Radio power will not turn off with ignition, 2003

rgalipeau

My radio no longer turns off with the ignition. The battery drains after a few days. The scematics I have show that the instrument panel instruments are sourced from the same point on the ignition (acc/run position) switch but they all go dead when the ignition is in the off position. The radio stays on.

srs_49

Is the radio powered directly off the acc/run terminal of the ignition switch, or is there a relay along the way?

If it's directly off the switch as you say, the same circuit that powers the instrument panel, then that's a strange one you've got. I could understand the radio not turning on because of an open someplace, but not the radio, and only the radio, staying on.

Maybe there's another power feed to the radio?

rgalipeau

Thanks for the quick reply, I looked over the schematics again and cannot see a seperate source for main power but did discover a feed to keep the memory alive. Maybe the radio is faulty (internal short to keep alive circuit). I think this would also backfeed the instrument panel, which does not look like is happening. If I had your email I could forward the schematics in PDF if you wanted.

rgalipeau

I found the problem, stupid on my part. I have a large flood light that plugs into the aux. power outlet. This flood light has a battery. Apparently the batter in the flood light was back feeding the ACC circuit allowing the radio to run when the ignition was turned off. My only concern is why the truck battery would drain to nothing as the ACC circuit is normally dead with the ignition off. Even if the flood light was still connected there should have been no path to the truck battery. Maybe there is some relay that was holding due to the back feed?

srs_49

Strange. That explains why the radio was staying on, but doesn't explain the drain on the truck battery. A relay that's being energized by the back feed would explain it.

As an experiment, is there any way you can monitor the battery current draw with the flood light plugged in? And the with it out?

rgalipeau

I will let tthe truck sit for a few days, if the battery holds I will not worry about it. If the battery continues to drain there may be another issue.

sal30

if you had the flood light in the power outlet it keeps charging the flood light even if you turn off the switch so it drains the battery

jorgem634

Okay, I have the same problem with my car.
I have a 99 Chevy Malibu.

It was given to me by my grandmother. She fixed it with a mechanic. The feul system had/has a problem where if the gas meter reaches half tank, it drops. So after half tank you have to guess where you're at. Sometimes it works after half tank but thats with warm weather.

ANYWAYS

Just last night I drove it home and parked it. Took the key out. And my radio stayed on. Didn't really pay attention. But I opened my door and the radio stayed on along with my dash lights. So I restarted the car and turned it off again. But it acts if the key is in the on position. Soooo thats my problem. My car stays on. And I have to unhook the battery so it doesn't drain on me. My key hole looks like it's in the on position. I've tried fiddling with the key and it only worked for me once.

I just got the car fixed for 400 for a front end problem. I'm putting money into this damn thing and it won't work for me.

Any suggestions on my power problem?

carverman

You mentioned: "I have a 99 Chevy Malibu....."

You realize of course, that this is a Dakota problems forum.

The fuel guage issue is a bad sending unit. GM is notorius for this.
They used silver contacts on the fuel level variable resistor and over time the sulphur in the gas contaminates the
silver..and you get corrosion..the same kind of corrosion as on your grandmas silverware..
except you can't polish it off with SILVO inside the fuel tank..you have to replace the
entire sending unit. Thank GM for that unecessary problem!

I don't have a wiring diagram for your '99 Malibu..but it probably is possibly related to the ignition
switch contacts not completely disconnecting the radio +12v circuit.
I have the wiring diagram for the factory radio in my 98 Dakota..

The headlight switch dimmer switch in PARKing lamp position, feeds a "park lamp relay" in the radio itself.
There is a 5 amp fuse that feeds the fused "panel lamps" from the dimmer (inside headlight switch).
There is a 15 amp fuse that feeds the radio itself.
There is a 10amp fuse from the RUN/ACC contacts on the ignition switch that feeds +12v to
the radio.
The radio has it's own separate ground.
Hope this gives you a general idea..but obviously the circuit will be different slightly between
Dodge and GM..so I can't help you more than this.