Fiat Uconnect radio “code error”

[Riverbankannie]

When we try to switch radio on when parked, that is keys not in ignition, we get a message
“Code error, please wait”. Cannot turn on the radio at all.
If then, we start engine, the radio, satnav etc work in normal way.
It’s a bit annoying as after our 20 minutes is up, cannot turn on again and this model is not one that can be programmed to sat on for longer (I have read all the threads).
Is this usual or does anyone else have this problem.?

It’s a 2015 radio, satnav reversing camera screen Uconnect.

 

[joka250]

When we try to switch radio on when parked, that is keys not in ignition, we get a message
“Code error, please wait”. Cannot turn on the radio at all.
If then, we start engine, the radio, satnav etc work in normal way.
It’s a bit annoying as after our 20 minutes is up, cannot turn on again and this model is not one that can be programmed to sat on for longer (I have read all the threads).
Is this usual or does anyone else have this problem.?

It’s a 2015 radio, satnav reversing camera screen Uconnect.

We've got exactly the same system and exactly the same problem, have had it looked at by dealer and also long chats with Fiat in Milan. Nothing positive has come from that and certainly no solution.
Got the vehicle booked in with another Fiat Professional dealer after Easter for a couple of jobs, they say they're not aware of a problem but will investigate. They also seem a bit more interested than our previous dealer. If we get anything positive will let you know. My opinion is it's a poor radio/info system, sat nav next to useless.

 

[motorhomer]

My Peugeot does this sometimes, but not always. When it does, you can always get the radio on by opening and closing a front door. Bizarre but true! Clearly opening the door performs some sort of reset. Worth a try!

 

[Riverbankannie]

We've got exactly the same system and exactly the same problem, have had it looked at by dealer and also long chats with Fiat in Milan. Nothing positive has come from that and certainly no solution.
Got the vehicle booked in with another Fiat Professional dealer after Easter for a couple of jobs, they say they're not aware of a problem but will investigate. They also seem a bit more interested than our previous dealer. If we get anything positive will let you know. My opinion is it's a poor radio/info system, sat nav next to useless.

I use the satnav only because it shows which road number currently travelling.
The Garmin which is freestanding above, is programmed for route and shows only the road number looking for on next turning, so the two bits of info complement each other!

My Peugeot does this sometimes, but not always. When it does, you can always get the radio on by opening and closing a front door. Bizarre but true! Clearly opening the door performs some sort of reset. Worth a try!

Well, I’ll try it but clambering over front seats or even worse going out in cold to open a door doesn’t exactly appeal

 

[maison]

Turn the ignition key to the “Off” position, then beyond that point and press the red surround to the ignition switch to disconnect the battery supply to the vehicle.

Leave 30 seconds and turn on ignition, it should be OK.

(Doesn’t stop it happening again though, just gives a remedy).

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Vanderek]

My Peugeot does this sometimes, but not always. When it does, you can always get the radio on by opening and closing a front door. Bizarre but true! Clearly opening the door performs some sort of reset. Worth a try!

Had a problem when the radio changed to Italian menu ..I reset it to English and saved it ..next day it was Italian....yes you are correct the fix is open and close door .. it's back to English ..what a magic cure , but why...its a shame I can't do that with my Windows 10 laptop.

 

[Garfields]

Easy way to activate radio again is to flick head lights on and off
It happens because the vans computer goes to sleep PITA
There should be a setting if you use the buttons on the dash at the right side of the steering wheel to set radio to stay on for two hours. I think it is called camper van setting or something similar in the menus.
Other option is to take a feed of your leisure battery to the radio

 

[Riverbankannie]

Easy way to activate radio again is to flick head lights on and off
It happens because the vans computer goes to sleep PITA
There should be a setting if you use the buttons on the dash at the right side of the steering wheel to set radio to stay on for two hours. I think it is called camper van setting or something similar in the menus.
Other option is to take a feed of your leisure battery to the radio

Our radio does not have the camper van setting.
Wary of using the feed from leisure battery for 3 reasons,
..Cannot attempt it myself
..Don’t want to possibly mess up Fiat control system
..I would forget it’s on and then flatten battery especially if for some reason I turned volume down.

 

[Garfields]

The setting is not in the radio
Its in the menu you access for things like setting the time on the clock etc

 

[Garfields]

Sorry I lied went and had a look and the setting is on the radio

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Riverbankannie]

The setting is not in the radio
Its in the menu you access for things like setting the time on the clock etc

Sorry I lied went and had a look and the setting is on the radio

Thanks but our model does not have the ability to set camper mode.

 

[maison]

Easy way to activate radio again is to flick head lights on and off
It happens because the vans computer goes to sleep PITA
There should be a setting if you use the buttons on the dash at the right side of the steering wheel to set radio to stay on for two hours. I think it is called camper van setting or something similar in the menus.
Other option is to take a feed of your leisure battery to the radio

Our radio is set to “continuous play” or whatever they call it and the “error code” message still appears.

There have been lots of remedies described now, few of which appear to be logical but, if they work, great.

It’s obviously a common problem.

 

[pappajohn]

Turn the ignition key to the “Off” position, then beyond that point and press the red surround to the ignition switch to disconnect the battery supply to the vehicle.

I thought that turned on parking lights....always did on the fiats.

