XR3i Radio Locked Out

[XR3i-Rob]

Hi all...

My (1986) Mk IV XR3i radio has had the code inputted incorrectly after I disconnected my battery to work on the starter motor. My boy started pressing buttons and now the radio had locked me out.

It's the original ford radio. The black/dark grey one with the tape deck, 4 pre-set buttons and the green writing.

I've got 3 solid bars (not flashing) on the display but it won't allow me to input the code.

Can anyone help as I'm pulling my hair out...

Many thanks

Rob

Edited by XR3i-Rob on Thursday 31st December 14:50

[alabbasi]

I'm not sure about this period of radio , you might need to look it up by model # to get a definitive answer. My suggestion is to not touch it for at least 24 hours and see if the lock times out.

[Wilmslowboy]

Wasn’t the answer to pop them in the fridge

Some more useful posts here.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[LimSlip]

If it's showing three bars then it'll almost certainly unlock after some time (possibly up to 2 hours) if you leave it on. If you put in the wrong too many times it'll come up with an error code and be permanently locked (though there are likely specialists that can help).

[Godscrasher]

There was a trick to getting this back on without the code when I used to fanny around with electrics for work. I'll see if I can find it, but failing that, the leaving it plugged in but switched off for a while allows you to re-enter the code if I remember rightly.

If you do get it back on, try this site

https://fordradiocode.eu

Edited by Godscrasher on Thursday 31st December 17:38

[Roboticarm]

Wilmslowboy said:

Wasn’t the answer to pop them in the fridge

Some more useful posts here.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

The overnight freezer tricked worked for me twice with a late 80s Phillips unit

[cts1975]

Have you taken the radio out?
I sold Fords at a main dealer in the 90's and we could only retrieve 3 codes per day from the Ford system.
We had a book in workshop control full of radio code requests.
Consequently radio codes were very often written on the back of the unit during PDI's.