I've noticed a number of SC-816 radios being sold on Ebay without the 4-digit theft code. People are buying them. I thought you needed to know the frame number from the car it was installed in before Volvo would tell you the theft code. Otherwise, if the Volvo dealer is willing to tell you the security code for any radio you walk in with, it's not much of a theft deterent. These are presumably coming from wrecked cars, but you would think the wreckers would know enough to get the frame number.

Are the people buying these radios off Ebay simply trying every possible code until they get the right one?

For what it's worth, 40% of the time I access the volvo database for a radio code by VIN #, it's wrong cause the radio got replaced and the database did not get updated. At this point, you slip it out of the dash aand do a search by serial #. Up pops the code, car on it's way. So nall you gotta do is install the radio, go to a dealer, tell em you lost the code, and they will usually get it.

Do you get to the Volvo data base on the internet or at a dealership
I just bot a 94 850 and I will need the code to do some maintenance

>Are the people buying these radios off Ebay simply trying every possible code >until they get the right one?

I thought 3 or 4 wrong entries shuts the radio down for a while
(you leave the key in accessory for 30 minutes or so to clear it).
So that would make random checks hard.

I wonder if you could report a stolen radio to Volvo or at least the
code. This way, if someone asks for the code and it matches
the radio would be found? I worked at a Unix workstation vendor for a
while and they would do this for stolen computers (so when a service call
or help desk call came in for a system the serial number was always
checked against known stolen systems).