(05-10-2016, 07:16 AM)ghost123uk Wrote:  This is the frustrating thing about "at a distance help". I don't own a modern one (and likely never will) but if I did, this would be something I would have to sort out pronto, and being well into electrics, I could and would. But, I don't have my hands on one, so here I'm working blind.

However, I'm guessing the actual "radio" is buried away somewhere, unlike your more usual "pull it out of the dash" earlier arrangement (where this mod is easy). If this is the case then there are likely a couple of options. Assuming you have a basic multimeter (and know how to use it) and that you can find the "radio" unit, then it should be a fairly simple case of finding which wire goes "dead" when you turn the key off. Then you would cut that wire, safely insulate the "feed" side, and on the other bit (that goes to the radio), connect a wire straight to the battery, via a fuse, say 10 Amp, close to the battery end.

Another option might be to find the fuse that feeds the radio. Then find the "feed wire" that feeds that fuse, cut that and do the same. Or, if it's a standard blade fuse, one could remove the fuse, find out (with your meter) which of the two terminals the fuse "plugs into" is live (with the ignition on of course) and, using a bit of wire with a "Lucar" spade connector attached, plug it into the other terminal (which is the one that connects to the radio unit), then, connect that to a nearby permanently live feed. Note, often fuse panels have a couple of unused terminals, which may be permanently live (use you meter) and one of those could be used. Again, you should put a fuse in that new bit of wire, an "inline" type from a motor accessory shop is fine.

One point though. I understand from what I have been told (I don't and won't own a modern fully "electronic controlled" vehicle) that on such vehicles the "brain" is a sensitive thing. Like, I have heard that if you need to jump start one, you need to follow certain procedures (rather than just simply hooking up the jump leads). So, if anything I have suggested above does owt funny to your cars "brain", please don't blame me <wink> This is just one of the reasons why I prefer earlier vehicles = I understand them !! (and don't need a dealership's computer diagnostic thing to fix them !!)

(05-10-2016, 10:56 AM)doofer Wrote:  I woudn't even consider messing with the electrics of anything modern - not to that sort of degree anyway.

My view is that adding stuff is OK (as I've done lots of), messing with factory-fitted stuff is likely to cause unforeseen problems.

I understand the touchscreen-specific issue now.  That really is a pain.  Does the manual state anything?  I'd be surprised if there isn't a way of having the stereo without the ignition (even with an over-mean time limit).  Perhaps you tap it while indicating left and winding the window down or something!

(05-10-2016, 01:16 PM)dunfillin Wrote:  The basic problem with the new touchscreen radio is that you cannot turn it off - it's on all the time even if turn off the screen or mute the volume.If you try to work round the issue by providing an unswitched live feed then you'll flatten the battery.
As Doofer says there's no accessory socket on the ignition so the only way of isolating the radio is by turning the ignition off completely.
I should have thought that the battery would have stood more than 20 minutes of radoiplay with the ignition on but Citroen are presumably playing safe.

Dunfillin