From my experience with several VW goofy radios...

In my 98 Golf, I goobered the code, and I had to leave the radio and key
on for an hour, then it left the SAFE mode and let me re-try.

In my buddies Jetta (88ish??) he goobered the code, and did the same
trick - left it on for an hour, and it still didn't work.  The radio is
totally dead, and no one was ever able to tell me how to unstick it
(even other VW resources).  His wife even took it to a dealer and played
the innocent routine and they couldn't fix it.  It has to be taken out
and sent away.

Moral of the story - older radios that are likely to be in Vanagons (I
have a Blaupunkt in mine and can't say) are likely to be the second
variety.  VW did realize this is ridiculous and changed it, but probably
not til 92 or 93 (wild guess).  Consider it a good excuse to upgrade to
something else *smirk*  Be careful when entering the code.  If you've
lost the instruction manual, there is at least one good place on the net
that lists the instructions (but it has left my head momentarily).

Keith Adams
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
1986 Vanagon GL Westfalia, 1998 Golf Wolfsburg Edition