yeah it needs to be coded to your car's VIN in order to work. I personally got help from a aftermarket shop that retrofits these parts, so I can't help you out about coding and emulator part. However, basically yes emulator just fakes your car's control unit to pretend like that part belongs to your car. second way to achieve this is to buy or generate a license code online and code it yourself. pretty sure a litte bit research on that issue will get you some results. good luck