Hi all, the CD player I'm my mrs 02 corsa c recently went pop. We decided to buy an aftermarket Sony head unit. It came with wiring adaptor loom and antenna adaptor plug. I fitted it all without any issues and it worked a treat. Anyhow since fitting it I've had nothing but trouble. 4 days after install the wife went to start it and the battery was completely flat. I thought it was strange, whipped it out and charged it and carried on as normal. Couple of days later you guessed it flat again. Off I goes to get a new battery as we hadn't had the car long so I thought a new battery might be in order. I fitted the new battery and all was well.
I've just got back from a few days up in the lakes. I jumped in her car to move it off the drive and the flaming battery was dead!!! I'm convinced it's the new radio as we had no power issues before I fitted it. I'm thinking of taking it out and she will have to live without.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated many thanks
1989, 1.9 dg 4 Speed Panel Van with Gash windows cut in the side.
The stereo in my daughter's Punto does exactly the same - the standby current kills the battery in a week. My solution was an isolation switch to cut every bit of power - downside is that you have to re-tune every time you want to use it. These batteries ( I resume that yours is the same size) are so tiny that any small drain seems to deplete them very quickly. I went down the new battery route at first. The batteries are fine if you use the vehicle daily but soon roll over if left. A couple of torch batteries may last longer I feel.
Oldiebut goodie wrote:The stereo in my daughter's Punto does exactly the same - the standby current kills the battery in a week. My solution was an isolation switch to cut every bit of power - downside is that you have to re-tune every time you want to use it. These batteries ( I resume that yours is the same size) are so tiny that any small drain seems to deplete them very quickly. I went down the new battery route at first. The batteries are fine if you use the vehicle daily but soon roll over if left. A couple of torch batteries may last longer I feel.
Thanks, that's given me a bit more confidence it is the radio/cd. It's gonna have to come back out
1989, 1.9 dg 4 Speed Panel Van with Gash windows cut in the side.
It's also possible that the radio needs two live feeds - one for the main radio power (usually red I think), and one for the stations/settings memory (often yellow). Because it's easier, it's quite common to wire both of these up to the same main battery feed. However, it's advisable to connect the main power to an ignition controlled live, so that the only current draw when the ignition is off is that memory backup current. Of course, it's quite possible that that memory backup is all that's being drawn in standby anyway, but maybe not. And it's also possible that that memory current is enough to kill your battery.
A bit of time with a multimeter should tell you what's going on. Does it look like your wiring harness has both power wires connected to the same live feed?
"I'm a man of means, by no means....King of the Road!"
CJH wrote:It's also possible that the radio needs two live feeds - one for the main radio power (usually red I think), and one for the stations/settings memory (often yellow). Because it's easier, it's quite common to wire both of these up to the same main battery feed. However, it's advisable to connect the main power to an ignition controlled live, so that the only current draw when the ignition is off is that memory backup current. Of course, it's quite possible that that memory backup is all that's being drawn in standby anyway, but maybe not. And it's also possible that that memory current is enough to kill your battery.
A bit of time with a multimeter should tell you what's going on. Does it look like your wiring harness has both power wires connected to the same live feed?
Thanks, I shall have a look at the harness when I take it out. Just in the doctors at the minute.
1989, 1.9 dg 4 Speed Panel Van with Gash windows cut in the side.
Here is the adaptor loom out of the car. Haven't a clue what to look for. Im going to contact the company and seek further advice. Thanks for the responses so far!!
1989, 1.9 dg 4 Speed Panel Van with Gash windows cut in the side.
Red and yellow at 'this' end are separate, and appear to stay separate at least until they reach the plug at the far end. Take a look at that plug at the far end to see which pins they go to, and then check the corresponding plug in your van** to see what those pins connect to. Ideally you want the red wire (probably*) to go to an ignition controlled live, and the yellow wire (probably*) to go to a permanent live. If they're both connected to a permanent live then the 'standby' current (i.e. the current that's still drawn even though you've turned the radio off) may be what's draining your battery. An easy way to tell how it's wired is to check whether you can use the radio without the ignition on - if you can, then that red wire is going to a permanent live.
