I just bought a 2000 A6 from my neighbor. He just bought it from who knows. I need the security code or some other method to unlock the stereo. It is the Bose symphony. Dealer wants $50 to do it and I know they will come back to me with all other kinds of things it "needs".

 

only the dealer can read the code as far as i know

 

So if I pay them to give me a code to turn the radio back on, will I be able to use the same code over and over or will I have to pay them again IF my battery dies again?

 

Yup, same code. It's unique to the head unit.

Before you go, make sure the radio card+code isn't somewhere in the manual for the car (if it came with one).

 

I tried to bring up the screen that allows you to enter the code by hitting the p scan and rmds buttons at the same time but nothing happens. it stays in safe mode. If i hit a wrong button or something do I have to disconnect the battery and wait and hour to re-try or is just turning off the stereo and car for an hour good enough?

 

Any help here? I have tried both of the "button combinations" i have seen that would bring up the code input screen and nothing works. The word "safe" stays unblinking. Do I have to do something special if I held "scan,P.scan and rbds" the first time I tried this? I know IF i enter a bad code I have to wait an hour with the ingnition and radio on but I cant even get to that point.

 

Got it working. I must confess, which will delight some here, that I am guilty of overlooking what was the problem. I didnt consider the possibility that someone, prior to me buying the car, had entered a wrong code twice and locked the unit. I also didnt know that IF the unit is locked in this way you will not get the SAFE off the screen at all. I thought that pushing the P. scan and RBDS buttons would bring up the code entry screen but that you would not be able to enter anything IF you had entered a bad code. Since I had not been able to enter a code at all I assumed I was using the wrong key combo to bring up the entry screen. WRONG. I turned the radio on a left it on for 60 minutes as suggested by the Audi USA customer service lady and presto P. scan and RBDS together for three sec or so and 1000 appeared. Entered the code written on the housing of the unit by someone and it works.

This is for Audi Symphony version 1 by Bose , dont know if it works for Symphony II.

So for anyone else out there having radio trouble..
1. Turn your radio on and leave it on for 60 full minutes prior to attempting code entry just to be sure its not "locked".
2. Press and hold P. scan and RBDS at the same time until 1000 appears on the screen.
3. Using the preset buttons 1-4 enter the code for your radio
4. Press the P. scan and RBDS buttons at the same time and release

I did find multiple places that listed a different button combo than what I listed in step 2 but those are for other units and not the Symphony 1 according to Audi USA.

You should now have and working radio.

P.S when the 1000 comes up the first time you will also see a 1 on the far right that means you are on code entry attempt #1. If the code you enter does not turn it on and you start with step 2 again you should see the 1000 with a number 2 on the far right. If this happens that means the first code you entered was wrong. Two wrong codes and you have to start at step 1 again.