TheSamba.com :: View topic - Link for rewire

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:01 pm

..need some help (to say the least), I know I've seen a post about rewiring the power to the radio so that it stays on as long as the key is in the ignition (not just when the key is turned to the on postion).

Anybody remember this post?

Thanks,

-P

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:14 pm

My radio stays on even with no key in the car...strange...

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:16 pm

Hi

Well I don't remember this post, but this would be interesting to know.
I think this would require a different ignition switch.
The standard vanagon switch is off/on/start.
Besides you wire it that it is always on power. that is how mine is wired to the aux battery.

Michael

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:20 pm

From the factory, the stereo is set up to always have power.

You can splice the signal wire into the same circuit as the door chime to only have power to the stereo when the key is in the ignition.

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:36 pm

Here's the thread that helped me solve this problem:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=329870

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:51 pm

Thanks BoneStock67

Seems I have the same problem, no buzzer going then key in.
Cool thread :idea: maybe I do some Radio rewiring :D

Michael

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:56 pm

Just get an aux battery, don't even have to have the keys hanging in the ignition to listen to the stereo, and the van always starts.

Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:40 pm

That's the one: http://www.weidefamily.net/vanagon/

This all came up because I had to rewire the radio to turn off when the ignition is off; my blue tooth Pioneer head unit maintains the phone connection as long as it has power and will even drain my aux. battery looking for the phone! Also, when I was upstairs in the house and my cell phone would ring, the vanagon would answer in the garage... So I set up a switch for now.

The key in the ignition is a nice solution because I can switch the car off, continue to listen to that song and then simply remove the key to switch it all off.

Thanks!

Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:27 pm

windwing wrote: Also, when I was upstairs in the house and my cell phone would ring, the vanagon would answer in the garage...
Wow, does it take a message?

Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:57 pm

I think you may be talking about this:

http://www.vanagonauts.com/Radio-Power-From-Key-in-Circuit222.htm

I found my relay out of a Eurovan and it took me 15 minutes to wire it. A great mod.

Chris
:vw:

Wed Sep 30, 2009 6:06 pm

I love this mod!, now I dont have to remember to turn off the radio.. I hated that.

Now, just pull the ignition key out and radio powers off, insert key, radio turns on at previously set volume.. Love it!

I used this tutorial
http://www.weidefamily.net/vanagon/HTML/04/09/01.html

thanks to posters above who provided it

Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:08 am

Even if you have your radio wired to your aux battery, this is a great enhancement. If you do not do this, it's too easy to leave the radio on low volume when you leave the van and risk running down the aux battery.

Ask me how I know this :wink:

Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:32 am

I dont even like having the key in the ignition when I'm parked. If I've been partying, I want my keys as far away from the ignition as possible. No DUI for me, thanks! I've thought about switching my Sub amp on key-in though. I never use it when I'm parked because it kills the battery pretty fast. I usually pull the plug. My head unit wont kill the battery but my amp will.

Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:39 am

> I dont even like having the key in the ignition when I'm parked. If I've been partying, I want my keys as far away from the ignition as possible. No DUI for me, thanks!

Good point, I respect that concern, but just out of curiosity, do you or anyone reading this know of anyone who has EVER had a DUI while partying in their PARKED Van?

otoh, do you or anyone reading this know anyone who has EVER drained their battery so much that the VAN wont start, by leaving the radio on, with the volume turned down, or, or by leaving a computer plugged into an inverter in the cigarette lighter overnight? I have done both.

I now have a house battery, but I still want my radio to turn off when the key is removed.

I have never been cited for DUI, not while moving, and NOT while parked. OTOH, I party often, and like to play music with the engine off, like some folks here :-)

Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:53 am

I have the head powered directly off the SU circuit, and the remote amp is triggered by that and powered off the aux battery. If you're using a remote amp, the head uses a very small amount of power so it's OK to just use the SU circuit (which is tiny). If you're using the amp that's in the head, you might want to use SU to power a relay instead or it may overamp the little circuit when you turn the volume up, depending on the wattage of the head.

