How long will the radio run with the car sitting
08-17-2013, 12:41 AM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
How long will the radio run with the car sitting
Thought I would ask this question before things go bad. I don't trust the car.
Planning on going to a drive in double feature Sat. night with a Corvette club, and the place runs the sound through the car radio. How long do you think I can run the radio without the car electronics freaking out.
Do you think I could watch the volt meter and cut the radio off when it goes below a certain voltage? What is the critical level, I certainly don't know.
It's double feature deal, so about three hours of play, I am guessing. I don't want a problem at the end with a locked up steering column or some other problem in the middle of the night way far away from home.
I plan on rolling the dice and using the car radio through the picture, just don't want any non start risk
Thanks if you can help.
Planning on going to a drive in double feature Sat. night with a Corvette club, and the place runs the sound through the car radio. How long do you think I can run the radio without the car electronics freaking out.
Do you think I could watch the volt meter and cut the radio off when it goes below a certain voltage? What is the critical level, I certainly don't know.
It's double feature deal, so about three hours of play, I am guessing. I don't want a problem at the end with a locked up steering column or some other problem in the middle of the night way far away from home.
I plan on rolling the dice and using the car radio through the picture, just don't want any non start risk
Thanks if you can help.
08-17-2013, 08:27 AM
#2
Team Owner
Probably how the place get the sound to your cars radio is by low power transmitting the sound on a locally unused radio frequency.
If it were me I'd find a way to verify that and then get a portable battery powered radio and use that instead of the cars sound system.
I suspect that at the end of 3 hours you are going to be calling a tow truck as the battery is likely to be dead if you try to use the vehicles sound system. Besides the car radio and amplifiers drawing current the BCM and PCM and probably other vehicle electrical/electronics will also draw some current. If you have any aftermarket accessories that come on with the ignition they also will draw. If the car is warm when you get there and the cooling fans are running, they will continue to run with the key on until the temp drops sufficiently. The fuel pump will initially bring pressure up but will shut off as long as the fuel system can hold the pressure..... To many possible complications for me to leave the key on for 3 hours.
I would not chance things being happy after 3 or so hours with the key in the on position..... JMHO. YMMV
If it were me I'd find a way to verify that and then get a portable battery powered radio and use that instead of the cars sound system.
I suspect that at the end of 3 hours you are going to be calling a tow truck as the battery is likely to be dead if you try to use the vehicles sound system. Besides the car radio and amplifiers drawing current the BCM and PCM and probably other vehicle electrical/electronics will also draw some current. If you have any aftermarket accessories that come on with the ignition they also will draw. If the car is warm when you get there and the cooling fans are running, they will continue to run with the key on until the temp drops sufficiently. The fuel pump will initially bring pressure up but will shut off as long as the fuel system can hold the pressure..... To many possible complications for me to leave the key on for 3 hours.
I would not chance things being happy after 3 or so hours with the key in the on position..... JMHO. YMMV
It's not funny at all, but I see the potential for a LOT of Corvettes with dead batteries, if they use their radios for 3 hours....
08-17-2013, 10:45 AM
#3
Safety Car
Thread Starter
thanks for the help
I would have really killed a fun evening through ignorance.
The Flyer for the event expects 200 Corvettes, so I was going to ask around. I had only been to drive in's long ago and they were using a clip to the antenna, the latest thing going.
I guess I"ll be bringing my trusty walkman, the movie site mentions you can bring a radio, so you must be correct about the radio narrowcast.
Thanks again. I really didn't want to feed the gremlins on a Saturday night.
I would have really killed a fun evening through ignorance.
The Flyer for the event expects 200 Corvettes, so I was going to ask around. I had only been to drive in's long ago and they were using a clip to the antenna, the latest thing going.
I guess I"ll be bringing my trusty walkman, the movie site mentions you can bring a radio, so you must be correct about the radio narrowcast.
Thanks again. I really didn't want to feed the gremlins on a Saturday night.
08-18-2013, 02:37 PM
#6
Team Owner
OK, it's now Sunday....I wonder how the cruise to the drive-in went??
08-18-2013, 02:50 PM
#7
Team Owner
I know if you sit in there after you shut the car off the radio goes off after about 10 minutes....not sure how long it would go before the battery died though
08-18-2013, 06:46 PM
#8
Drifting
I once had an aftermarket stereo on (2 amps with subwoofers) for 4 hours on an autozone battery and started the car just fine afterwards.
If your battery is in good shape, 3 hours shouldn't drain it.
If it were me, I would bring an extra battery just in case, but I think 3 hours of radio would be fine.
If your battery is in good shape, 3 hours shouldn't drain it.
If it were me, I would bring an extra battery just in case, but I think 3 hours of radio would be fine.
08-18-2013, 07:45 PM
#9
Race Director
Member Since: Apr 2007
Location: South Western Ontario
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Geeze, there is a accessory position on the ignition that does not power all the other electronics. Pretty much powers enough the windows and radio work. Things like the PCM and BCM are not powered. You can run for hours on it without killing the battery.
08-19-2013, 03:17 AM
#10
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Man, it seemed like a good idea until I looked at all that driving . A drive in in the L.A. area has got to be out there where the area is available. I went to the beach instead.
It was overcast, so I could get parking.
Thanks for the help. Still don't have a consensus , but it is the web after all. The speakers don't look too power hungry.
It was overcast, so I could get parking.
Thanks for the help. Still don't have a consensus , but it is the web after all. The speakers don't look too power hungry.
