Car Radio Only Works When Engine Is Off
You don't know why, but your car radio only works with the ignition on. You don't want to bring it to a mechanic unless you can't really help it, so you decided to scour the internet for answers. What causes a car radio to work only when your car is on the ignition, and how can you fix it?
To fix a car radio that only works with the ignition, you must first understand what the problem is, and in many cases, it can be a battery or wiring problem. If it's the former, you may need to replace your battery. If it's the latter, you may need to switch your wirings or replace your ignition switch.
As an Amazon Associate, ImproveCarAudio will receive a small commission from qualifying purchases made through the links in this article.
In this article, we will discuss why a car radio may only work when the ignition is on. It will also help you diagnose the car radio's potential problems and tell you how to solve them.
What Does the Car's ACC Position Do?
You need to know more about your car's ACC position to fully understand why your car radio experiences problems like working only when the ignition is on. ACC stands for accessories, and it's connected to your car's convenient, electric-powered components, such as the radio, windows, power seats, cigarette lighter, headlights, backlights, and even the air ventilator.
ACC allows current to pass through your accessories for them to power up and function. This means that even when your ignition is off, you can access your car's basic functions.
You can listen to the radio or roll your windows up or down. You can also switch your lights on and off, and many other things.
So, when your car radio only works with the ignition on, it's highly likely that something related to your ACC needs attention. This could be your car's wirings, your battery, radio fuse, or the ignition switch itself.
If your wirings trouble your car radio, you may have one of the following issues:
- Incorrect wire placement
- Damaged Wires
- Blown Fuses
On the other hand, if your car radio suffers from battery issues, you may possess a weak battery that can't produce the required voltage to power your radio. Lastly, a worn-out or faulty ignition switch may affect your car as well.
Why a Car Radio Only Works With Ignition on and How To Fix It
A car radio, like any other electrical device, needs the power to run. Hence, it draws electric currents from your car's battery. If your car's battery power isn't sufficient or the wirings meant to instruct your car about energy-drawing get mixed up, you'll have problems. Similarly, a faulty ignition switch may also cause your radio to refuse to work when you're in the ACC position.
This section will explain why a car radio only works with the ignition on, show you how to confirm your diagnosis, and tell you how to fix each issue. However, remember that if you are unsure about anything, it's best to contact a professional.
If you don't have the equipment needed for doing basic car tests yet, check out AstroAI Digital Multimeter, on Amazon.
Change Your Car's Battery
One of the main reasons a car refuses to work on ACC is a weak battery. You'll know your car radio suffers from an incompetent battery if it periodically glitches even when turned on. Your car will also show you a battery notification on the dashboard, produce weak headlights, and slowly crank when you start it.
However, the most accurate way to figure out if your car battery is causing your radio malfunction is to follow the steps below.
- Switch your headlights on for two minutes.
- Prepare your multimeter by setting it to a measurement above 15 volts.
- Connect the positive lead and negative lead to their respective slots.
- You can do that by plugging red to red and black to black.
- You should see a result of at least 12.6 volts.
- Keep the multimeter attached to your car's battery.
- Turn on the Ignition.
- The result should not drop below 10 volts.
- You need to clean your battery or replace it if the result drops below 10 volts.
If you prefer watching video tutorials, visit Chris Fix's clear and detailed clip about testing a car battery with a multimeter:
Meanwhile, cleaning your battery's terminals only requires some sandpaper and WD-40, so it should be easy enough without a tutorial. However, you can check out Chris Fix's video from above to see that, too.
Lastly, to replace your car battery, watch Scotty Kilmer's YouTube tutorial:
Final Thoughts
Three things typically cause a car radio to work only with the ignition on. Once you have diagnosed which one of those caused your radio problem, you can then solve it. You can fix your radio issue by replacing or cleaning your battery, switching or replacing your wires, or changing your ignition switch.
Car Radio Only Works When Engine Is Off
Source: https://improvecaraudio.com/car-radio-only-works-with-ignition-on/
0 Response to "Car Radio Only Works When Engine Is Off"
Post a Comment