But, there's times I want to have radio on without the key, like when I stop for gas and need the key to open the gas cap, but something interesting is on the radio and I want to listen while I gas up. So I just put a little toggle switch in the dash under the radio which powers up the radio. It has a bright red LED so I'll be reminded it's on if I'm walking away. Best of both worlds. I got rid of the warning relay so it doesn't matter if both sources are on, the head is the only thing on either circuit.

Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:06 am

> But, there's times I want to have radio on without the key, like when I stop for gas and need the key to open the gas cap

another way to solve that is to have a spare gas key, which would probably require fewer uses than switching your radio on and off by hand at the switch every single time you get in and out of the Van.. THAT is what I was trying to eliminate by going with a key activated stereo..

Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:22 am

Maybe for you, for me a switch I rarely use is preferable to more keys. To be of use the extra key has to be detachable, which means it has to live somewhere. It'll probably end up getting left inside the van somewhere. I've already had one car stolen and destroyed because there was a spare key inside, so once bitten....

I seldom use the extra switch, but it's there for those instances where I want my keys and my radio on. When I'm about to climb out, I just throw the switch (it's right below the radio) and the radio stays on when I pull the key. When I'm at home I leave the keys in the ignition so I'm manually turning the radio off then anyway. So it fits my habits. To each his own.

Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:33 am

Jon_slider wrote: > But, there's times I want to have radio on without the key, like when I stop for gas and need the key to open the gas cap

another way to solve that is to have a spare gas key, which would probably require fewer uses than switching your radio on and off by hand at the switch every single time you get in and out of the Van.. THAT is what I was trying to eliminate by going with a key activated stereo..

If I used a spare key for my gas cap I would have left said cap behind at the gas station many times. Using my ignition key is my only prevention for that. Just can't count on my brain.

Regarding the key in the ignition and legal implications, it is true, and happens here in Wisconsin frequently. If you are intoxicated and your key is in the ignition you can (and probably will) be cited for OWI. Whether or not the vehicle is started is irrelevant.

Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:00 am

I agree I like having my key in my gas cap so I cant forget my gas cap. I had not considered that the radio will be off during that time, so I see tencent's point that there are times when I might want radio with the key out of the ignition.

that is a separate issue though, the first thing I want is the radio to turn off when I turn off the ignition, or remove the key.

tencent, Im sorry to hear your car was stolen
I understand your system better now
yes, we each have our own unique ways of using our vans.. and its great fun! Thanks for sharing your ideas.

> If you are intoxicated and your key is in the ignition you can (and probably will) be cited for OWI.

yes, that law is pretty universal, but my question was, have you or anyone you know, EVER had that law used against you when you were PARKED in you Van, and intoxicated, and had the music on? When Im intoxicated, I sometimes turn the radio off and lie down.. at which point I will remember the warning not to get caught for DWI by having my keys in the ignition.. thanks :-)

maybe the thing to do to avoid key based DWI, is to set up an additional relay to the radio so that if the key is OUT of the ignition, but the passenger front door is open (or better yet the sliding door), the radio works :-).. the bottom line is the radio needs to power off automatically, not as another driver dependent switch.

then when you close the door to lock up and walk away, radio automatically turns off.. <g> That leads to other issues though, I party with the door closed.. rotfl

Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:34 am

Yeah it's pretty hard to come up with a setup that covers every eventuality, that's why I think you do what fits your own habits, and leave it at that. I thought a long time about how I actually use the van before making the alterations I did.

I didn't think of it this way at the time, since when we camp we're always far from a paved road and the cops don't patrol the NF or BLM, but having the secondary switch like I do would let me camp in a more public campground and do whatever partying I like and have tunes without drawing La Jura because the key is in the hole. No, I never heard of anyone get busted this way, but the laws are on the books so it's their option if they spot you.

I think the only really universal deal would be to have a key-remote alarm system, with control over power windows, door locks, dome lights, and stereo. You could leave anything and everything in whatever mode you want, but if you walk away and press the remote, the whole rig buttons up and powers down. The factory could easily equip new cars with such a system, but it would take some fairly comprehensive controls to add it to an old vehicle. Always wanted one that did that, though.