Radio Only Works For 20 Minutes! (1 Viewer)

Oct 30, 2008
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Just bought a new van conversion on a Fiat Ducato base. ( IH 600RL)
It has a fitted Fiat radio. When the ignition is switched off the radio turns itself off after 20 minutes.
The radio wants wiring to the leisure battery, does anyone know who could do this job for me in the north west?
 
D

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It's a feature of the radio found on most car and van radios to stop you draining the battery and not being able to start the engine when you need to. It doesn't take as long as you might think!
 
9

9526

Deleted User
You can set your radio to stay on longer (the 20 mins is the factory setting)

Have a quick look at the Fiat radio manual (y)

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Sep 23, 2013
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Instructions here to extend the time.

As you say, a better long term solution would be to rewire to the leisure battery.
 
OP
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Petew
Oct 30, 2008
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Hi TheCaller

Unfortunatly I have a more up to date radio, which does not have a FM AS button so I can't increase the time!
The manual does not tell me anything to give me more than 20 minutes playing time.
 

Glandwr

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There will be two positive wires going into the back of the radio usually red and yellow. One will be permanently positive and one only positive when ignition is on. Cut both then tape up the one from ignition and feed from the other to both possitive terminals.

Your radio will then stay on until you switch it off. It will still be connected to vehicle battery though.

You should be able to identify the wires from your manual if you can 't use a multimeter

Dick

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Molls-Phot

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Oct 8, 2009
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We have the standard uconnect radio on a 2015 Ducato. More often than not there is a fan running behind it which we cannot work out is normal or not. It's quite loud and mainly runs with the ignition turned off. Nothing about it in the manual.
 

DBK

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Jan 9, 2013
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I've heard the latest DAB radio you can get for the new Ducato seems to be impervious to the trick to get it to stay on longer. Permanently wiring it to the battery will work but make sure you carry jump leads!
 

JCT

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Mar 29, 2015
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image.jpg This worked on my 2012 Fiat Ducato motorhome but I understand not on the newer vehicles. Try it if you wish.
Best wishes from a Pom in Oz.

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ABZSteve

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We have the standard uconnect radio on a 2015 Ducato. More often than not there is a fan running behind it which we cannot work out is normal or not. It's quite loud and mainly runs with the ignition turned off. Nothing about it in the manual.
Mine too, bloody annoying. Anyone got a solution?
 
Jul 29, 2014
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Had one for 5 years many moons ago. Now starting again.
On our new Ford Transit mini-buses the radio does the same 15-20 minute turn off but if you hit the on button when the ignition is off you get the radio on for an hour. Don't know if Fiat are the same but worth a try. At least it's a sight longer before you have to hit the button again.

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ABZSteve

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Because my portable radio doesn't switch off after 20 minutes or even 20 hours if necessary!:)

Furthermore it wont flatten your starter battery.:rolleyes:
Not the point I was raising, it was the fan sound (y)
 

pappajohn

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There will be two positive wires going into the back of the radio usually red and yellow. One will be permanently positive and one only positive when ignition is on. Cut both then tape up the one from ignition and feed from the other to both possitive terminals.

Your radio will then stay on until you switch it off. It will still be connected to vehicle battery though.

You should be able to identify the wires from your manual if you can 't use a multimeter

Dick
The yellow is switched live BUT........
Connecting both yellow and red will leave the radio in PERMENANT standby/memory mode.
The amplifier will be powered even when the radio is turned off draining the battery.

I fitted an aftermarket radio and did the same wiring mod only to find the battery flat after a very short time.
The radio was drawing 195 milliamps when turned off as the amplifier was still powered up.
195ma doesnt sound much but thats per hour.
Multiply that by 168 hours (1 week) and its 32.6amps....almost 50% of an average starter battery.
Once I sorted that problem the drain dropped to 9 milliamps per hour and never had a flat battery again.
 
Apr 10, 2010
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Rather than just joining red and yellow, put a switch in the line feeding what would have been the ignition controlled terminal. You then have manual control regardless of the ignition status.
 

funflair

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Dec 11, 2013
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I wonder if this is why our battery does not last long as we had a new radio at a show a couple of years ago and the guy said he could stop it going off after 20 minutes, which to be fair he did:LOL:

Martin
 

Molls-Phot

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Oct 8, 2009
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Yes, the fan behind the radio was running almost constantly. Fiat replaced it under warranty.

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Deneb

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Oct 20, 2015
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I don't know if this might help. It's from the Ducato Uconnect radio manual and indicates a Radio Off Delay sub menu. Even if it works, my understanding is that you can only prolong the inevitable, not disable the auto-off feature completely. As I haven't actually got the van yet, I can't say whether it will help or not:

To enter the "Audio" menu, press the
MORE button (9-fig. 1) on the front
panel and then select "Settings" and
"Audio", or press the MEDIA button
on the front panel and thenselect
"Audio".

The following adjustments can be
carried out using the "Audio" menu:

❒ "Equalizer" (for versions/markets,
where provided);

❒ "Balance/Fader" (left/right and
front/rear balance adjustment);

❒ "Volume/Speed" (excluding versions
with Hi-Fi system) speed-dependent
automatic volume adjustment;

❒ "Loudness" (for versions/markets,
where provided);

❒ "Radio Auto-On";

❒ "Radio Off Delay".

To exit the "Audio" menu, press the
/Done button.

NOTE When a setting is changed, the
button is replaced with the word
"Done".
 
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