive terminal? You sure that wont' short anything? I know if you put your cables on backwards it will cause all kinds of problems (did it once with a motorcycle...)

 

Charlie, not a problem, just disconnect at the terminal (neg) and if it won't reach, use a pair of vise grips on the neg and touch the handle to the pos terminal. The key word here is DISCONNECT!


Wayne

 

GreenForest, I just did a bore wash recovery procedure on my 99 xk8. When I was ready to reinstall the battery, following the advice I found here in the forums, I hesitatingly touched the negative cable to the positive terminal (already connected) and counted to ten. I then attached the cable to the battery.
Upon tightening the cable down and starting my Kitty, all I had to do was reset the windows and radio stations. Absolutely nothing else was physically effected short of what ever corrections this procedure does for the onboard computer(s).
I can now confidently say, that touching the negative cable to the positive post is the proper procedure for a factory/hard reset. Nothing shorted out, nothing was harmed, no sparks, no electrical smell.


Do a search for bore wash and read my two posts...

 

You might lose your bass/treble/balance/etc. settings as well. I did, as well as had to re-input the PIN code.

 

The hard reset (neg cable to pos term) will allow capacative memory to drain without damage to any electrical components. Occasionally some of these memories get hosed and odd things occur (codes, strange behavior ) so a reset clears then to factory setting. Then you start fresh, fortunately we only have to reset the windows and mostly in EU radio codes, other items will be reset but they will relearn with driving cycles.

 

Can anyone explain how a hard reset is different from a reflash?

 

If you are more familiar with computer terminology, a hard reset is like a cold reboot, a reflash is like a re-install of the software.