We agree that new cars have no trouble playing the radio for hours now. But what about the old modeled cars? Do their car battery drains when the radio is playing?
People are confused if the radio actually affects the car battery or not. For your convenience, let us tell you that, yes, car batteries can die for the radio! But how long can a car battery last while playing radio; do you know it?
Let us know why it runs out, how much time it stays awake and how you can get rid of it!
When you ask how long the car battery will last while playing radio, you have to learn more about the radio. Different types of radio take up different amount of power.
Does a Car Radio Drain the Battery?
Yes, thousand times yes! A car radio can drain the battery if you keep it switches on! We often ignore switching the battery off but the can result in draining the whole battery of your car at times. Some people also think that if their radio is turned off, the car battery will still drain. As much as the first point is true, the second isn’t. If the radio is turned off, why would it drain the battery?
In some cases, the battery can be drained only if the radio is not in a good condition. If the radio is defective, it can drain battery when it is switched off. If it is wrongly configured, there is a chance of the radio taking up power from the battery in the switched off situation. So, first of all, your duty is the set up this device carefully. If it is wired correctly, there is less chance of the radio getting drained.
The problems arise when the radio remains silent. There are times we keep the radio silent and when we get out of the car switching off the engine, we think that the radio is switched off. Before you plan to leave the vehicle, make sure you are cross verifying if the appliance is turned off or not.
How much Battery a Car Radio Drains?
The first question that arises here regarding the radio is if the radio can drain car battery or not. Many people think that it is not possible but if you go deep, you will know that it is. When you leave the radio of your car switched on and the car engine off, this can drain your car battery.
Yes you won’t like it but it is what it is. But keep in mind that radio takes up very little power from the battery. So, if you see that there is any battery leakage, only switching the radio on is not the reason. Apart from the radio, another reason for the car battery draining is the fans and lights of your car. Also, the heaters of a car can be draining the car battery till it dies!
If you ask for some specific time, we will tell you that the radio will run on the car battery for about 4 hours to 6 hours or close. There is no exact time here as this depends on a lot of things. Depending on the following factors, the limit can be reduced or exceed. It completely depends on the car, the radio, the additional devices and how you deal with it!
1. Radio Screen
As we have already mentioned, it depends on the radio much power it takes to run. There are radios of moderate, small and large screens. If want a radio with a large screen for having fun in the roads, it might require a lot of power! Just think that running a TV requires more power than running a laptop. So, in short the screen is a very important sector to think about when it comes to the battery power of your car.
2. Radio Equipment
If you set the heating on and keep the engine switched off in your car, there is a chance that the battery will die if you leave the radio switched on. But in this case, we should remind you that not all radios use the same battery power. The amount of battery power that the car radio will use is connected to the audio equipment of your vehicle too.
Yes, for more devices, the radio will take up a lot more battery than the regular ones. So, if you are planning to install strong speakers, keep this in mind beforehand! Also, some subwoofers can be power-hungry too! These devices can be the reason for your car battery dying faster while playing radio. However, normal car radio will take a lot of time to drain the battery power completely.
Cars like Honda CVR have 330-watt audio system with 9-speakers. So, it will surely take up a lot of battery! The battery of the car is also a fact when it comes to the radio draining it. Check the top battery for Honda CRV so that you can keep up with the high-tech radio features.
3. Usage
Apart from the radio screen size or the radio equipment, the usage of the radio is something that is connected to the battery. The more you use the radio, the more power it will take. When you plan to leave the car, switch off the radio. Even if you are just out of the vehicle for pumping the car tires with the Top 120v tire inflator so far, turn off the radio.
Apart from this, using the button also is connected to the power here. If you are going to use the buttons or go through the screen more often, it is natural that the battery will last for shorter period than usual. If you do not change the channel again and again or you do not go through them more often, the battery will last longer even if the radio is switched on in your car.
The lights are another reason why the radio can drain the battery. If you keep the lights turned on, there is a chance that the power will reduce from one hour to some minutes; that’s not what you want, right?
How to Stop Car Battery from Dying while Playing Radio?
You already know how long before car battery dies with radio on but how can you stop it? Here are some tips on how to you can stop your car battery from dying.
- The powerful sound system usually consumes more power. The more regular the stereos, the easier it is on your battery! If you are facing issues with the battery, you can remove the stereo for some time and then check out if the problem is solved or not. Or else, you have to look for a professional to solve it because it is related to the head unit.
- For the subwoofers, the radio will require more power. If you haven’t added subwoofers, it is a great way to reduce the battery usage. You can decide not to run the radio when you are not driving too!
- Switch off the radio before you park the car; make it a habit. Check if the radio is silent or not after a while so that if it is tuned on, you can switch it off.
- Don’t forget to recharge the accessories. If you keep up with the renewing process, it will be easy for you to deal with the car battery.
- If you are playing double fin unit, never exceed 20 minutes to 30 minutes. As this includes video with the audio, it will consume more power than regular.
Wrap Up
Yes, you do not need to worry about your car if you have the latest vehicles of this age. But not to forget, most of us still use the vintage cars because we love them! And if you a user of such vehicle, the radio is something that can have a diverse effect on the car battery!
Learn about how much time the car battery will last if you play radio and what are the ways to avoid it. Our tips and tricks will save your battery. All you need to do is be a little cautious!
