Hi I have a Citroen C3 with Pioneer 7100BT head unit. My current setup allows the HU to work only with the ignition key in, which kinda bothers me. Especially when after about 10 minutes the vehicle goes to some "Economy mode" bull**** which powers off my audio permanently; I have to turn the engine on for a while, then I can listen to it another 10 minutes when I power it off. This is ridiculous. The car's guide says there are 2 pins in the ISO connector that can power the HU, one of them only giving power with the key in, the other one permanently. Well, guess which one's my case. I'm a noobie and would like to ask: If I know exactly which pins I'd eventually need to swap to fix this thing, are the ISO plugs erm.. 'pin-swap-friendly'? I mean, should I do it myself with near-zero experience with this stuff or is it a job for a pro? I have previously installed a Sony HU to friend's car but that didn't involve any pin adjustment.
There is a simple fix for your problem. It will require two relays, one in a latching configuration, the other will shut off or unlatch the first relay. This is a simple set up, its very reliable but some wiring and relay knowledge would be helpful. I had to use a similar set up in my truck, because when I shut the truck off, the radio shut off. With the relays, the radio stays on until I open the driver door. The passenger door does not effect the radio I can post a diagram tomorrow. It will be very general because I cannot find wiring info on your car.
Thank you so far. Meanwhile I found this in my HU guide: Strange is though, I found out the "cap (*1)" is missing, no idea why. I supposed when I plug "Red 4*" into the missing one (1*) instead of "Red (5*)" I get the desired effect. Could this be possible if I just manged to connect these two somehow?
I meant to get back to this yesterday. Anyway, this relay set up will allow the radio to remain powered until you exit the vehicle. This is the same set up I use in my truck. It works well The first relay powers the radio as soon as the ignition is turned on. The radio will then remain powered regardless of the ignition key position. The second relay shuts off the first one. The hook up to the coil on the second relay depends on your door pin switch polarity (again I cannot find wiring info on your car). Most cars use a negative trigger and if thats the case with your car, the one side of the coil will be hooked up to a constant 12 volt source. The other side will be hooked to the door pin switch. The coils are marked with an * This way the radio will remain powered until you exit the vehicle. You may want a professional to hook this up, they will understand my diagram. Almost forgot, the diodes are a must. Yes your radio would remain on regardless of your ignition switch position. It could also cause a drain on your battery. While it maght work, it is not recommended
Although I don't really understand the supposed battery drain; the battery drains anyway after about 30 days without starting the engine. If this means it's reduced to 20 days with the radio on, who cares.. Thank you for the diagram anyway, seems like it really is the best way if I find someone to make it. The vehicle doesn't actually even have an accessory key position.
The point about battery drain is that you can easily leave it on, compromising a battery for no good reason. Everyone says "I'll turn it off every time" but eventually you'll pause it, tweak something and then walk off. With no ignition switch or relay fail safe it will happen eventually, perhaps at someone else's fault. Most people, especially professionals will not wire a system like this. If it is a vehicle you sit in the drive way and listen to the system in, go ahead and do it. It's just a special vehicle. No worse than a dead battery on a truck with shaved handles. You make "safeties" for yourself and you warn other people if they are around the vehicle. If you drain your battery in 30 days while sitting, there must be something connected improperly. My only experience with an alarm is my factory Maxima which I have never let sit that long but you shouldn't have anything that would eat a battery in that period of time. I don't know how long you could let your car sit in the parking lot until the battery went low but I can get nearly 30 days out of a 9V running a blinking LED. If your trying to do multiple listening sessions without ever running the vehicle then yes, that battery will always be JUST a reserve. No alternator, the sound will only last for a certain amount of time.^_^
Wow, done it. A little bit of custom wiring did the job. My dad's used this setup for about 3 years and never forgot to turn it off The trick is, we never leave the front panel on, not even when shopping, eating out or such short periods because two HUs have already been stolen from us. And leaving the panel on overnight at this town equals not having it the next morning, for sure.
