My car has a standard Ford radio/CD player. A couple of weeks ago, with the radio off, I heard a 'bleep' and realised that the radio had the word 'Code' displayed along with the 4 dashes. I got home, found the code - I'd only had the car for a couple of months - keyed in the code and all was well. My first question is why did this happen? According to the handbook, the code only needs re-entering if the battery has been disconnected. It hadn't, in fact I was driving at around 40 mph when the Code message popped up! Okay I can live with these odd things but a day or so later it wanted the code re-entering again one morning and the same thing the next morning, and this continued for 3 or 4 days. I told the dealership where I had bought the car about it and, if it happens again, well I have told them within the warranty period so they have told me they will sort it out but does anyone know why this has happened?

It sounds to me like an internal battery losing its charge overnight but I don't know if the unit has a battery and, in any case, the car battery is fine and the alarm/immobiliser is okay too so I can't think its a power supply issue.

It's been okay now for at least a week and it was fine before it started! Really weird!

Has this happened to anyone else? If so, what was the answer?

Thanks

Simon

It may be a loose connection on the permanent live feed that maintains the radio memory.

Check this one-

What he said...

Has it ever turned off by itself while you're using it? It could be all is well and fine, then the unit gets a knock from a bump in the road or something and temporarily looses power, it effectively pisses its pants and forgets its name for a bit.

I'd at least expect them to pull the unit out and double check the connection. Sadly the worst electrical faults are the intermittent ones.

Best of luck, post back when you get an answer from the dealer :-)

As others have said, it may just need the connecting plug on the back of the radio re-seating.

Thanks Guys,

As it stands the dealership haven't seen it but they have asked me to let them know if it plays silly buggers again. My main concern was to let them know about it before my 3 month warranty for a second hand car expired as I appreciate these things can get expensive. As they've told me that they will sort it out free of charge if it crops up again then I feel reasonably safe but I can see the logic of a dicky connection but it may be other than with the multi plug, maybe an in line connector somewhere? The thing that gets me though is that it happened virtually every morning for a few days and then its right as rain. Usual 'black arts' issue I suspect! It would have been nice if someone could have said it was the knurled flange bracket that need replacing then I could have told the dealers, but it seems to be not so simple! I'm enjoying 'normal' radio for the time being! Did you find that the radio can drift off its pre-sets? I listen to Radio 4 mainly (shows my age!) and sometimes I turn it on to hear a bad signal or crackling and I just press the pre-set button and its fine. Very strange, also an occasional loud buzz for a fraction of a second whilst someone is speaking - like interference. I'm not too worried, I just put it down to the character of my car and get on with it!!

Cheers

Simon

Thanks Guys,

As it stands the dealership haven't seen it but they have asked me to let them know if it plays silly buggers again. My main concern was to let them know about it before my 3 month warranty for a second hand car expired as I appreciate these things can get expensive. As they've told me that they will sort it out free of charge if it crops up again then I feel reasonably safe but I can see the logic of a dicky connection but it may be other than with the multi plug, maybe an in line connector somewhere? The thing that gets me though is that it happened virtually every morning for a few days and then its right as rain. Usual 'black arts' issue I suspect! It would have been nice if someone could have said it was the knurled flange bracket that need replacing then I could have told the dealers, but it seems to be not so simple! I'm enjoying 'normal' radio for the time being! Did you find that the radio can drift off its pre-sets? I listen to Radio 4 mainly (shows my age!) and sometimes I turn it on to hear a bad signal or crackling and I just press the pre-set button and its fine. Very strange, also an occasional loud buzz for a fraction of a second whilst someone is speaking - like interference. I'm not too worried, I just put it down to the character of my car and get on with it!!

Cheers

Simon

You could always changing the knurled flange bracket to see if it sorts the problem. :)

It could be the gamutt ridger or baffler sucker at fault too :D

I've always had problems with the left hand flogletoggle. ;)

Lol!

OP - make sure you have the AF turned on, this is 'Alternate Frequency', it should auto tune the radio allowing for geographical shift in the frequency of your nearest transmission tower. As for the buzz on speech, this could be due to the radio not following the frequency, FM or Frequency Modulated transmissions get furry round the edges.

I've always had problems with the left hand flogletoggle. ;)

Strange that, it's usually my right one that goes ;)

Lol!

OP - make sure you have the AF turned on, this is 'Alternate Frequency', it should auto tune the radio allowing for geographical shift in the frequency of your nearest transmission tower. As for the buzz on speech, this could be due to the radio not following the frequency, FM or Frequency Modulated transmissions get furry round the edges.

Thanks Andy, I will have a look at the AF angle. The dealership tuned the radio so a delve into the manual may be required. As far as regional frequencies are concerned, this is happening during local driving so that shouldn't come into it but if the frequency is drifting because AF isn't on then that could be it!

Cheers

Simon