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VW RCD 200, RCD 210 and RCD 300 radio code: how to find and enter it

Updated · 3 min read

The RCD 200, RCD 210 and RCD 300 are Volkswagen's simpler button CD radios. They all use a 4-digit anti-theft code that's needed after a battery change.

Is this your radio?

They are button radios with a small display and usually the model name ("RCD 210", "RCD 300") printed on the front.

Commonly fitted to Golf Mk5, Polo 9N, Touran, Caddy and Transporter T5. Exact fitment varies by year and trim.

If your car has a newer touchscreen system (for example a Golf Mk7, Audi A3 8V, Octavia Mk3 or Leon Mk3) and it says "Component Protection" rather than SAFE, it's a MIB unit with no 4-digit code. See why MIB radios have no code.

Step 1: find the VWZ serial

The code is tied to the radio's serial number, printed on a label on the radio's casing. It's 14 characters and starts with VWZ, for example VWZ1Z2A1234567. Don't use the part number, which starts with digits.

To read it, slide the radio out of the dash. Most units come out with radio release keys; some are held by Torx T20 screws behind a trim panel. There's no need to unplug it. More detail: where to find your radio serial number.

Step 2: get the code

First check the service book wallet for a radio code card whose serial matches your radio. If there isn't one, you can order the code from the serial: £19.99, delivered by email in 1–3 hours on average.

Need your VW RCD 200, RCD 210 and RCD 300 code? Original 4-digit code from your VWZ serial: £19.99, 1–3 hours on average, money-back guarantee.

Get my code

Step 3: enter the code

  1. Switch the ignition on and the radio on. The display shows SAFE, then usually 1000 or 0000.
  2. Set each digit with preset buttons 1–4. Button 1 changes the first digit, button 2 the second, and so on. Each press counts up by one, and 9 wraps round to 0. Read the starting display carefully: if it starts at 1000, the first digit already shows 1.
  3. Confirm by holding the accept button for 2–3 seconds until the radio plays. This is usually OK, SCAN or the right seek arrow.

Our Workshop Manual has a press-count planner that tells you exactly how many presses each button needs.

Two wrong entries usually lock the radio into SAFE 2 for 60 minutes. If that happens, leave the ignition and radio on for an unbroken hour, then enter the correct code once. See how the SAFE 2 lockout works.

Quick answers

Where is the serial number on a VW RCD 200, RCD 210 and RCD 300 radio?

On a label on the radio's casing, usually the top or side. It is 14 characters long and starts with VWZ. You normally need to slide the radio out to read it.

How much is a VW RCD 200, RCD 210 and RCD 300 radio code?

£19.99 from RadioUnlock, fixed price, delivered by email in 1–3 hours on average, with a money-back guarantee if the code doesn't work.

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