Fitting a Radio (1 Viewer)

gdf

Free Member
May 14, 2009
12
0
Funster No
6,700
We've just had a radio fitted to our Fiat 130 based Roller Team. The ignition switch seems to have only 'off','on i.e. all dash instruments lit' and the spring loaded 'start' position.

The dealer has wired it so that to have it on the key must be turned and all the warning lights on etc. They also say this is the only way it can be done. I can't believe that to listen to the radio when parked overnight I have to have the ignition in this position.

Any suggestions as to how to wire the radio in please?


Dave
 

Kon tiki

Free Member
Oct 11, 2007
487
0
North Wales
Funster No
594
MH
Low Line
Exp
20+
At worst it could be wired to the accesories side of the ignition, which means you have to have the key turned to the first position (before the ignition lights come on) you could just wire it direct to the battey with an in line fuse. You would have to remember to turn the radio off if you wire it direct to the battery but it's not a problem.
 
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ourcampersbeentrashed

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Apr 19, 2008
7,574
4,348
East London
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well over 5 years
In my old car I didnt have to have the ignition on to play the radio.

But it was an old car and things may have changed.

I know this isnt a very techy reply but may just let you know that you are right, it can be done another way

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chris v

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Feb 14, 2009
28
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Burton upon Trent
Funster No
5,629
Hi,
Your radio? will have two power supplies to it, one is permanently live so that the "memory" isn't lost when its turned off, it may also have a security code. The second live feed only comes on when you turn on the ignition and allows you to listen etc. this is done to prevent leaving the radio on when the vehicle is empty so flattening the battery. Most people get round this by feeding both of the radio live feeds from the permanently live connection. Some peugeot/fiat vans have a radio which turns itself off after 20 minutes for the same reason. If you don't feel happy altering the wiring yourself you should go to a specialist to do it for you, you even may want to have the radio powered from the leisure battery. Your dealer has just fitted the radio to the existing van wiring loom and doesn't want to alter it,
Regards,
Chris.
 
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bobandjanie

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Apr 28, 2008
8,144
15,700
Javea, Spain
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2,360
MH
Pilote V600g
Exp
2007
Hi, our van has a switch next to the beds one front and one back, that you turn on for the Radio and a remote, so when your laying in bed and want to go to sleep, you can turn it off without getting up. :winky: If your vans as posh.............................as mine, you might have one. :winky: Bob. ::bigsmile:

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pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
43,207
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Since 2005
hi Dave and welcome.

my vauxhall corsa 'toad' only has 'on' 'off' and 'start' so i wired the radio's permenant live AND switched live directly to the battery.......

result.....flat battery after 1 week without using the car.

the permenant live is only to hold the memory and code and only draws around 10 milliamps per hour or 1/4 amp per day.

the switched live, if directly connected to the battery, will draw over 200 milliamp per hour or nearly 5 amps per day even with the radio turned off at the knob/button and even more with the radio turned on.

over a 7 day period thats 35amps or half my battery capacity hence, a 'non starter'.

the easiest way is to fit a seperate on/off switch in the switched live wire from the battery.
if you want radio then turn on at the switch.....no radio..turn off at the switch.....in effect its doing what the ignition switch would do if it had an accessory position.

took me a week to trace the 5 amp drain.....my battery now last for weeks on end without use.:thumb:
 
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pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Some peugeot/fiat vans have a radio which turns itself off after 20 minutes for the same reason..

Tell me about it!!!!!!!!

on our works citroen berlingo's its known as 'the lunch break timer':cry:

exactly 30 mins from switch on then off it goes. turn on the sidelights or open the door and you get another 1 minute.:Cool:

then you gotta run the engine for the afternoon 15 min break.:thumb:
 
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Oct 15, 2007
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Five Roads Alyth
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633
MH
A class RV
Exp
since 2005
From day one I wired our radio via a switch (and fuse) from the liesure battery, simple really, dead liesure is an inconvenience, dead engine battery is a problem.


Simple enough to do but as Chris said, if you're not up to it get a specialist to sort.

I never unerstand why MH radios run from the engine, apart from as previously stated because it's easier for a 'fitter' to connect, ie plug in!

Si.

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GJH

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Aug 20, 2007
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Exp
2006 to 2022
Isn't it the case that in most MHs - except posh ones like Bob's obviously ::bigsmile: - the radio is simply the cab radio which comes with the base vehicle and, as such, is intended only as a cab radio? Even with an after-market radio it would normally be a matter of sliding it into the existing aperture and connecting using the industry-standard ISO type block connectors.

During our first winter of owning the van we flattened the starter battery by not turning the radio off fully (similar to the circumstances that John described).

As I mentioned on another thread recently, we carry a wind-up/battery radio in one of the lockers which we use when we want to listen when pitched. It's very light, so little effect on payload, and the AA batteries last for ages (quite apart from the wind-up option).

Graham
 
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motorhomer

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May 17, 2008
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South Shropshire
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since 2005 (but 30 years caravanning)
I rewired my first van to power the radio from the leisure battery. Worked fine but probably did increase power consumption.

With my current van, boxer based, it has the 20 min cutout and it all looked too hard. I was advised that rewiring the existing radio was not possible because the radio is too intimately wired in (not 100% sure I believe that).

However I decided to use the cab radio just when driving. I bought a Pure evoke for van listening. It is excellent. It is also 12v so you can power it directly off the van electrics. It has a SD reader, and an AUX in for an MP3 player, so I have copied pretty much all my CD's onto these 2 devices and never need to bring CD's away in the van any more, so saving space and weight.

I do not carry a TV, but do sometimes use my laptop with a TV adaptor, which works quite well. Laptop sound is not brilliant but again by plugging into the pure this is addressed. And since my laptop always travels, again I am saving the weight of a TV.

Thats my solution, may not be right for everyone but it works for me!
 
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hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
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Laptop sound is not brilliant but again by plugging into the pure this is addressed.

We had a similar problem with a 10 inch TV/DVD and solved it by using a pair of amplified computer speakers. Big failing of LCD TVs, there is not enough space for them to fit good speakers. I remember an old Sony CRT TV we had that had pretty big speakers screwed to the side, now that sounded GOOD.

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gdf

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May 14, 2009
12
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Funster No
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Thanks

to those who have replied and confirmed my thoughts.

Particularly impressed with the lateral thinking of portables that use battery or wind up as solutions just annoyed I didn't think that way. My only defence would be I was wound up with the lack of communication from the dealer who never returned any calls. (It isn't one of the large ones that figure on here but a small family concern.)

Dave
 
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