Radio drained battery

[strider63]

FYI
I took delivery of my smart this past Friday - yesh leap year day.

Any way, after doing some paper work the smart center sales person begun to shows us the how to's and where it is, training session. One part involved a demo of the radio in my smart (smart Radio 9 in my car). We moved along and then we proceeded to finalize the paperwork and pay for the car.

Returning to our car in the show room, the sales rep then got in the car to drive out on to the parking lot. It would not start. clik clik clik. not good.

The other sales rep came over and called the service tech. He came with a battery recharger/jumper unit. Got the car started and discovered that the radio was left on. He said the radio will keep running even though the car was turned off the key pulled out and drain the battery. This surprised me, I never had a car that does that, maybe with the lights but never with the radio. I think the key position was on 0 when it was pulled out, but not sure. The sales person was handling the key all the time.

So for the last 84 driving miles since receiving the car, I make sure the radio is off before I shutdown the car.

Don't know if has happed to any one else, I have not seen a thread about this happing to the first delivery folks.
Otherwise LOVE IT!!!

[spdickey]

Radio should turn off when key is turned off.

With key off, radio can be turned back on, and will stay on for a few minutes before turning off by itself.

Your battery may not have had its full charge at delivery from the factory since the car was never driven.

[jwight]

Very strange IMO; the radio should not be on with the key off and out of the car. Maybe that's for people who lock their kids in the car while they go shopping - keeps 'em entertained.

[strider63]

Originally Posted by spdickey

Radio should turn off when key is turned off.

well that was the smart service tech explanation. The sales person said he took the key out on the 0 setting. Or so he claims. JPaul suggested that maybe the sales rep took the key out of the 1 position.

[strider63]

Originally Posted by jwight

Very strange IMO; the radio should not be on with the key off and out of the car. Maybe that's for people who lock their kids in the car while they go shopping - keeps 'em entertained.

Hmm I did see a buyer across the Cadillac dealership that left his dogs in the car. With the windows closed.

[strider63]

Originally Posted by spdickey

Radio should turn off when key is turned off.

With key off, radio can be turned back on, and will stay on for a few minutes before turning off by itself.

Your battery may not have had its full charge at delivery from the factory since the car was never driven.

Low charge

Yup probably, not what the smart tech said but its possible. It only had 9 miles when I took possession of it.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by strider63

Low charge

Yup probably, not what the smart tech said but its possible. It only had 9 miles when I took possession of it.

Hmmmmm... PDI, check battery charge before delivery to customer? Sounds like a no brainer.

[spdickey]

Originally Posted by strider63

well that was the smart service tech explanation. The sales person said he took the key out on the 0 setting. Or so he claims. JPaul suggested that maybe the sales rep took the key out of the 1 position.

Key cannot be removed in any position other than 0. Radio turns off when turning off car. Radio can be played (for a while, it auto shuts down in about 10 minutes) without the key in the car (quite nice for entertaining the kid while away). When it turns off by itself, just push on for another ten minutes of tunes.

UPDATE: I just tested this with my start out in my garage (I know, I'm a lucky 1173 SOB), it does turn off by itself, takes about 15 minutes.

This probably did not run down the battery. It was probably down from sitting around for a few weeks without being driven waiting for your delivery.

[strider63]

True spdickey
My car did arrive at the Baltimore port on Dec 13th 2007. So it was more than a few weeks.
So can I change the title of this thread to "battery low at delivery"

[Evilution]

If the radio stays on when the ignition is cut, check the stereos manual and change the setting so it does turn off. You could do this on the 450 stereo.