 

[maison]

I thought that turned on parking lights....always did on the fiats.

Turning past the off position while pressing in the red collar around the switch and then removing the key from the switch isolates the vehicle battery for laying up. It removes the necessity to pull fuses etc.

It’s been that way on our last two FIAT based motorhomes.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Turning past the off position while pressing in the red collar around the switch and then removing the key from the switch isolates the vehicle battery for laying up. It removes the necessity to pull fuses etc.

It’s been that way on our last two FIAT based motorhomes.

But presumably disables vehicle alarms?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TerryL]

Turning the key "back" switches the sidelights on in our 2007 Ducato. However it does seem to have changed because a friends 2012 Ducato isolated the battery.

Funny, our original Blaupunkt radio never turned itself off after 20mins - although I suspect the first owner may have had the mod done. Our new Kenwood is fine too.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I changed my radio feed from the ignition to the feed and it works all the time I want it. However it is a crap radio so I will be changing soon, When does the DAB transmission take over from the analogue, anyone know???????
I have one I put in my car, but it kept dropping out as I drove, so I took it out again and put it in the cupboard. I think the DAB coverage is a lot better now.

 

[joka250]

I changed my radio feed from the ignition to the feed and it works all the time I want it. However it is a crap radio so I will be changing soon, When does the DAB transmission take over from the analogue, anyone know???????
I have one I put in my car, but it kept dropping out as I drove, so I took it out again and put it in the cupboard. I think the DAB coverage is a lot better now.

Sorry can't find a link but BBC press release this week stated that FM will continue for some considerable time yet.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Our 2014 peugeot boxer occasionally shows the code error, parking lights on and off quickly sorts it

 

[maison]

But presumably disables vehicle alarms?

Sorry, I don’t know the answer to that as we don’t currently have an alarm.

PS
Opening and closing the doors, or turning on the lights etc. doesn’t work for our FIAT.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[djhk68]

I am having the same problem although it is intermittent. My vehicle is based on a late 2015 build Ducato.
Go to turn the radio on whist parked up and it comes up " Code Error Please Wait" even thouigh the radio may have worked fine the last time it was turned on. Turning the ignition on (without starting the engine) clears it.
Also whilst driving the radio will sometimes go quiet and switch over to media (I have music on a USB stick) - did this twice this morning with no obvious cause.
Have others with this problem had any success in getting a solution from FIAT?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Try pressing the power button on the radio for a long time can't remember if it's with the radio on or off, but it resets it. Ours had a media mode problem and it sorted it.

PS parking lights on and off quickly clears the code error problem. Saves finding the keys.

 

[dna]

thank you everyone - the radio on our ducato decided to display the code error this evening. A quick search of fun and the suggested open / close drivers door fix has kicked the radio back into life

 

[Deneb]

The uConnect radio is integrated into the body computer and the instrument cluster through the canbus. If the body computer has gone to sleep, which it does by design with the engine off and doors shut (otherwise it would be a continuous battery drain when parked) opening a door or switching the lights on momentarily will wake it up as already mentioned.

The radio checks that it in the correct vehicle as an anti-theft measure when first switched on, by "conversing" with the body computer. If it can't confirm the vehicle's identity because the body computer is asleep, it shows the code error.

The off delay can also be set to 180 minutes, but only by reprogramming the body computer. I'm not sure whether Fiat dealers are able to do it, but I reprogrammed mine using AlfaOBD diagnostic software. There is a thread on here where I described it in more detail. I'm on my phone at present but try searching for VP2 uConnect radio and post from me.

 

[Jaws]

My Peugeot does this sometimes, but not always. When it does, you can always get the radio on by opening and closing a front door. Bizarre but true! Clearly opening the door performs some sort of reset. Worth a try!

Wellllll.. It certainly makes a change from shutting windows and opening again !

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jaws]

When does the DAB transmission take over from the analogue, anyone know???????

It was supposed to happen 7 years ago, but was postponed due to problems with DAB coverage
The answer, so they thought, was to increase the power of all the main transmitters, so they started doing the rounds of them and said the FM switch off was 'likely to happen mid 2015'
The power increase helped but there are still MANY gaping holes in the coverage, and there are still quite a lot of areas that are not covered at all
As things now stand there is no definitive shut off date other than 'some time in the future'

Unofficial word is shut off has been postponed indefinitely as the pressure on the radio spectrum has been eased substantially due in no small part to certain khaki clad users switching to much higher frequencies. Although line of site, there is plenty of room for wide band, easy to digitise transmissions that can be rebroadcast using existing masts ( so that would be cell phone masts )

Until such time as the powers that be are ready to stump up for more than 80 completely new transmitters just to fill in the coverage holes I cannot see FM coming to an end

 

[Bognor Saint]

But presumably disables vehicle alarms?

Yes. It did on mine.

 

[Riverbankannie]

We have now lost the DAB signal on our radio

 

[Deneb]

We have now lost the DAB signal on our radio

Have you ever had the radio software updated by Fiat? Loss of DAB is a recognised fault on units with pre 2017 software, fixed by later updates.

 

[SpeedyDux]

A feed from the leisure battery and changeover switch on the dash is the answer. Works for us.

(just to be clear the radio we have is a Pioneer head unit ... ugh ... spit ... horrible thing with nasty controls ... DAB now stopped working)

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}