[Terminus]

Ok, so dealer didn't know the answer to this one.

Also learned that if your LA MP72 dies, Lotus sends the current "touring" radio in it's place (the Alcapulco MP54). That radio is a step down in Blaupunkt's product line and will not play any MMS cards you may have bought for the MP74. It is $200 less MSRP as well, without a lot of the advanced feature set of the MP72. I would not accept that and contacted Blaupunkt for tech support.

Now, finally, the answer...

1) If you disconnect the power from your MP72 you MUST have a key card to turn it back on.

2) If you have a keycard that is already set up for your unit (should have been one delivered with yours, I could not find mine anywhere in the delivery stuff though), then you just insert the card and turn on the radio. Then put the card back in storage.

3) If you do not have one then you need to get a blank one ($29 from midWest Electronics, the main service center in the US for Blaupunkt) and follow the following procedure (from page 10 in the manual):
a) remove faceplate
b) insert keycard
c) attach faceplate
d) hold down the "tuner" button and the upper left variable function button (upper left side of the display area)
e) while holding those buttons down, turn on the power.
f) release the buttons
g) Your display should now read 0000
h) You should have a 3x5ish card in the box with your radio manual that shows the 4-digit code for your radio
i) enter the code using the joystick (up/down chage the current digit, right/left change which digiti you are working on)
j) Press "ok" (press the joystick in)
k) if you mess up you only get 2 more attempts before it must be returned to the factory for service. You must wait around 3 min after messing up before the display goes back to the 0000 mode.
l) Radio is now working, remove keycard and put in storage.