You can run a car battery down much quicker with the radio on than without. This is because of the added draw on the battery from the radio. It will take less time to go dead with a ‘radio load’ than without because the radio is essentially consuming additional power.
How Long Does a Car Battery Last with Radio On
In short, 600 minutes You might be able to listen for 10-20 hours before you’d lose your satellite signal on your satellite radio (12 volt+). So if you leave it on while driving around, that’s a lot of juice being drawn from your battery between charges. Ideally, you would charge up your car battery by driving and right after you park and turn off the engine, not when you get in to go somewhere.
Is my radio draining my battery?
A car battery is designed to give you a burst of power when you start your vehicle and provide power for the accessories, particularly the ignition when you need to restart after an extended time. If your radio is on after the engine has been off for more than a few minutes, then it’s probably taking from your battery and running down the charge.
Can car stereo drain your battery?
A car stereo can drain your battery if you leave it on after the engine has been turned off. This in itself is not an issue, however, there are other potential issues that can arise from leaving it on and have nothing to do with the battery.
The reason for this is that when the engine is running, it uses a lot of power to translate gasoline into energy. When you turn off the engine, all of that power isn’t needed anymore so all of the accessories are shut down as well. Once they’re all shut down, they don’t use any power at all.
If you leave your stereo on in your car after turning off the engine, it will continue to use power just because it’s drawing from your battery.
Does the car battery affect the radio?
If you don’t drive much, you may find that the battery in your car is failing because it’s not getting a chance to recharge. If your battery is not in good shape, then the radio might start acting up if you leave it on for an extended period of time.
If the battery is right at or below the point that it will not recharge, your radio, lights, and everything else will go out when you turn off the engine. Without a fully charged battery, those things will not come back on when you start the car. The radio has internal fuses that can blow out if they’re too close to death and they will stop working until they’re replaced or a new battery is installed.
How to listen to the radio without draining the car battery
So, if you’re going to be listening to the radio for long periods of time, especially if you need to drive in the city, charge up your battery. Have as much power in your radio as possible by adjusting its frequency and doing some other things. This will keep it from draining your battery.
How to Keep Radio On When Car is Off?
Make sure you have a good radio with enough power to power your radio and the car stereo. Use only the amount of accessories you will need during your trip.
What to Do If Car Battery Died While Listening to Radio?
The battery in your car runs out of power quite often. You could be in the middle of a road trip when suddenly your battery dies. Don’t panic! When the car is off, you can still listen to your radio.
When To Charge Car Battery [There are several conditions, but if you charge it within 30 days of the time it exhausted its power or less]
The AAA website has some great tips on maintaining and caring for both gas and electric (car) batteries. They also provide a list of approved programs to recharge your battery if it has run low on power:
Can a completely dead battery be recharged?
Yes, but it is not recommended at all. Why? Because the battery and its components will change after only three months of non-use. Then they won’t work any longer. So you will be forced to buy a new one if you want to use it again in your car.
If this sounds like too much trouble, then consider buying a car with the latest technology that can charge itself automatically every time you turn the ignition on. One such model available at car dealerships is the Ford Focus C3 compact hatchback. It has an electric system that charges itself when it gets low on power, then stores excess energy in the batteries to run your accessories (headlights, etc.) when you start your car again.
Robert Anderson is a world class motorhead who rebuilt his first carb at age 10, his first engine at age 15, and completed his first full hotrod build when he was just 18! Previously, he has ran a part warehouse, delivered pizzas, and managed the service department for a $20 million/year revenue dealership. Robert knows cars like few others and he is passionate about sharing his knowledge.