Advice on radio operation

Nov 19, 2010
1,542
1
0
Visit site
Hi, I drive a Fiat ducato Motorhome (2007)diesal 2.8 Free Spirit. I enjoy listening to the radio,however it will not work when the ignition key is in accessory mode ( ie when the engine is switched. My question is, is this normal for this model or might it be that it is wrongly wired. Appreciate your feedback.
 
Dec 19, 2012
60
0
18,580
Visit site
On every motorhome I have travelled in the radio will work without the ignition key at all. The general arrangement is such that the radio can be operated off the leisure battery when on site so as not to drain the van battery. Have you tried switching the habitation 12V DC on and trying the radio without the ignition key.
 
Nov 19, 2010
1,542
1
0
Visit site
Not all work that way Bernie. The radio in our Transit only runs from the vehicle battery, but has a 1-hour limit to avoid draining it. I don't know if other base vehicles have anything similar? May be worth asking the convertors if you know who they are, or a Fiat dealer.
Btw, welcome to the Forums "Arend88," I've upgraded you so you don't have to copy those squiggles next time.
 

gjh

Jul 28, 2011
618
1
0
Visit site
Our Burstner has the arrangement whereby the radio works from the leisure battery when the ignition is off but the Autoquest didn't. It all depends on the converter.
Graham
 
Mar 15, 2014
4
0
0
Visit site
Thanks for your replies. I can't find a clear explanation in the fiat booklet. I will try using the 12 volt on the leisure battery. I though however that with most vehicals the radio would work in acc mode. Thanks
 
Mar 11, 2007
585
2
0
Visit site
I really wouldn't worry about a radio in a Fiat Ducato, Many people have found that reception is useless when travelling, it seems that Fiat fit an ariel and the converter fits another, both are equally poor in providing entertainment en-route.
If anyone has a solution, I would be extremely interested to hear your tips.

Happy Easter to one and all.
Brum
 
Dec 19, 2012
60
0
18,580
Visit site
Radio reception on my Fiat based Swift was useless to start with. Eventually the supplying dealer fitted a small external dipole aerial foc under warranty. Since than reception has been brilliant both while on site and travelling.
 
Mar 11, 2007
585
2
0
Visit site
Thanks Bernie, I will give it a try.

Where is your fitted?

I fitted a recommended tax disc type ariel when she was new with no improvement.

