April 24, 2010
why does my manual transmission die when I turn off the engine and listen to the radio?
I have a 2004 Honda Accord, that is manual transmission. It runs fine when the engine is on, but when I turn off the engine to conserve gas, and sit and listen to the radio during lunch, about 10 maybe 15 minutes later, everything goes dead and I need a jump. Is that the battery or the alternator?
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Filed under Gas Conservation FAQ by on Apr 24th, 2010. Comment. 
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Comments on why does my manual transmission die when I turn off the engine and listen to the radio?
it is time for a new battery- you have a dead cell or too-this ofcourse is my educated guess- have that batt load tested first..
I bet your radio has a short. You need to have it looked at. Take it to the Honda service.
That would be the battery, to keep a charge in the battery a car has a alternator, for the alternator to work the car needs to be running, so what I’m trying to say is, STOP USING THE RADIO WHEN THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING!!!
Easy solution, Buy a IPOD or a MP3 player or just a walkman!
And Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
battery leak or cables dirty easy to have either check any shop or parts store just drive to one while its running and ask them to check charging system most likely battery is old and leak
even i had this problem of getting my battery exhausted while engine isn’t ON..
and i came to know that it was so simple to get it fixed..
my battery was all dead and so as soon as i switches off my car it cudnt retain pewer..
so may be the case with you..
well it may be the wire short somewhere in the stereo wiring too..
If you have the original battery in the car, it is almost 5 years old. That’s pretty much the end of the service life for a car battery.
Have the battery load tested, chances are it will need replacement. After the new battery is installed, have the charging system checked. It should be charging at about 14.5 volts.
Listening to the radio for 15 minutes shouldn’t be a problem, just make sure the key is in the accessory position, and that headlights, wipers and other unneeded electrical items are off.
Could be that the battery is almost dead, going bad or is not getting enough of a charge. You could also check to see if your engine is idling too low if you feel or hear some sputtering that indicates the car wants to stall.
Do you have a gauge that shows under charging? Does your idiot light that controls the charge come on at idle or slow speeds?
Your battery might go dead with the lights on just as much as the radio.
If your battery is pretty old it may be time to change it. Your alternator may not be putting out a sufficient charge too! A 2004 car with original battery may be ready for a battery change anyway!
Do you have a radio connected to several amps and some really huge speakers blaring out of the trunk? This junk would drain a battery too!
You can do something almost free and simple like checking the battery connections, clean them off and re-tighten the battery terminals.
Most likely it is the battery. I suggest you have it tested and if necessary buy a new one.
Your transmission has nothing to do with your battery dieing. You need a new battery.