Radio On, Engine Off - How Long Before Flattening Battery

[paulfoel]

Sometimes, eat my lunch in the car. Rather than leave the engine running I hit the ignition button to turn engine off.

 

Then it seems if you power on the radio it comes on (with a message saying 1 hr which I assume means its going to switch itself off in 1 hour - makes sense to avoid accidentally leaving it on).

 

Always worry a bit that the batteries going to flatten. Any idea if this is a possibility?

[tetleyles]

i often sit with radio on for the hour without engine running

think it would only flatten your battery if your battery is on its way out

its happened to me before when i had transit van, found out battery was dying the hard way

[sotal]

It depends on how loud you listen to it, what stereo you have got, whether you are using an amp and what battery you've got (and the condition of the battery).

 

From the 1 hour statement I take it you have the standard ford head unit which I'm guessing but probably draws no more than 3 amps at a decent level of volume.

 

If you had a 75 ah battery then therotically it would power the radio for approx 25 hours but obviously at this point the battery would be dead and wouldn't start the car. You should get a good few hours out of it though before it causes the battery to be too low to start the car.

Edited August 7, 2013 by sotal

[acecard]

Sometimes, eat my lunch in the car. Rather than leave the engine running I hit the ignition button to turn engine off.

 

Then it seems if you power on the radio it comes on (with a message saying 1 hr which I assume means its going to switch itself off in 1 hour - makes sense to avoid accidentally leaving it on).

 

Always worry a bit that the batteries going to flatten. Any idea if this is a possibility?

Good advice from above but its an unusual worry. There again, you don't say how long you take for lunch!

[paulfoel]

LOL. An hour.

 

I have had problems in the past with previous cars. Probably more due to dodgy battery though....