Again, thank you for your advise
 
Jan 24, 2014
7
0
0
Visit site
All:
I am a qualified radio comms engineer. (But I am 60-something so that doesn't mean I can work a car radio, as you will find out if you live long enough to finish reading this)
I have read, and I think I have found on my 2006 Ducato, that they fitted an 'aerial' in the door mirror - our drivers side, I think. I read in various places that this door mirror aerial is useless. I have just bought this 2006 Ducato and it had a rubbish radio in it and original speakers which were terrible. You may like to know what I found, and what I did.
Mine came with a FM/AM radio and a retro-fit telescopic aerial fitted to the nearside wing. That worked, as well as a rubbish radio and rubbish loudspeakers could. The reason someone had added the wing aerial was confirmed when I fitted a new radio - I found the original aerial cable from the mirror, routed through the dashboard had been cut off, and the new aerial cable substituted.
I went to a decent car hi-fi shop where I expected to buy a half decent FM/AM radio for about £300. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this car hi-fi stuff has plummeted in price since I was last interested, in the mid 1980s. I was going to buy a FM/AM radio till the guy reminded me that FM is going to be switched off in 3 years time so you had better get a DAB radio, which I did, for £200. It has evey input you can imagine, and several I have no idea what to do with. It comes with a DAB aerial which is a peculiar sort-of not-quite-complete-rectangle of printed wire loop, about 8 inches in length which you stick to the top inside of your windscreen. Forget the silly 'tax disc' aerial, it is a waste of the world's natural resources, your time and money, and the dealer was very happy to get rid of it. If you want a decent FM/AM aerial you will have to get either a wing mounted telescopic aerial, or if you have a metal bodied PV, get a roof mounted stick. A Bifilar Wound one, if you want to be exact. However bear in mind that if you install a FM radio you will chuck it in the bin in 3 years time because it won't work.
I have still to get to grips with the DAB radio. It has a mind of its own. Select for example Radio 2 on FM. It will start playing and then all of a sudden it will go off and find that it can receive Radio 2 on DAB and switch itself to DAB. Then the DAB signal disappears and it just goes into a sulk and all is quiet. It doesn't switch back to FM where it came from. Boo rubbish.
Now a useful bit of information:
I suppose when you look at the loudspeaker grilles at the bottom corners of your windscreen you will think you have 4" loudspeakers in there. Oh, No you don't! Ping the plastic covers upwards with a screwdriver and they will just pop off. Inside you will see a lot of air, and in the middle, there is a one inch 'loudspeaker'. It is really an earphone! You won't believe it till you see it. So that goes in the bin and you should get yourself a pair of Kenwood KFC-E1065 speakers. Inside the speaker location underneath the plastic grille there is a circular hole where this speaker fits exactly. It could have been made for the Ducato. It is a 'full range' 4" speaker. Fit it in with silicone - you won't be removing it so there's no point screwing it in, as you can't anyway because the screen is in the way. These Kenwood speakers are about £23 a pair.
Then move on to the door speakers. Take off the speaker grille, take out the 6-and-3/4 " speaker and throw it like a frisbee for the dog to chase. That is the best use you can put it to. The whole speaker weighs about the same as an egg, and is made of plastic. In case you didn't know, a lot of the quality in a speaker derives from the weight and magnetic power of the magnet. If the magnet weighs one ounce you are not going to get much quality or sound from it. So I installed a pair of Kenwood KFC-E17565 speakers which fit the hole exactly. These speakers are again full range, and cost about £35. I was prepared to pay about £100 for a pair of speakers, but the price has tumbled so much, I was surprised.
Then I fitted some 6" speakers in the habitation part of the MH, but that is another story and particular to my make and model, whereas all the foregoing applies to all Sevels from about 1997? was it? to 2006 before the slitty-eyed new shape ones.
As for the radio, it is like a new 'phone' - you need a 4 year old to show you how to use it. Mine is a Kenwood KDC-BT48DAB, but I guess most of them would be very similar. It has blue teeth, apparently, and a microphone above the windscreen and a button so if you have the said 4 year old handy, they can show you how to make your phone talk to your radio and when you are driving along singing a merry tune in time to the radio and your phone rings, the radio cuts out, the caller says 'hello, have you claimed your Personal Injury Payout for that accident you had?' through the radio loudspeakers. You say something in Swahili in reply and press the 'phone' button and they go away and the radio comes back on. You don't have to touch your phone. Also the 4 year old will show you how to make your phone play the 3,880 music tracks they have stored on it for you, through the radio. It also has a CD player, which you probably know how to work, though they are out of date now, and a lot of new music equipment doesn't have a player. It has a USB input, an AUX input, a USB cable dangling which you will have to stick in the glove box but I haven't worked out what it is for yet. It's got an Android, a MP3 (with ID3 Tag - that is vital, whatever it is), an OEM wired remote (no idea, either), RCA x 3 High Voltage (I think that is an output you'll need if you have got a Corsa with a 3ft bass speaker where the rear seats should be) and it is designed for Windows Media. Why? Don't ask me, I haven't a clue. Neither have I found out where the coffee comes out from, but I bet it's in there somewhere. Of course you have to choose which language you want the radio display to show - Russian is included, and you can choose from 27 million (I am not exaggerating) colours you want the screen to show in.
Anyway I hope you can sort out the useful information on aerials and loudspeakers from this missive. I should have posted it in a 7 part series. If I learn to work the radio, I might start weekend seminars to teach people how to work them.

On refelction I seem to remember that the 'OEM wired remote' connects to your steering wheel if it has radio controls on the said steering wheel. It's only one wire, so that means it must be a computerised data stream down the wire from the steering wheel to the radio.
 
Dec 19, 2012
60
0
18,580
Visit site
It is fitted onto the nearside wing. It is quite small, 30 to 35 cm or thereabouts. Since being fitted we have had no problems in tuning in and maintaining services without drop-outs.
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts