Nissan Driver Shares How to Reset Your Car’s Computer When Something Like Radio Isn’t Working

A Nissan owner showed off how a simple battery reset may be all one needs to fix a non-working radio. TikTok user Anni (@adultingwithanni) went through the steps of this process in a recent video she uploaded to the social media platform.

“I’m going to show you how to reset your car’s computer,” she says at the top of the clip. She then shows her dashboard display and says it’s working except for the radio, so she can’t see what station she’s on.

Have You Tried Turning It Off and On?

“Like most electronics, sometimes you just need to reset the system for them to work again,” she says. Next, she delineates how folks can undergo the tried-and-true power cycling method for fixing the infotainment system in a car. She says the first thing that must be done is to turn off the car.

Next, you pop the hood. “So, you come over and find your battery. It’s got both a positive terminal and a negative terminal. I’m just gonna disconnect the negative terminal. I have a pair of pliers,” she says, taking out a multi-tool to get to work on removing the piece from the car’s battery. “And I’m gonna twist this bolt right here … just loosen it up.” The TikToker then gets to work on unfastening the bolt with her pliers before unscrewing it some more with her fingers.

Popping the Terminal Off

With the screw loosened, she’s able to extricate the terminal from the top of the battery. She instructs folks to leave this bolt unscrewed “for about a minute.” Her video then cuts to some moments later, when she reattaches the negative terminal to her car battery. Once it’s in place, she places the terminal back onto the battery pack and re-fastens the screw. Afterwards, she removes the prop bar for the hood of her car and lets it fall back into place.

Once back inside her vehicle, Anni records herself keying it on. “So then, you want to turn your car back on. Dashboard’s still lighting up, then you look over here,” she remarks before showing the radio screen.

Unlike the start of her video, the screen displays an orange glow and appears to be functioning normally. “Simple as that,” she states at the end of her clip.

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Battery Reset Technique

Others have recommended a battery reset to fix a non-functioning radio system as well. A Ford mechanic on this Just Answer post suggested that a driver with radio woes perform the same steps Anni highlighted in her TikTok. They referred to the operation as a “hard reset,” and wrote that radio problems are “typically due to a software glitch.” Thankfully, according to the mechanic, these issues are “often … resolved with a reset.” Going a step further, they said that prior to performing this task, commuters should remove their key from the ignition entirely after turning their car off.

Like Anni, they also suggested keeping the disconnected terminal off the battery for about 10 minutes before performing the reset. However, they said that if this doesn’t fix the issue, then drivers should use a scanning diagnostic tool to determine if there’s another issue with their car’s radio. 

And if you’re worried about losing your radio settings when resetting your battery, there are products that can prevent that from happening. One YouTuber uploaded a clip showing off the functionality of one such product, which utilizes a 9-volt battery and the car’s A/C port to retain these settings.

What If a Reset Doesn’t Work?

According to power product company Renogy, car batteries are integral to a myriad of automotive functions. “Headlights, car radios, and dashboard systems” are supplied with energy from a vehicle’s 12-volt battery. 

However, as the automotive product company Ancel writes, many modern vehicles are designed to retain settings even after a reset. This can sometimes make a true reset of systems difficult, which is why some vehicles feature 12-volt reset buttons, as Hyundai Ioniq owners discussed in this forum post. According to the manufacturer, this button exists as a means of helping to extend the life of the battery. The car will automatically disconnect the 12-volt battery to keep it going for longer. Pressing this button will help get the car back on the road, as Hyundai demonstrates in this clip.

Nissan-specific Radio Issues

Still, there have been other Nissan drivers who’ve experienced issues with their radios after swapping out their batteries. Another Just Answer poster said that their radio stopped producing sound after an alternator and battery change. Then there was this 2016 Nissan Rogue owner who shared that their GPS audio flat out stopped working right after replacing their battery.

Motor1 has reached out to Anni via TikTok comment for further information.