Anti Theft radio

[Lee Schierer]

We have a 1995 Miata that came with a radio that had anti theft protection. RIght after I bought the car, I set up a code. Each year we store the car for the winter months and the storage place disconnects the battery. Each year when we would pick up the car, I had to enter the code to get the radio to work up until last year. Last year and again this year when I picked up the car, the only thing I had to do was set the time on the clock, which is part of the radio. Now I know the battery was out of the car both year as I had it at my home all winter. Does anti theft protection expire after so many years? Any ideas why I no longer have to enter the code?

[Joe Hillmann]

On some vehicles they way to reset the security system if it goes into lock out is to disconnect the battery. Put the key into the on position then reconnect the battery. I would assume your radio has some similar way of being reset and it was done without knowing.

[Lee Schierer]

No supposedly the only way to reset the radio was to either enter the code I entered or have the dealer enter the master code. Removing power from the radio was supposed to activate the lock. I wonder if there is a small battery in the radio that remembers that the code has been activated and after so many years the battery has died, so the radio no longer remembers to set the anti theft.

[Dan Hintz]

Removing power from the radio was supposed to activate the lock. I wonder if there is a small battery in the radio that remembers that the code has been activated and after so many years the battery has died, so the radio no longer remembers to set the anti theft.

This would be my guess...

[Jeff Monson]

No supposedly the only way to reset the radio was to either enter the code I entered or have the dealer enter the master code. Removing power from the radio was supposed to activate the lock. I wonder if there is a small battery in the radio that remembers that the code has been activated and after so many years the battery has died, so the radio no longer remembers to set the anti theft.

I see that quite often Lee, makes no sense why sometimes they require a code and sometimes they don't?? Your theory makes sense, but I was unaware there was a battery of any type to store this. We use power savers through the lighter socket before we remove any battery nowdays.