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Car Forum / BMW Cars / January 2008

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2001 325i - Battery used if radio is left on after car turned off

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Bucko - 22 Jan 2008 13:24 GMT
Hi All,

I'm a new owner of a 2001 325i 4-door sedan with 103,000 miiles.  I've
joined the Owner's Cirlce, gotten the owner's manuals (car and
Business CD), etc.  The one quirky thing about the car is that if the
radio/cd is left on when the car is turned off, the battery gets
drained.  

I'm thinking this is not a normal operation for the car, true?  Does
anyone have any thoughts as to what the problem might be?  

Thanks in advance,
BK
R. Mark Clayton - 22 Jan 2008 16:12 GMT
> Hi All,
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Thanks in advance,
> BK

Someone has changed things so it runs off battery supply.
Bucko - 22 Jan 2008 20:20 GMT
>> Hi All,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
>Someone has changed things so it runs off battery supply.

Thanks for that input!  Can you think of a reason someone might
want/have to do that?
R. Mark Clayton - 23 Jan 2008 14:56 GMT
>>> Hi All,
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Thanks for that input!  Can you think of a reason someone might
> want/have to do that?

Sure the owner waits for someone at a train station / airport / school gates
or leaves kids in the car while they shop and wants the radio to work
without leaving the ignition on / key in the car.

Could just be a replacement unit and wired up wrong.
Uncle_vito - 25 Jan 2008 16:21 GMT
Ashtray lighter in our 2001 325ci is powered all the time.  Radio could have
been reconnected to that feed.

I put a GPS in and plugged in there and noticed the GPS never went off
unless I turned off the switch on the GPS.

Vito

>>>> Hi All,
>>>>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Could just be a replacement unit and wired up wrong.
Bucko - 28 Jan 2008 12:19 GMT
Thanks Vito!  I ended up replacing the battery with a (cheap) 49-DL
... so far so good.  We haven't tried leaving the radio on to see if
it drains the battery though.  Just not risk-taking kind of people.
But your comment helps.  At some point I'm going to have to yank the
radio to get the SN because the prior owner never left the Pass Code.
Maybe I can see how the radio is wired then?

>Ashtray lighter in our 2001 325ci is powered all the time.  Radio could have
>been reconnected to that feed.
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>>
>> Could just be a replacement unit and wired up wrong.
Dave Plowman (News) - 22 Jan 2008 17:09 GMT
> I'm a new owner of a 2001 325i 4-door sedan with 103,000 miiles.  I've
> joined the Owner's Cirlce, gotten the owner's manuals (car and
> Business CD), etc.  The one quirky thing about the car is that if the
> radio/cd is left on when the car is turned off, the battery gets
> drained.  

Do you mean the radio/CD continues to work with the ignition key removed?

> I'm thinking this is not a normal operation for the car, true?  Does
> anyone have any thoughts as to what the problem might be?  

Is it the standard radio? If so it should switch off with the key. Or does
on mine.

But I have an aftermarket unit in another car which although switching off
with the key does allow use without it if you then switch it on again -
like say when leaving passengers in the car. However it 'times out' in
these circumstances.

Signature

*Why isn't there mouse-flavoured cat food?

   Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                 To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Bucko - 22 Jan 2008 20:25 GMT
>> I'm a new owner of a 2001 325i 4-door sedan with 103,000 miiles.  I've
>> joined the Owner's Cirlce, gotten the owner's manuals (car and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>Do you mean the radio/CD continues to work with the ignition key removed?
Yes and no - power seems to be cut from the radio (so it won't work
and no lights are lit), but if left on before the car is shut down,
the battery gets drained.  Strange, I know.

>> I'm thinking this is not a normal operation for the car, true?  Does
>> anyone have any thoughts as to what the problem might be?  
>
>Is it the standard radio? If so it should switch off with the key. Or does
>on mine.
Yep, its the "BMW Business CD" standard and seems to do the same thing
yours does - switches off when the key is turned to the off position
and pulled out.  But then the battery drains.  If the radio is turned
off before the key is switched off, the battery is fine.  It's
happened a few times - but enough to allow for the isolation of the
Radio as the culprit.  So maybe there's a short somewhere?

>But I have an aftermarket unit in another car which although switching off
>with the key does allow use without it if you then switch it on again -
>like say when leaving passengers in the car. However it 'times out' in
>these circumstances.
Dave Plowman (News) - 22 Jan 2008 22:32 GMT
> >> I'm a new owner of a 2001 325i 4-door sedan with 103,000 miiles.  I've
> >> joined the Owner's Cirlce, gotten the owner's manuals (car and
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> >Do you mean the radio/CD continues to work with the ignition key
> >removed?

> Yes and no - power seems to be cut from the radio (so it won't work
> and no lights are lit), but if left on before the car is shut down,
> the battery gets drained.  Strange, I know.

> >> I'm thinking this is not a normal operation for the car, true?  Does
> >> anyone have any thoughts as to what the problem might be?  
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> happened a few times - but enough to allow for the isolation of the
> Radio as the culprit.  So maybe there's a short somewhere?

They have a power amp in the boot. I dunno how it's actually switched, but
it won't get its actual power from the radio switched circuit so could
conceivably be staying on.

Signature

*I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian.

   Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                 To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Bucko - 23 Jan 2008 12:31 GMT
>> >> I'm a new owner of a 2001 325i 4-door sedan with 103,000 miiles.  I've
>> >> joined the Owner's Cirlce, gotten the owner's manuals (car and
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>it won't get its actual power from the radio switched circuit so could
>conceivably be staying on.
Thanks Dave!  I'll check that out.  

Meanwhile, I had to make a 45 minute drive to jump the car at my
wife's office last night <grin>. She swears she turned the radio off,
made sure the trunk lid was closed (this was another thing the
dealership told us to do to make sure the battery wouldn't drain).  I
might end up having to take it to a mechanic so it can drive him/her
crazy for a while.
adder1969 - 23 Jan 2008 14:54 GMT
> On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:32:47 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
>
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -

I think I mentioned it on another thread but on mine it was actually
one of the door locks not going all the way down.  Ah, German
engineering  ;-)
hsg@h-gee.co.uk - 23 Jan 2008 18:27 GMT
Are you sure it's being turned off.  some folk just turn the volume down.
However this shouldn't drain the battery as the ign will turn off the radio and
other systems.

I would run a test on the current drain with ign on & off and radio on & off.

Failing that get to an auto electrical guy that really knows BMW.

Weird.

Hugh

>>> >> I'm a new owner of a 2001 325i 4-door sedan with 103,000 miiles.  I've
>>> >> joined the Owner's Cirlce, gotten the owner's manuals (car and
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>might end up having to take it to a mechanic so it can drive him/her
>crazy for a while.
Signature


Sir Hugh of Bognor

The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.

Intelligence is not knowing the answer but knowing where and how to find it!

Hugh Gundersen
hsg@h-gee.co.uk
Bognor Regis, W.Sussex, England, UK

 
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