My 1999 Felicia has at some point in its life had a replacement CD/Radio fitted, it works perfectly well but it has to be turned on and off on the unit itself instead of coming on automatically when the ignition is switched on like on most cars.

Is this the usual way radios are wired on these cars or has someone bodged the fitting?

Thanks

Ian

For this function to work you need to have 2 live feeds to the radio unit, a permanent live which stays on constantly which is used for saving the stored settings in the radio like the fm station presets etc, and a switched live which only comes on when the ignition switch is in the accessory position which turns the radio on. The wiring for the radio from the factory is not wired up for it sadly, if you look on the back of the power plug on the radio the switched live wire is looped over from the permanent live so it will always work in the way you have described.

However it is possible to cut this wire and join it onto a switched live feed, there are numerous places you can pick up a switched live from in the fusebox or dashboard loom but I'd suggest leaving it well alone unless you are 100% sure you know what you are doing. Any half decent auto-electrician should make fairly short work of this job, if you do have a go yourself be sure to use an inline fuse as well.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, at least I know that's how it's meant to be and not been 'bodged'

I'll leave it alone, it's no real hardship switching it on

Thanks, at least I know that's how it's meant to be and not been 'bodged'

I'll leave it alone, it's no real hardship switching it on

I agree, but beware: Modern radio units have a 'double feed' - one permanent that keeps your preset stations in place, one switched for the rest (red and yellow, can't remember which one is which). On the Felly both the red and yellow are permanent

With permanent feed on both, the radio can drain your battery if left for a few days! On my unit, for instance, the on/off button has a LED light which shouldn't be gleaming when I leave the car. With old radios this never happened: when they were turned off they were turned off proper.

So either add a new wire that is switched to the snakes' nest. Or (as I have done) mount an extra switch button on the appropriate wire. Should be the one that goes to pin A7 on the radio side of the ISO contact.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that.

I've not noticed any lights remaining lit, but then again I haven't looked, I'll take a look tonight when it gets dark.

It's just a cheepy 'Alba' CD/Radio someone has fitted, but it's good enough for me, no point spending more money on a decent sterio than the cars worth.

Ian

Even if there's no LED lamps there can be other functions active, e.g. automatic station search. If the unit has a removable front panel, then taking the panel off may turn off such functions (not sure about this, however)

My felly has an aftermarket Sony unit in, which has a clock, which keeps the time so must have some form of live feed constantly, but it doesnt go off with the ignition. I normally just pop off the front to turn it off.