Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2015 14:30:46 +0000
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Voltage leak found
In-Reply-To: <55E5B59F.7010303@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I remember when you went through all that, about the same time I bought my
radio. So, using the keyed hot wire will draw very little or no current? I
like the idea from a previous post that I could install a switch to connect
it to either circuit, aways hot and switched hot.
Jim
On Tue, Sep 1, 2015 at 9:26 AM Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Many car stereos/radios don't really turn off. They mute and the front
> panel goes dark, the power amp sections shut down, and the controls go
> to sleep, but they are still partially on and drawing current. I guess
> the manufacturers assume that you drive your car frequently.
>
> The current draw is through the main power wire, the other wire,
> frequently connected to the ignition switch, doesn't draw much current
> at all -- it is used to signal the unit to wake up.
>
> I had to search high and low to find a unit that actually powers off --
> not only from the front panel power button, but from the remote, too. So
> I could turn off the music when I get into bed rather than have to lean
> up to the dash to shut things down.
>
> --
> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> Bend, Ore.
>
> On 09/01/2015 06:08 AM, Jim Felder wrote:
> > About a month ago I wrote about having installed two pairs of USB ports
> and
> > an LED voltage display in my Vanagon. The round double outlet on the dash
> > took the place of my factory Eberspacher heater knob and the
> > outlet-and-voltmeter combination set neatly into what was the rear
> ashtray.
> >
> > That's when I noticed a drop in voltage that would flatten the battery
> > after a couple of days of being parked. Long story made very short, I
> > discovered that it was my radio in standby mode that was draining the
> > battery. I pulled the fuse to the radio on Saturday and this morning the
> > voltage is showing 12.9, exactly where it was when I pulled the fuse.
> >
> > The reason that this was unknown to me all this time is that coincident
> > with the addition of the USB ports the Vanagon was, except for use of my
> > wife's Prius, my daily driver had been the Vanagon. When I got a TDI
> Jetta
> > the Vanagon started sitting for days or a week at a time, and that's when
> > the problem showed up.
> >
> > I could wire the radio to the switched 12v circuit that no doubt came
> with
> > it, but then I would have to have the key on to listen to music while
> > camping. Is anyone using a switch on the circuit, and if so how was it
> done
> > and how does it work out for you?
> >
> > Jim
> >
>
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