MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
Just changed the cassette deck from my Audi A3 to an old Panasonic CD player. Unfortunately there is no ingnition enabled power line available on the A3.
Does anyone know if the stereo is likely to drain my battery with the fascia removed?
Alternative is getting someone to fit an ignition enabled 12v for me. Not sure about doing it myself.
How old is the A3? On my Passat, there is a £60-ish canbus adapter, which ties into the car's computer network (really!) and pulls out the information you need to control the stereo. It'll provide the stuff you need like an 12v accessory position wire, signal to tell it when to put the display lights on, and also things like speed pulse for satnavs, reverse switch for reversing cameras and such.
Oh and it'll also make the steering wheel controls work if you have them - which is what these things are usually marketed as.
molgrips, car is old enough not to have steering wheel controls. However, new enough to need a canbus adaptor of some sort.
I would get a propper audi stereo of ebay if it wasn't for the risk of getting a nicked one.
As long as you remember to turn the stereo off or remove facia, it shouldn't flatten the battery. Its just a signal wire, no current gets drawn.
If your cigar lighter turns off with the ignition, you can just piggyback a feed onto that to provide a switched live to the stereo 🙂 Its how its done in my crappy Fiat Punto where they decided to de-standardise the standard ISO connector so the radio is Canbus and turns off after 20 minutes or so. And is also incompatible with radios from earlier Punto's 👿
As long as you remember to turn the stereo off or remove facia, it shouldn't flatten the battery. Its just a signal wire, no current gets drawn.
not quite true. It does depend on the stereo. Mine was a un-branded cheapo one that has an SD card slot. It was drawing something like 30-60mA even when off.
I rewired to ignition switch to save the battery.