# Pontiac radio lock-out feature

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pontiac-radio-lock-out-feature/211717>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 6, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pontiac-radio-lock-out-feature/211717 "2003-11-06T16:46:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pontiac-radio-lock-out-feature/211717/1 "2003-11-06T16:46:31Z")

</div>

A good friend who is pig-headed has a problem, and I’d like to help him out.

The battery in his 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix died. Power has since been restored, but his (GM factory) radio, upon losing power, went into an anti-theft lock-down mode. My friend remembers setting a code when he got the car, but doesn’t remember what the code is. :rolleyes:

I suspect that there’s a hidden switch somewhere that resets the radio, or possibly a backdoor code number. Presumably the dealer knows how to activate these things, but my friend refuses to take the car in, or even call. Instead he’d rather complain to me loudly and often about his lack of a radio.

Can you help by providing me with the procedure for re-activating the radio? Please?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pontiac-radio-lock-out-feature/211717/2 "2003-11-06T17:03:59Z")

</div>

If there was such a thing, wouldn’t it completely defeat the object of having a code?

As far as I know, the best solutions are: contact the vendor and get them to tell you the code (which you may have to pay for), or buy a new radio, whichever turns out cheaper.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pontiac-radio-lock-out-feature/211717/3 "2003-11-06T17:25:33Z")

</div>

Your friend needs to call the dealer. You’re going to have to get this thru his head somehow.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pontiac-radio-lock-out-feature/211717/4 "2003-11-07T00:44:47Z")

</div>

There’s info available on the 'net about this. Google search the word **theftlock**