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Car accessories - turn them off?

GeekDrew

GeekDrew

Diamond Member
I took my mother out shopping today (icy roads, she doesn't want to drive, etc), and she commented that it's weird that I don't turn my car's accessories off when I turn off the car. She always turns everything off - radio, heating/cooling, anything plugged into an accessory circuit, etc., before turning off the car. I never do. Everything automatically turns off or power is disconnected when I shut the car off (and open the door), so I don't bother.

What do you do?
 
Only if it's on really high. Usually if the radio is set really loud, or if the heater is on full blast.
 
That's not weird. She is weird for turning them off.

In fact, I find it annoying that my gf's Honda doesn't automatically turn off the headlights when I shut it off and open the door. My 80's Toyotas always did.
 
I do the AC out of habit. Just don't need the compressor and the fan to start up when its colder in the AM. Electrical stuff is off while starting the motor they are typically out of the circuit until the solenoid kicks back over. Electrically speaking - this is fine for your accessories. They are meant to run in a car and your car was meant to run them, so I'm sure the "shock" ur mum will likely refer to is nonexistent. Like god.
 
I turn off everything out of habit, except for the heater. That I actually turn UP before I get out of the car. I have a remote starter so I can get into a warm car in the morning.
 
She probably does out of old habit. If i remember correctly, in older cars it was advice that you should turn off all of the accessories before turning off the car as not to get power surge
 
Originally posted by: looker001
She probably does out of old habit. If i remember correctly, in older cars it was advice that you should turn off all of the accessories before turning off the car as not to get power surge
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That reminds me. My mom used to tell me that you have to turn off the AC before you turn the car off because it would damage the battery when you turned the car back on.
 
I also turn off the AC, but that's usually it. Maybe I'll also turn down the MP3 player's volume, though it's usually set fairly quiet to begin with.
If the AC turns on when the car is still cold, some belt starts squealing in the engine compartment. The belts were checked, and some replaced, just this August, so they're new. I've read that some OEM belts aren't an exact match, and so can do this squealing thing. Oh well.
As long as the damn thing survives until I can afford something better, that's fine with me.

The other "accessories" would include the rear defroster and windshield wipers. The defroster turns itself off, and the wipers, well, they get turned off when they're not needed.

 
I turn off the A/C a couple minutes before arriving at my destination because it lets it dry out, preventing mold.
I leave the radio set to on always, so it turns off when the car does, because I almost always listen to music in the car.
I leave the HVAC on at low all the time.
 
Originally posted by: feralkid
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
I disconnect the battery.
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I have to do that on my MGB; until I can figure out the sneak circuit that drains the battery.

Lucas!
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have a place like autozone check your starter for a short. i've had a few vehicles that the battery would be dead in the morning and that was the culprit.
 
The only thing I turn off is my AC/Heater. If it's cold in the morning, I don't want my heater on full blast blowing cold air. Same in the summer. The AC blows hot to start off with.
 
Originally posted by: coldmeat
Only if it's on really high. Usually if the radio is set really loud, or if the heater is on full blast.
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This is pretty normal for me.

My Ipod sometimes won't turn off automatically when I turn off the car so in that case I'll manually turn it off.
 
In the winter, i make sure to turn the defroster/heater mode to vent mode & turn the fan blower off before turning off the car. I wait for the engine to run a bit in the morning before turning all that back on.
I also make sure my windshield wipers are off before turning off the car so they don't start when the car starts. I had a bad experience with that once where the wipers froze to the windshield & i turned the car on. Not fun trying to fix that out in the cold & snow @ 1am.
 
I was taught to do this by my driver's ed teacher. I did it for a while, but after I got my license, I stopped doing it. I suppose if the car battery is on its last legs, you may get a few more cranks out it before you have to replace it, since your car is drawing a little less power at startup. But then again, if your battery is that dead, you should probably be replacing it asap anyway.
 
sometimes the heater/ac in my old car. new car - keep engine-off button down an extra second and everything goes off.
 
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