Well today has been an interesting day.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
Went to collect my 2 from my Dad's house
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
(it had been there for a few days offroad whilst waiting for the MOT date), and found the battery to be completely dead.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
Since my car has been de-keyed
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
(is that what you call it?), I had absolutely no way of opening the car.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
Not even the little alarm LED on the dash was flashing, so the battery was completely flat.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
After 30mins of faffing around trying various things, I called the AA.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
AA man arrived in 10mins
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
(wow) and managed to get the driver's door open in about 1.5mins
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
(even more wow).
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
He charged the battery and all is well again now.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
The cause seems to have been the radio
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
- for some reason it's on a permanent live, not an ignition feed.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
I hadn't turned off the radio and just left it on pause mode.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
It was draining 5A from the battery, so no wonder the battery was flat after 3 days!! Turned the radio off, and now it's only draining by 0.7A when the engine is off.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
Alls well that ends well.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
A bit scary though
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
- I thought for a bit I might have to put a brick through the window to get in!!
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
Just wondering though
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
- is there something I can do to avoid this in the future? I don't intend to leave the radio on again
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
- but what I mean is, maybe there's someway I can rig up an external socket leading to the battery, so I can attach an external battery without unlocking the car for example.
![](./images/smilies/spacer.gif)
Dunno how easy that would be, and would it interfere with the alarm in any way?