Went to the salvage yard today and got the steering wheel audio control module and harness out of a wrecked '07 HHR. I also picked up a 6-disc/am/fm/xm/RDS GM head unit from a wrecked '08 HHR in perfect shape for $25. Wasn't looking for a radio but for $25 why not?

Since my '09 LS is a fleet order and arrived with the radio being the XM delete, single CD, and no "Cat" button I figured this would at least be a slight upgrade since I like RDS and the price was right. Now, I know I have to unlock the radio to make it work. Since I don't want to pay a dealer to do this I found this process....anyone tried it?

http://forums.s-series.org/viewtopic.php?t=16481:

My radio locked out due to having to disconnect the battery. I called every dealer and they were all being dicks, wanting $50 to get the code. So I kept searching the Web and eventually found out how to decode any GM radio, yes, this really works.

1) Press the 2 & 3 numbers on your radio at the same time for about 10 seconds; a 3 digit code will come up

2) Press the am/fm button for about 10 seconds; another code will appear

3) Write those numbers down in that order

4) Dial 1-800-537-5140 and enter 202107 followed by the * sign

5) Enter the 6 digit code from your radio followed by an *

6) The phone number will give you a 3 or 4 digit override code, enter this code into your radio just as your owners manual tells you to


NOTE, if the code you get back starts with a 0, drop the zero from the code. So if you get 0123, your code would be 123. Hope this helps out a lot of people !

I just put in the steering wheel controls and they work great on my current radio. Thanks to the great how-to on this website. I'll try to post up some pics later.

 

interesting!

 

Be interesting to see if this process works.

 

x2.... the magic of the HHR never ceases to amaze me....

 

Yeah, if you try it....keep us informed.

I noticed the original post was from 2003 and I believe the GM radios have changed considerably since then. So, it may not work.....but hope so for everyone's interest.

 

I don,t think so because of the BCM interface with the radio and like spoopy said 2003 was the post !

Very good price on radio anyway. Even if you have to pay to get turned on

 

Yeah, the price was right anyway. If nothing else I can always E-bay it and make a couple dollars. I'm more impressed with my new steering wheel controls. Nice thing to have even if the installation was slightly nerve-racking. I'm always scared messing around near an airbag but I had no troubles. Like I said I used the wonderful how-to post on here to do it and although I don't have any chill pills and quit smoking several years ago the beer option worked out well....lol! They didn't charge me anything for the button module and the harness so it was a freebie.

 

That process won't work on our radios. I think it's good up to around 2000 though. Our radios have to be programmed to the BCM.

 

Oh well, kinda figured. Thanks for the help as always!

 

Even paying the dealer $50, you'd still have a nice radio. I have the 6 CD changer in my '06 and I like it. A full days of my music when I go on the road. I am disappointed that the '09 does not have the 6 CD as an option. Paying for Sirrus for 150 music channels when I'd only listen to maybe 4 does not appear to me, to be an economical alternative.