Radio is killing battery

Cartrouble

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2005 Mazda 3
Hello! I bought my daughter a 2005 Mazda 3 (1st car). The car is in great condition with a small issue. The factory installed radio is running constantly and killing the battery. If the car is turned off, the radio does not run but it is drawing power (enough to kill the battery if it is not driven every day). I had the electronics traced and I know that this is the issue. The mechanic suggested that I use a solar paneled battery charger (one you plug into the cigarette lighter) to keep the battery charged. I do live in Canada and it gets quite cold so I need the battery to be full! When I plugged in the solar panel, the radio came on, even with the car turned off. (I will install the panel directly to the battery to avoid this). My question is, is there any way to fix this without installing a new radio panel as they are quite expensive and with the age, I do not want to throw tons of money at the car. Any help would be appreciated!
 
You could also go to Crutchfield, or other sites that are similar, and buy a new radio with more updates features for under $100 and it comes with a stereo surround made perfectly to fit. I imagine that would help! and rather than spending $75 for a standard radio, i would put that money toward something with bluetooth and the like.
 
It could be that there is an internal problem with the OEM radio, or even a wiring harness connector could be shorting power to ground. I would verify that, first if you haven't already.
Should you need a new receiver, I agree that Crutchfield is a great source, since they offer remove/install procedures, surrounds, and lifetime technical support.
 
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