If the codes are not already in the remotes' internal database entering a 3 or 4 digit number will not enter them into the remote. That number is the location in the database of a particular set of IR codes. It's not a universal number that works in different makes of remotes.
This assumes that your Element remote is a "universal remote" with DVD IR codes in its' database. You can try each DVD code to see if one will match yours.