i recently purchased a 1995 passat and there was no user manual with the car. the radio worked fine and now gives the message "safe" when turned on. would anyone with a manual be able to tell what this message means and if there is a reset option. thanks.:)

Stroh,

This is your theft deterrent radio doing it's stuff. ;) There is a 4-digit code that must be input any time the battery is disconnected or it loses power for whatever reason. This code is normally in the car's paperwork somewhere...most people keep it with the owner's manual.

You have 2 options. Get your car to a dealer. They should either (a) be able to look the code up in the car's MFA, or (b) have a universal code that should get your stereo working again.

Good luck!

I have a '96 Cabrio without the owner's manual (unfortunately).
After an incidence that requires a very long description, the silent radio shows the terrible "SAFE" message.

I have a 4 digit code but my problem is that I can't seem to get the system to receive it.

I was told that it has to show 1000 before the code is entered.
I was also told to push "mode" and "scan" simultaneously in order to change the SAFE to a 1000.

Well, this radio has a left scan and a right scan (small ones). It also has a bigger SEEK. The seek is the same size as the MODE, in some sort of symetrical positions.

I've tried with the scans and with the seek, both cases without success.

IS there a trick for this? How long do you hold those keys? Do I have to wait for a full moon to do it?

Silently waiting
Ana

OK... we had the same problem that you had on my bro-in-law's 98 Passat. We finally figured out that if you hold the large "SEEK" button... then press and hold the "SCAN>"... THEN... press and hold the bottom "<SCAN"... end result... pressing all three at the same time.

This should take you to the 1000, etc.

Worked for us... GOOD LUCK!

BDonner911

OK, I have a similar problem with my 95 VW Passat. I got the SAFE message to change to 1000, then I put in a code I thought would work. It gave me 2 tries and didn't work, now when I hold down SEEK, SCAN> and SCAN< all it does is _flash_ SAFE.

Anything I can do now?

Karlns:

I have the same problem you described in your post. Did anyone give you any help?

You wrote: "OK, I have a similar problem with my 95 VW Passat. I got the SAFE message to change to 1000, then I put in a code I thought would work. It gave me 2 tries and didn't work, now when I hold down SEEK, SCAN> and SCAN< all it does is _flash_ SAFE."

Peter

turn the key to off and leave the radio on for an hour and it will reset itself

Illest 7:

Thanks. I've done that. It won't take the code. When I enter the code (and it's the correct code, according to the dealer and the card), it just flashes SAFE again. Dealer says the radio is now shot and I have to replace it. Is there any other fix?

Thanks.

Peter

PS -- Cool ride. When I lived in Spartanburg (1996), the only RX-7 I ever saw was that sorry car the cops drove around, Written on the side was "CONFISCATED FROM A DRUG DEALER."

Thanks, I like my car :) The only one I know of that the police drive around is a shitpile 300zx. Pull the radio out and get the number off of it. It should start with VW. If safe flashes the radio is locked and has to be reset like I described.

I am working on a friend's car and she had no idea that she was supposed to keep the Volkswagen stereo supplement. This is the first one that I have done work on and I have no idea how to get this thing off of safe mode. Is there such a thing as a universal code and if so would you please let me know how to obtain one? Thanks.

A universal code would completely defeat the purpose of having a code at all. You need to remove the radio and find the serial number that begins with "VW" and call the dealership with that and the cars VIN. Ask for the parts department and they should look it up for free.

Hey All -
I read the string for the terrible "SAFE" message. I tried to reset mine with the wong code. When I was given the correct code it didn't work and kept flashing "SAFE". I got a new CD player and forgot about it. Now I am selling and when I re-plugged it in there it was again. It will not re-set!!! Please help? I did leave it for an hour and it still did not work.
Thanks in advance!!

I had the same problem (see above). I reset and reentered the correct code and it still wouldn't work. Because it was a factory unit, I just went to Circuit City and bought a cheapie. (Last week, Circuit City offered free installation with any purchase.) The dealer told me I had to replace it, and so did VWs 1-800 number. Sucks.

Originally posted by bridbear
Hey All -
I read the string for the terrible "SAFE" message. I tried to reset mine with the wong code. When I was given the correct code it didn't work and kept flashing "SAFE". I got a new CD player and forgot about it. Now I am selling and when I re-plugged it in there it was again. It will not re-set!!! Please help? I did leave it for an hour and it still did not work.
Thanks in advance!!

if you cant get the new code for it you will have to buy another one with the code for it. Theyre pretty easy to find.

Hey there -
Yes, i do have the correct code which worked before. Does that mean that I have to buy another radio and code?

thanks!

AB

I just wanted to share my recent radio code experience.

I have a 91 Passat but the previous owner replaced the radio with another VW one. I pulled the radio out a few days ago (disconnecting the power) without thinking about any code. When I plugged it back in, I got the infamous SAFE message and then the 1000 message. I have no manual for the radio but luckily I found some radio codes scribbled down on a Post-it that I found in the glove compartment. I tried a couple of them but unfortunately they were not right so I locked out the radio (after the 1st incorrect try, I got a 1 and SAFE message, and then after the 2nd incorrect try, I got a permanent 2 and SAFE message). At this point, I thought I had to bring the radio back to the dealer to get a new one. Anyway, I tried the reset procedure suggested here (turn the key to off and leave radio on for an hour, thanks illest7), and after just about an hour, I got the chance to enter new codes again. The 3rd code on my list worked and I am happy to say I now have a working stereo again.

One more bit of info, I only needed to press and hold down the right SEEK > button to enter the code. I guess different models use different keys.

Al

Illest 7:

Thanks. I've done that. It won't take the code. When I enter the code (and it's the correct code, according to the dealer and the card), it just flashes SAFE again. Dealer says the radio is now shot and I have to replace it. Is there any other fix?

Thanks.

Peter

PS -- Cool ride. When I lived in Spartanburg (1996), the only RX-7 I ever saw was that sorry car the cops drove around, Written on the side was "CONFISCATED FROM A DRUG DEALER."

I just had the same problem with my 1999 Passat radio. The dealer gave me a code that didn't work. The solution, after hours of searching the internet, was to change the 7th position of the radio serial # from a "V" to "W" or "W" to "V". Then have the dealer put the changed serial # into their system and it might give you a new code. In my case the system did give a different code which ended up working. Hope this helps, Jeff

Sounds like I'm having a similar problem. I had to replace the battery in my '97 Cabrio and now the SAFE message is on the radio. I hit the Mode and Scan buttons and got the 1000 message but after I enter the code, the SAFE message keeps flashing. This has happened once before and i was able to unlock it so I know that I have the right code. Any suggestions???

I've waited an hour and tried again 3 times but to no avail....

hello, well I had a monsoon radio and its stuck!!, it just says SAFE but it doesnt let me put in the code, its a 03 stock radio i think its from a jetta, i get it from ebay , well if somebody knows how tu get to the next step please help me, thaks.
Walter

My radio sometimes locks up and you have to enter in the 4 digit code. I can not remember what button you press after you enter in all 4 numbers... seek>? the big round circle button? I need to know this. Since I didn't know I accidently locked it up SCAN 2 and it won't let me punch numbers in anymore. Is there anyway to disable this so I can punch in the numbers again? If so I really need to know what button I press after I punch in the 4 digit code. Thank you. (ps: i dont have a users manual!)