General How long can I leave the car on "Prime" without the engine running?

[Matthen]

What with the price of fuel at the moment, and the fact that I'm now doing a lot of sitting and waiting in the car I've been wondering how long can I run the electrical systems without the engine running, i.e. the key turned one click.

I ask this because the radio doesn't work without the ignition on (never has - bought the car with an after market unit) and on hot days I'd like the blowers (not A/C) running without burning precious Go-Go juice.

 

[Eklipze3k]

An impossible question to answer to be honest as there are way too many variables, the easiest thing to do would be to fit a gauge to monitor the battery voltage. Need to be (IIRC) at a minimum of 12v to be able to turn the starter and fire the plugs effectively.

 

[Matthen]

Interesting, I thought it was current that was required to turn the motor, not P.D

 

[Wee Smurf]

You should be able to set the radio to turn off 20 minutes after you turn off the ignition... Look up the menu.

 

[Matthen]

You should be able to set the radio to turn off 20 minutes after you turn off the ignition... Look up the menu.

Its an after-market radio, I guess whoever wired it in didn't bother with a "always live feed"

 

[Louie Bee]

do it remember which point you are at on the CD / MP3 / radio station tuned in when you turn it back on? if it do then the always live is on the right pin on the head unit

you could pop it out and put the switched live onto always live - usuley thin yellow and thick red with bullet conecters and a 3 way connector on the red line IIR.

 

[Matthen]

It remembers which track the CD is on, and it will spit out the CD with the ignition off, however it doesn't remember the time, that is always reset.. I dug up the manual for it online, it says nothing about running with the ignition off. I've checked all the settings on it.

I don't really want the radio always on - I like it going off with the ignition most of the time, its just a couple of times a week i'd like it on.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The Active Panda seems to be the only Fiat of late with a proper ignition switched feed. A lot would be jealous of this. Sisters Active is the same.

The fuel only primes for a few seconds, so there is no issue there.

Just sit with the ignition on, windows down and fan off and your all sorted

 

[Matthen]

Good to know - Thanks Most Easterly

 

[David C]

... however it doesn't remember the time, that is always reset..

It is clearly wired up wrong.

 

[bobajob]

Interesting, I thought it was current that was required to turn the motor, not P.D

That's true, but as the battery drains, while you are using your radio and blowers, the voltage meter will register a drop in voltage and when it goes below 12volts then there is not enough pd to allow the starter to draw the required current to form the magnetic fields needed to cause the motor to turn over.

 

[bobajob]

The Active Panda seems to be the only Fiat of late with a proper ignition switched feed. A lot would be jealous of this. Sisters Active is the same.

The fuel only primes for a few seconds, so there is no issue there.

Just sit with the ignition on, windows down and fan off and your all sorted

Alternatively you could just run a wire with a switch (you could hide it under the dash in an easy to reach place) straight from the battery spliced into the radio live wire near where it goes into the radio, then when you want permanent live to the radio you just flick the switch on, even with the ignition off.

Just be careful about constantly starting and stopping the engine in traffic as the basic starters are not beefed up like the starters on the models which have this feature. You could end up prematurely wearing out your starter which would cost more than the saved gogo juice. I'm not saying don't do it, just be selective about if the stop is worth turning off the engine.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Alternatively you could just run a wire with a switch (you could hide it under the dash in an easy to reach place) straight from the battery spliced into the radio live wire near where it goes into the radio, then when you want permanent live to the radio you just flick the switch on, even with the ignition off.

Could could risk placing a backwards feed to everything else on the same circuit if not done correctly though.

 

[bobajob]

Could could risk placing a backwards feed to everything else on the same circuit if not done correctly though.

Good point, that could be awkward, lol. I remember I once plugged in a 12v jump starter to the cigarette lighter to charge while I was driving home and the engine wouldn't turn off because the battery in the starter was keeping the engine going after I took out the key. It took 10 mins of mad panic before I accidentally knocked the plug out off the socket and the engine died... :doh:

 

[Matthen]

Its not sitting in traffic that bothers me, its sitting waiting for certain... females, to do whatever it is they do instead of hurrying up - currently I'm just sitting there with the engine off in silence, so there will be no extra load on the starter .

Most Easterly is right.. and I have no wish to damage anything expensive with my mediocre electrical skills.

And bobajob... That would unnerve me as well... I would probably have resorted to stalling it :S