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Woman Changes Battery In Honda. Now Her Radio And Backup Camera Don’t Work: ‘That’s Illegal’

"It’s just a black screen."

Woman Changes Battery In Honda. Now Her Radio And Backup Camera Don’t Work

Photo by: jackistorm & Tim Bernhard

JT Wilson

By: JT Wilson

Oct 26, at 10:00am ET

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A woman says replacing her dead car battery left her locked out of her Honda’s screen—with no idea where to find the code it suddenly wanted.

TikTok user Jackie (@jackistorm) says her battery died and she got a new one from Honda. But afterward, she says her dashboard prompted her to enter a code before she could use the radio.

She zooms in on the display, which shows an “enter code” prompt along with numbers zero through nine.

“But there’s no code in the book, because there’s no book,” Jackie complains. “And it’s not in the glove box.”

The problem apparently wasn’t limited to the radio. Jackie says she also couldn’t access her backup camera because the code prompt wouldn’t disappear.

“When it does go away, it’s just a black screen,” she says.

Jackie blamed Honda for leaving her stuck with the code screen after the battery replacement.

As of this writing, her clip has just over 37,000 views.

Why Is Her Honda Asking For A Code?

Despite Jackie’s frustration, the “ENTER CODE” screen isn’t necessarily a Honda problem. It’s part of an anti-theft system that locks the radio or navigation unit.

East Coast Cars says Honda’s radio and navigation anti-theft codes are unit-specific security codes used to unlock those systems after they’ve been disconnected from a power source—including during routine battery replacements. In other words, seeing the prompt after a dead battery is expected behavior on Hondas equipped with the feature.

Thankfully, the fix is relatively simple. Official Honda resources provide owners the code for free. All they need in exchange is the vehicle identification number and the serial number for the radio or navigation unit. Authorized dealership service departments can also help obtain the code, though Honda notes that dealers need those identifying numbers before they can provide it.

Even older Honda owner’s manuals spell out the process: If the battery is replaced or disconnected, the audio system disables itself and displays “ENTER CODE.”

“This code can typically be found in your owner’s manual, inside the glove box, or retrieved using your vehicle's VIN and radio serial number,” Bernardi Parts reports.

Honda also offers a free online tool for retrieving radio and navigation codes.

So Jackie may not have had the code sitting in her glove box, but that doesn’t mean she was permanently locked out of the system. A call to a Honda dealer or Honda’s online retrieval process can provide the information needed to unlock it. More importantly, the code screen itself isn’t a defect caused by Honda.

Commenters Agree: The Fix Is Simple

The comments quickly filled with people offering fixes and debating whether the security feature was worth the hassle in the first place.

“Look in your manual. I had to do it recently,” one person suggested.

Another viewer was more direct: “Not hard to call the dealership to get a code.”

Jackie said she ultimately did exactly that, but still wasn’t sold on the setup.

“I did, but [it] doesn’t change the fact that it’s ridiculous. This does not prevent theft in literally any way at all,” she replied.

Others suggested searching online for the radio’s default password.

“Um, I may not be the best mechanic in the world, but have you tried googling your radio model’s default password?” one person asked.

Jackie said she had already gone down that road, including watching videos in hopes of finding another way around the prompt.

“Why yes, and watched plenty of videos. The only way I can unlock it is [by] calling Honda services for the code. Took 15 minutes and pressed a whole lot of buttons. Insanely frustrating overall, but it’s unlocked lmao,” she said.

She also wasn’t the only Honda owner who said they had dealt with a similar problem.

“BRO I HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 HONDA PILOT. I can’t even listen to music. I literally bring a speaker. I’ve called Honda so many times, and they just keep transferring me to different departments,” one viewer said.

Another commenter claimed the backup-camera issue crossed a legal line: “Actually, that's illegal for the reverse camera to not come on.”

And one person blamed the headache on newer vehicles altogether: “This is why I don’t buy newer cars.”

That drew an immediate correction from another viewer, who pointed out the Honda in the video appeared to be far from new.

What do you think?

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Comments

“That is a Honda Pilot, model year 2008 at the absolute latest. It's an 18-year-old vehicle at least,” they said.

Motor1 has reached out to Jackie via TikTok direct message for additional comment. We’ll update this if she responds.

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