Problem with BMW radio??

[Matlock]

Hello All, I have just notices this forum when searching info about BMW´s although I have been a happy E34 owner for some years now. Well, better late than never I guess... ;)

My 520i was in winter mode for 4 months in a garage with battery separately unattached. After getting back on track last week everything else works excellent besides the radio. At first there was a sign "code" in the display but after my friend hit the code wrong (only once) the text changed from "code" to "----". Now the radio will not take any commands although I for sure know the code but none of the buttons are responding.

I have already taken the battery out and in again to reset everything but radio still stands in a mode where it does not respond to anything. It is original from year 1992 "BMW Bavaria C III" model BP1830.

Is there anything else that can be done? All kind of tips and guidance for further actions would be highly appreciated!

[mikey535im]

Sounds like you've done everything correct,you might want to check this out
http://www.koalamotorsport.com/tech/misc/radio.code.htm (http://)

[Javier]

In my Bavaria C Profesional RDS, once you hit the code THREE TIMES wrong, you should wait, with the radio on for 15 minutes to try again. If you disconnect the power to the radio during the WAIT interval, you have to wait again 15 minutes as the timer is reset to 0. In my case, the CODE is always accompanied by the 4 dashes (two line display), inviting you to enter the code, one dash is removed by any entered digit. If all four digits are OK, the radio goes into functioning mode, after two wrong attempts, the CODE sign start blinking so to tell you it is your last chance.

May be, in your case, you have only one chance (Doubt it), just wait the 15 minutes with the radio on, to start all over. My Car manual included the Radio Manual, an it includes a very good explanation on the Anti-Thieve protection operation.

[Matlock]

Thank you both for your replies. I managed to fix the problem by the follwing way: I kept the power on for an hour (car key in position "1") and after that the text "----" was automatically changed to "code" again and I was able to press the buttons and hit the code.

However, if anyone has a similar weird problem in the future, please note that you are not allowed to make any misspellings or the mode changed back to tilt and no commands are allowed, same happens if the engine is started and then turned off. After it reads "code" in the display, press "number 1" as many times as needed to get the right first number of code, then "number 2" as many times as needed to get the right second number of the code, then 3rd and 4th by similar way and only AFTER that press the "arrow right" key.

I have no idea why it was so extra sensitive about misspellings, last autumn when I changed new car battery the radio was reseted and I had to hit the code. I made at least 3 faulse attempts with no tilt mode whatsoever, only "code" shown in the display. But all in all, the main thing is that radio works smoothly again!