Dont know who to ask now (stereo de-coding)

[HayleyS]

I've phoned my local SEAT dealer, and they dont have the facility for doing de-coding (wtf?) and they cant suggest where I could get it done as they just send them away elsewhere.

Anyone have any suggestions? Im stumped

 

[sheffboy]

this maybe the easiest option Hayley. If you get it at the right price.

clicky http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Seat-Leon-Tol...yZ122186QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It may cost nearly as much to get it decoded.

 

[olaf]

Seat UK look after the database of radios and codes do they not?

Sure when I had a new stereo put in before I collected my car the code for the new one didn't work and they had to wait for Seat UK to send them one that did.

 

[HayleyS]

Im pretty annoyed that my local dealer cant do it, its rediculous. Dont really want to fork out for a new one, as i was expecting de-coding to be around £15 (from my previousl thread about this). There must be something I can do!

 

[Leigh15]

Which dealer have you taken it to?

 

[JamesL]

How can they say they dont have the facility if they just send it away? I'm sure it says in the manual that if you go down to the dealers with the serial number and proof of ownership they can give you the code??

 

[Matty71]

I had the same problem except I did get a code from the dealer.. only problem was the code did not work!

Took it down to a local car audio shop and they decoded it for me for 25 quid. Was a totally different code to the one Seat gave me!

Might be worth calling a few local car audio shops.

 

[HayleyS]

The code I have in my manual doesnt seem to be working on the stereo, so dont know if it was the one that came in the car. We've tried getting it out to check the serial codes without much success, so to get them we'd probably have to buy the keys from Halfords to get it out. They said at main dealers it would end up costing quite a bit if they sent it away etc.

Such a nightmare, just to have some sounds in my car. I could throttle my husband for disconnecting the bloody battery (though he did have a reason to). Surely it cant be that hard to do?

The guy we bought the car off said he'd paid not so long ago to have it de-coded, so he obviously couldnt get the code in the manual to work either. But for some reason the wally didnt record the code anywhere, otherwise we wouldnt be having this problem.

 

[HayleyS]

And whats most annoying is that I was trying to get through to the right Dept. at the main dealer since Saturday, but could never get an answer. If I had then perhaps I could have looked into this and got it sorted already.

 

[Matty71]

The dealers can a right pain to get anything out of, the code I got from them cost me £10 and it still did not work! I would phone around a few car audio shops they may even offer to remove the head unit for you.

 

[Phillc]

Hayley i think they are talking crap , when i took mine to be decoded the stereo never left the car, it took the bloke 2 mins to do it with out any equipment, the decode facility is in the stereo, there must be a dealer code they put in,i think they have fobbed you off for some reason.

 

[albevan]

dealer is talking bollox. i needed code for my aura hu about 12 months ago, i phoned seat swindon service dept, they asked for my reg and chassis number and then phoned me back 20 mins later with the code, free of charge. who ever you spoke to is fobbing you because they can't be arsed.

 

[Leigh15]

Again - Which dealer did you take it to?

 

[russ9898]

might be as well phoning a different dealer as previously suggested. i know renault can defo provide codes and have no reason to think seat wouldnt be able to either.

 

[HayleyS]

It was the dealer in Swansea. I phoned the SEAT car sales dealership, and they gave me the number for FRF who do all of their servicing. The girl I spoke to on the servicing department didnt sound like she had a clue, went off for a few mins, then came back saying they dont do it and any stereo's they have to do (im guessing for any cars they buy in) they send away.

I dont get it either, why wouldnt they do it? Im not sure where my next-nearest SEAT dealer would be. Do you think it'd be worth me calling my local VW/Audi dealership servicing? Im wondering if they do it, could they possibly also do it for SEATs? I did find the people at the Audi garage much friendier and helpful on the phone than SEAT when I needed my MAF the other day, thats why I bought from them instead.

Going to call some of the car audio shops in the area tomorrow to see what they say. If they dont do it perhaps they could tell me who will at least, because that girl I spoke to couldnt even tell me that. I can see this costing me a fortune after a load of grief, I wont be suprised!

 

[Leigh15]

That's strange - FRF are normally very good - I used them for my Leon and for my Ibiza after getting my fingers burnt at White Dove in Cardiff.

Your 'local' dealers will be FRF in Swansea, White Dove in Cardiff and Thompson & Thompson in Newport

 

[HayleyS]

God knows. Either they have stopped doing it, or they cant be bothered any more.

Cardiff and Newport are a good trek for me, as we dont travel there often so that will be a last resort.

Will be making some phonecalls today to the local ICE shops to see if they can do it. Wish me luck!

Would Halfrauds to this type of thing perhaps??

 

[HayleyS]

Well i've just spoke to a SEAT garage in Pontyberem (just outside Llanelli) and they arent sure they can de-code it, however he has the keys for removing the stereo so he's offered to take it out and check the serial code on it for me to see if it matches the manual. Then we'll go from there. Tbh I find the Llanelli accent a bit difficuilt sometimes so I didnt get much of what he said pmsl. Sounded a nice helpful guy though.

Little trip up the M4 this afternoon I think to see if we can get this sorted. Its starting to do my head in now, such a simple thing (you would think!) yet no one can do it.

 

[cuprablue]

This isn't good news for me, I have just returned from going abroad for two and a half months and needless to say my battery is flatter than a crepe. Recharging it now and was worried about having to put the code in the radio as I can't recall seeing it anywhere in the manual. I just assumed all I would have to do at worst is call up a SEAT dealership and give them some details and they would tell me the code. Not looking forward to it now having heard your story.

cuprablue.

 

[HayleyS]

Well it doesnt get much better. Went to the garage in Pontyberem, the guy removed it and the serial code is different to the one in my manual so I got him to write it down for me. However he didnt know how to de-code and recons the car is probably too old to request the code from Germany, he said he'd try but we didnt know how long we'd have to wait (or how much he'd charge) and we had the baby with us.

He then gave us the number of a guy local to there who does this kind of thing, but when my husband phoned him he said he sounded like a right drip and couldnt make much sense of what he was telling him. He said he can come down to us over the weekend, but I dont really want to pay him if he hasnt much of a clue.

So what do I do now??