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Your radio says theft lock or locked on
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the screen and you can't get it to work.
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Yeah, that's what we're talking about
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today. Hey, I'm Tom from Car Justify. I
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help you figure out car problems without
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the dealership runaround. So, you turn
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on your GM, Cadillac, or Hummer and the
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radio's asking for a code. Super
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annoying, right? Don't worry, it's
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easier than it sounds. These theft lock
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systems are meant to stop thieves from
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reusing stolen radios, but they also
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love to lock out the owner if the
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battery gets disconnected. First thing
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you'll need is the radio's unlock code.
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But before that, you have to get the
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radio's security or error code. Usually,
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you hold down the preset buttons, often
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one and four together, or sometimes two
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and three, until it spits out a three or
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four-digit number. I've seen people get
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stuck here for hours because they didn't
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know the button combo. If that doesn't
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work, check your owner's manual. Some
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older models list the exact button combo
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there. Yep, GM didn't make this part
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consistent across all years. If your
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screen just says locked and won't
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respond, you might need to do a clear
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step first, like turning the ignition
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on, holding preset 1 and four, then
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turning the radio off and on again. It
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can be stubborn, so don't give up too
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quick. Now, once you have that error
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code from the radio, you'll need to get
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the actual unlock code. Back in the day,
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you had to call the dealer, pay them a
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fee, and wait on hold forever. These
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days, you can still call the dealership,
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but many will give you the code for free
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if you ask nicely. or you can use online
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services. They'll usually want the
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radio's error code and sometimes your
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vehicle identification number. Quick tip
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here, double check the online services
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reviews if you go that route. Some are
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legit, others are scams that just take
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your money and ghost you. A friend of
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mine actually paid twice to two
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different sketchy sites before calling
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the dealer who gave him the code for
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nothing. Once you have the unlock code,
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it's usually simple to enter. Turn the
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key to accessory or on. Turn on the
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radio, then use the preset buttons to
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punch in the code. Press and hold the
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set or enter button if there is one.
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Some radios automatically unlock as soon
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as the last digit is entered. But let's
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say you keep getting an error. That can
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happen if you enter the wrong code too
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many times. Some radios lock out for
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good until they're reset at the
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dealership with a special tool. So try
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to avoid guessing. Write the code down
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first, then enter it carefully. Another
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thing, if your battery keeps dying or
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you keep disconnecting it, you'll be
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doing this dance every time. Consider
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getting a small memory saver tool that
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plugs into your cigarette lighter or OBD
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port to hold the settings while you swap
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batteries. It's like 10 bucks and saves
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a lot of headaches. Also, some models
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store the code in the vehicle's ECU, so
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even if you don't know it, a GM
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dealership or a shop with the right scan
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tool can pull it out for you. Worth
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asking about if you're stuck. And here's
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something that trips people up all the
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time. The factory code might be written
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on a little card in your glove box or
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owner's manual. Check before you do
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anything else. I've had people come in
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all panicked only to find it in the
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glove box the whole time. All right,
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quick recap. Step one, get the radio's
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error code using the button combo. Step
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two, call the dealer or use a legit
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online service to get the unlock code.
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Step three, enter it carefully on the
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radio. Step four, avoid future lockouts
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by using a memory saver or checking for
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hidden factory code cards. If this
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helped you out, don't forget to like and
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subscribe. I try to keep things simple
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so you don't waste time or money at the
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dealer. Drop a comment if you're still
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stuck or have questions. I'll do my best
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to help. See you next time.
