Cannot use car radio when engine turned off

Nasqueron

A Kia Sportage I drove had a key position for playing music without using the engine.

agrinnall

Everybody seems to have missed that the OP has contacted Pioneer who say that it can't be done, so if they are correct then Halford's (in this case) would appear to have done nothing wrong.

qetu1357

agrinnall wrote: »

Everybody seems to have missed that the OP has contacted Pioneer who say that it can't be done, so if they are correct then Halford's (in this case) would appear to have done nothing wrong.

Pioneer said I would have to get a "switch" installed.

Bigphil1474

My 2009 Ford Fiesta lets you turn the radio on without any ignition mode on - it's keyless, but I don't think that makes a difference. It comes on for 1 hour as default. Can't see it running the battery flat for a radio unless it's on for days. On my previous cars, where I've bought them and the radio didn't work with ignition off, I just got my mechanic brother to sort the wiring out pretty much as Strider described. Never had a car where it wasn't possible to have the radio on without ignition being on any mode.

qetu1357

Bigphil1474 wrote: »

My 2009 Ford Fiesta lets you turn the radio on without any ignition mode on - it's keyless, but I don't think that makes a difference. It comes on for 1 hour as default. Can't see it running the battery flat for a radio unless it's on for days. On my previous cars, where I've bought them and the radio didn't work with ignition off, I just got my mechanic brother to sort the wiring out pretty much as Strider described. Never had a car where it wasn't possible to have the radio on without ignition being on any mode.

Same with all my cars - till this post factory fit.

d0nkeyk0ng

i retrofitted a JVC head unit in my 1999 Fiesta. I used Ford connectors. It would switch on/off without the ignition on but I never really used it like that for more than a few minutes.

OP which model of head unit do you have?

stator

It depends on the car I'm afraid. The radio has two power cables one of them is permanently on, this helps it remember radio stations, the other is only supposed to be powered when the engine is running and so power is being generated by the engine.
So what pioner told you is technically correct but not always true as some cars deviate slightly from this.
In my car for example you can't turn the radion on until you either start the engine or you turn the key to the pre-ignition setting.
When you turn the engine off the radio continues to work until you remove the keys, then it turns off. So if you're listening to the radion and stop you're car you can finish listening to a song without leaving the engine running. This is very useful.
Different cars will work in different ways.

Do you remember what your old radio did?

It is possible halfords got the two power lines the wrong way around, on VW cars you have to swap the red and yellow bullet connectors around. But the symptoms you usually get when this is the case is that the radio will work ALL of the time AND/OR it will forget the radio stations.

agrinnall

qetu1357 wrote: »

Pioneer said I would have to get a "switch" installed.

Well in that case perhaps you should update your OP which currently is at odds with that.

qetu1357 wrote: »

Rang Pioneer and they said that isn't a fault and you cannot use radio when engine turned off.

nimbo

My partners fords - fiesta and now a focus allow me to use the radio when the engine is not turned on.

My Toyota Yaris does not.

Why are you so bothered? I'm trying to think if it serioulsy bothers me - I only like to turn his on so I can change all the stations to stations he doesn't like when he has left me in the car for ages when he faffs about.

gilbert_and_sullivan

The question has already been answered, the power supply chosen isn't live with the engine off, it needs someone to find the right power supply and tap into it, not rocket science.

Personally i try to find a live supply via the acc initial turn of the key for aftermarket audio, if its permanently live (the memory feed will have to be a permanent live mind) then if its gets left on by mistake it will flatten the battery.

These radios that can be run with no key but turn off after so many minutes are usually OE fitments, though no doubt this facility is now available in aftermarket.

Oh and don't take any notice of the so called technical dept, Garmin's tech bods assured the Halfords chap, who asked for me whilst i stood beside him, that live digi traffic wouldn't work without a destination being entered, when my lorry all singing all dancing Garmin was fitted i got the live digi traffic working with no destination entered in 2 minutes flat.