# Help Pls! New Radio drained my Cab Battery - DEAD



## Double-Entendre (May 19, 2009)

Hi folks.

I recently replaced/upgraded my radio, in my 1996 Ducato based Swift Royale and since then, starting has seemed to "Labour" but I left the van parked up for 3 weeks and when I came to start it, it was 100% dead! It wouldn't Jump Start and the immobiliser LED was not flashing.

As the battery was only 3 months old, the supplying shop charged it up again for me and got me to check the residual curent drain on the van by connecting a multimeter between the -ve terminal and the -ve lead of the van. It gave me 195m/A (Which they said was OK but I have since found it to be very excessive, according to the WWW).

I disconnected the new radio and it dropped to 3m/A, which is good.

I checked the wiring, which I had just connected as it was previously on the old radio and noticed that there was no "Switched +ve" wire and the Constant +ve and Switched +ve had been joined together and were connected to a Constant +ve wire.

If I have just the Constant +ve lead connected, the "Security LED" flashes as it should, but the radio won't turn on.

If I connect the Switched +ve lead on the radio to the Constant +ve lead of the cab, the radio still will not turn on and the security LED does not flash.

My questions are:

1. Is there an Accessory position on the Ducato's ignition and if so, what colour is the wire and can I pick it up near the radio?

2. Ideally, I want to be able to have the radio playing whilst parked up, without the keys in the ignition. Is this going to be possible, like it was with the old radio?

3. If there is not an accessory position, what colour is the switched live wire on the ignition and can I "Pick up" a feed from anything nearer the radio?

many thanks in advance for any advice or help with this annoying & puzzling problem.


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## Wytonknaus (Jun 18, 2007)

In our swift the radio is connected to the leisure battery. So have another look at the wiring source.


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## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

The switched +ve is usually purple and should be available at the radio area.
If you want to be able to run the radio without the ignition being on, then the radio should be connected with all the positives joined to the vehicle constant positive. The switched positive has no part to play.
That doesn't explain why your radio appears to have drained the vehicle battery but some radios have a standby so that you can operate them from a remote. That would take the battery out in less than 3 weeks so I would check the drain on the battery when you think the radio is off!
A belt-and-braces approach would be a double pole switch for the radio to use when leaving the van for long periods.
Patrick


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## Double-Entendre (May 19, 2009)

Patrick_Phillips said:


> The switched +ve is usually purple and should be available at the radio area.
> If you want to be able to run the radio without the ignition being on, then the radio should be connected with all the positives joined to the vehicle constant positive. The switched positive has no part to play.
> That doesn't explain why your radio appears to have drained the vehicle battery but some radios have a standby so that you can operate them from a remote. That would take the battery out in less than 3 weeks so I would check the drain on the battery when you think the radio is off!
> A belt-and-braces approach would be a double pole switch for the radio to use when leaving the van for long periods.
> Patrick


Thanks Patrick,

All the Positives (The Constant & the Switched wires from the Radio) _were _connected to the constant +ve of the vehicle (A Red Wire) but the battery did drain. When you say "The switched +ve has no part to play", do you mean that the radio should work without it connected or do you mean it should be connected to the constant +ve, as it was originally?

The radio is a "Face-off" type and the drain was approx 196 m/A with the radio off and the face removed.

It _does_ have a Remote Control though but I would assume that with the face removed, along with turning on the "Security LED", it should Kill the power drain / standby mode????

I'm still confused but thanks for the ideas, the standby thing could be the key, I'll try the manufacturer for their ideas but any other suggestions are welcome.


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## Double-Entendre (May 19, 2009)

Wytonknaus said:


> In our swift the radio is connected to the leisure battery. So have another look at the wiring source.


Mine is deffo the cab battery because when it was removed, the radio didn't work. I don't think it's standard practice to have the radio wired to the leisure batt, more like a fix for issues like mine?


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## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

Double-Entendre said:


> do you mean that the radio should work without it connected or do you mean it should be connected to the constant +ve, as it was originally?


I meant that the switched +ve shouldn't be connected to the radio at all.



Double-Entendre said:


> The radio is a "Face-off" type and the drain was approx 196 m/A with the radio off and the face removed.
> 
> It _does_ have a Remote Control though but I would assume that with the face removed, along with turning on the "Security LED", it should Kill the power drain / standby mode????


I agree absolutely. Don't know where the juice is going under those conditions. I agree that the manufacturer should be asked. Maybe the isolator switch is the only answer 8O 
Patrick


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

My radio (2002 Ducato) was wired to a constant feed (vehicle battery).
It too is a face off unit so I press the button to simply release one side of the front when not in use.


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## Double-Entendre (May 19, 2009)

EJB said:


> My radio (2002 Ducato) was wired to a constant feed (vehicle battery).
> It too is a face off unit so I press the button to simply release one side of the front when not in use.


Yes, that's what you do with a "Face off" radio, you take the face off :idea: :roll: :idea: (And assume all the power is off too, naturally)

BUT

it seems to still envoke the current drain.

I'm going out now to fiddle! I'm gonna test the various current draw figures with the various ways to connect the radio up and then I'll post my findings. I'll also phone the manuf. for their take on it all and hopefully my findings will assist others with the same issues (As there seem to be a few members also struggling)

The isolator switch may be an answer but I also need my immobiliser to be working and I don't fancy having to flip the bonnet if it's cats & dogs! Maybe a little toggle switch on the radio's live lead, strategically placed?

The jury is still out.


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