* I say 'probably', because there are different conventions for these colours. In fact, that's why those two wires go via insulated connectors in your harness - it gives you the option to swap them over. In fact, if your radio still works without the ignition on, but your presets, tone settings etc are lost when the ignition is turned off, that's a sign that you should swap the red and yellow over at those spade connectors.
** E D I T - did I say 'van'? I meant 'corsa' of course.
"I'm a man of means, by no means....King of the Road!"
Just to add to this, some brands of car have the red/ yellow wires switched (I remember my old Alfa 156 was like this) so I had to swap the red and yellow around in the stereo loom.
I am pretty sure Vauxhall do not do this though..... but it is nearly 20 years since I owned my old Corsa!
The obvious answer here is to install a leisure battery and split charge system and run the stereo from that. You could then stick a solar panel on the roof to top the leisure battery up when the engine isn't running. Of course it's nice to have a cold drink while you're sitting in the sun listening to music so add a 12v fridge. Sometimes though you fancy a cuppa so stick a gas powered hob in there. Of course after alcohol you must not drive so maybe whip the back seat out and replace it with a rock and roll bed to sleep off the effects. Hey presto....a Corsa Camper!
LeeME3 wrote:The obvious answer here is to install a leisure battery and split charge system and run the stereo from that. You could then stick a solar panel on the roof to top the leisure battery up when the engine isn't running. Of course it's nice to have a cold drink while you're sitting in the sun listening to music so add a 12v fridge. Sometimes though you fancy a cuppa so stick a gas powered hob in there. Of course after alcohol you must not drive so maybe whip the back seat out and replace it with a rock and roll bed to sleep off the effects. Hey presto....a Corsa Camper!
I'll suggest it to the Mrs. I doubt it would go down too well. She doesn't even like the t25.
1989, 1.9 dg 4 Speed Panel Van with Gash windows cut in the side.
Does this new stereo have bluetooth for a phone hands-free? If so, go through the settings on it - there's very probably a setting to "wake it up" at any time, whether it's on or not - and if it's been wired to work with ignition off, that'll take a LOT of juice.
What model of radio and display are you using.
Looks like the old ISO connector (without pins 17 to 36), so I am assuming that it will be a CDR2005 or CCR2006 with a basic 12 pin radio display.
If that is the case, then the ignition live trigger is on the display - not the radio.
Vauxhall colours are as follows: -
Black - ignition live
Red - permanent live
Brown - ground
grey / black - illumination
blue / red - calculated road speed for speed dependent volume control.
Last edited by Robsey on 10 Jun 2015, 22:15, edited 2 times in total.
1983 Tin Top with a poorly DF and 4 speed DT box.
1987 Electrics and a DJ engine.
Maybe one day I might get it finished
From memory -
ISO plug -
Pin - colour and function
Block A
1 - Blue / red - steering wheel controls
2 - thin Red -accessory live (alternator w contact).
use this for your ignition live.
3 - grey / black - illumination
4 - brown - ground
5 - blue / red - calculated road speed - speed controlled volume.
6 - no connection
7 - brown / white - aerial amplifier and display hold on volume.
8 - Fat Red - main permanent power supply from fuse.
Block B
9 to 16 - speaker wires.
If you have block C of the ISO.
18 - blue - external temperature sensor
19 - blue / white - external temperature sensor
20 - white - to display
26 - brown - ground
27 - brown / white - diagnostics
34 - black - telemute
35 - blue - phone audio +
36 - brown - phone audio ground.
Hope that helps
1983 Tin Top with a poorly DF and 4 speed DT box.
1987 Electrics and a DJ engine.
Maybe one day I might get it finished
I'll suggest it to the Mrs. I doubt it would go down too well. She doesn't even like the t25.
