A Citroen radio code comes from the head unit serial printed on the casing label, often beginning C, RD or VDO. Enter that serial on this page and the code is retrieved for £19.99, refunded in full if no working code can be supplied.
Radio codes belong to the head unit serial number, not the vehicle registration or VIN.
A flat battery, battery replacement or radio removal is what triggers the code prompt.
Citroën serial formats: RD4 / RD45 (e.g. C1234567); RD3 / Clarion (e.g. PU1234567); MyWay / NaviDrive (e.g. SI1234567).
Display messages: CODE = Security code required. · ERROR = Incorrect code — re-check the serial rather than guessing again. · WAIT = Lockout timer running. Keep the ignition on.
Bob's never displays a guessed or generated code — if a working code can't be retrieved you get a full refund.
Where to find the serial number, what the display messages mean and how to key the code back in on a Citroën.
A Citroën radio code is a four-digit anti-theft code stored against the head unit's serial number. It is not linked to the key or the BSI, so a unit fitted from a breaker's car brings its own code with it.
When you'll be asked for the code:
After a flat battery, battery change or jump start
When the BSI or the radio loom has been disturbed
After a used RD4 or RD45 has been fitted
Following a fuse failure on the permanent live circuit
Serial number formats:
RD4 / RD45 — for example C1234567. C3, C4, Berlingo, Nemo — casing label.
RD3 / Clarion — for example PU1234567. Older C3, Xsara Picasso and Berlingo units.
MyWay / NaviDrive — for example SI1234567. Navigation head units on C4, C5 and C8.
How to find the serial number:
Look for the code card in the handbook wallet or service book first — Citroën supplied one with most cars.
Citroën units do not normally show the serial on screen, so the radio comes out.
Single-DIN units release with four flat extraction keys into the corner slots.
Double-DIN RD4 units are behind a clipped trim surround with four screws underneath.
Note the serial from the casing label exactly, prefix letters included.
What the display messages mean:
CODE — Security code required.
ERROR — Incorrect code — re-check the serial rather than guessing again.
WAIT — Lockout timer running. Keep the ignition on.
How to key the code in:
Use presets 1 to 4 to set the four digits.
On some units the arrows change the value and the source button advances the position.
Hold OK or preset 5 to submit the code.
Wait for the confirmation before switching the ignition off.
Which Citroens are coded
C1, C2, C3, C4, Berlingo, Xsara Picasso and Relay with an RD4, RD45, Clarion or VDO head unit all sit behind a four-digit audio code. The symptom is a CODE prompt or four dashes after the battery has been disconnected or has gone flat.
Citroens with the 7-inch touchscreen and the MyWay or Citroen Connect systems are tied to the car rather than coded, so the only thing you lose with the battery is the clock. A Berlingo van, on the other hand, is one of the most frequent lock-outs we see, simply because the battery gets disconnected so often for racking and conversion work.
Removal, and reading the label properly
Older cars release on two U-shaped keys either side of the unit. From the C3 and C4 onward the radio is behind a clipped surround with Torx screws behind it — take the surround off in one piece starting from the bottom corner, because the upper clips are the ones that snap.
On a Relay and later Berlingo the radio may sit in an overhead or high centre pod, and the label faces away from you. Draw the unit forward far enough to get a phone camera above it rather than trying to read it by feel.
Record the full serial including the leading letters. The common misreads on Citroen labels are 5 against S and 8 against B.
Cost and lockouts
£19.99 against the serial here, fully refunded if no working code can be supplied. A Citroen dealer will normally be £25 to £40 for the lookup before any labour for taking the unit out.
If you have already guessed and the unit is counting down, leave the ignition in position II and let it run. Each further wrong attempt extends the wait. On a van with a tired battery, put a charger on rather than idling for half an hour.
Is the Citroën code the same as the Peugeot one? The system is the same — shared PSA hardware — but the code itself is unique to your unit's serial. A code from another car will not work.
Where is the code card in a Berlingo? Usually in the plastic wallet with the handbook, or stapled into the service book. On ex-fleet vans it is often long gone, which is why the serial route matters.
Can a Citroën radio code be found from the VIN? Not dependably. The VIN only reflects the factory-fitted unit, and on older vans the radio is frequently replaced.
My C3 radio locked after three tries That is normal behaviour. Leave the ignition in accessory with the radio powered and let the timer run down — switching off restarts it.
How much is a Citroen radio code? £19.99 on this page against the head unit serial, with a full refund if no working code can be supplied.
Where is the Citroen radio serial number? On a label on the top or side of the head unit casing, usually starting with C, RD or VDO. The unit has to be removed from the dash to read it.
Does a Citroen touchscreen need a code? No. MyWay and Citroen Connect screens are coded to the vehicle, so a flat battery only resets the clock and settings.