Switch Off Aircon and Media Player before Turning Off Engine

[Jaason3138]

What's the best care or best practice? Do we have to switch off our aircon and media player before turning off engine? Any thoughts and considerations? Will it harm the batteries or fuse and etc... please comment

[Gnahp]

it will harm the switches and shorten their life

[Philipkee]

What's the best care or best practice? Do we have to switch off our aircon and media player before turning off engine? Any thoughts and considerations? Will it harm the batteries or fuse and etc... please comment

I have a friend who switches off the aircon and lets it run in fan mode as he enters the car park to park. Reason he gave is that it would allow the condensate at the aircon to evaporate faster cos when the car is not moving and there is a lot of water around the aircon bacteria can grow and you start breathing it when you next on the aircon.

 

But I don't share his view but that's his logic.

 

Another friend will switch off the stereo system before he switches off the engine but that is because he is playing a cd on it and he is quite anal of it being ejected "properly" rather than switching it off while it is still playing. So not sure if this point answers your question cos he is not switching off the radio but rather the CD player. He claims it will prolong life of the CD. I also don't agree but I am the kind who can just pull out USB without clicking the eject button or switching off a laptop with USB still inside the laptop then yanking it out. So not too sure if he is right in the sense of prolonging the lifespan of cd by ejecting it properly.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Philipkee

[Victor68]

My humble opinion. Switching off AC and Media player will not harm your battery but a good habit. More of the AC because it draws more current than any of the equipment in the car.

 

However, it is better to start car engine first before switching on AC because starting current is already very high. Although the compressor of the AC may not have cut in yet, the total current draw will shorten your battery life.

 

Based on this theory, start/stop the engine too often, you know what happen. But many manufacturers claim they have taken that into consideration when designing their car and battery.

 

Some may not agree with me. So it is for you to try out.

[Tianmo]

I off everything before i off engine. And on engine before I on everything else.

 

This has been a habit for many years.     

 

so far, none of my cars has spoken to me on is it good for them or are they happy with it. 

Edited May 16, 2017 by Tianmo

[Soya]

Walau....these sound so analogue. Might as well say better turn off a/c, headlights, stereo manually each time b4 start-stop function kick in

[uniquely_ad]

I have a simple answer

 

I buy a car to let the car serve me, not the other way round

[Mockngbrd]

I off everything cos laupokchia

[Kangadrool]

I manual operate everything even though comes with auto this and that. Yes, I deactivated auto headlights, auto wipers, autolock doors...

 

I buy a car for me to command, control and dominate it, not the other way round.

Edited May 16, 2017 by Kangadrool

[flashbang]

Left the car to do what it wants to do regarding aircon and stereo. 2017, not 1987.

[Gnahp]

when I was a new driver and younger, I have many many "driving rituals" too..

 

i.e. step on clutch before cranking, wait for check engine light to go off before cranking, make sure everthing is power down before the next cranking, install turbo timer for turbo car etc.

 

now I still practice some old habits, I start the engine first before I adjust the memory seat to my setting and yell at my wife for not doing so.

[kykh]

I have a friend who switches off the aircon and lets it run in fan mode as he enters the car park to park. Reason he gave is that it would allow the condensate at the aircon to evaporate faster cos when the car is not moving and there is a lot of water around the aircon bacteria can grow and you start breathing it when you next on the aircon.

 

But I don't share his view but that's his logic.

 

Another friend will switch off the stereo system before he switches off the engine but that is because he is playing a cd on it and he is quite anal of it being ejected "properly" rather than switching it off while it is still playing. So not sure if this point answers your question cos he is not switching off the radio but rather the CD player. He claims it will prolong life of the CD. I also don't agree but I am the kind who can just pull out USB without clicking the eject button or switching off a laptop with USB still inside the laptop then yanking it out. So not too sure if he is right in the sense of prolonging the lifespan of cd by ejecting it properly.

Haha, do we know one another? :) I've been practising exactly what you described your first friend did since my first car, and that's what Honda had recommended too:

 

http://www.autoindustriya.com/auto-industry-news/hondas-tips-on-proper-use-of-car-aircon.html

 

Furthermore this helps to conserve energy, as even after the aircon has been switched off with the fan remaining on, cool air will continue to be blown for a period of time that is usually sufficient for one to have parked his or her car.

 

I'm also worried that the CD may be jammed in the CD player if the player is not switched off properly before cutting off the power supply. 

 

Lastly, switching off the aircon, fan and audio before switching off the engine will help to avoid excessive drawing of current when the engine is being restarted. However little the help may be, it does not inconvenient me by doing so anyway and has become my driving habit, while I've not found any switch being spoiled as a result.

 

Interestingly, I found that there is only mute but not off button for the audio system in my wife's new car, so maybe switching off the radio or CD player does not matter ;)

[Benarsenal]

On older cars I will off the aircon first before turn off engine. Newer cars I don't bother.

 

Nowadays got sophisticated climate control etc, just leave them be la.

[Volvobrick]

I never bother with turning off anything before shutting down the engine, nor starting it with minimal "load".

 

Nothing has ever happened to any of the more than 10 cars I have had before, including turbo'ed ones that could be attributed to my laziness.

 

Some modern cars will auto blow the air con for a while after engine is stopped, and also delay engaging the compressor.  Perhaps that helps too!

 

[Xanavi]

I off everything before i off engine. And on engine before I on everything else.

 

This has been a habit for many years.

 

so far, none of my cars has spoken to me on is it good for them or are they happy with it.

I do this for all the time I drive. 99% of the time. Simple and fuss free. Didn't even think of the rationale. Just habit. Like switching off lights and fans when leaving house. Haha..

 

TS, dont think so much. Prolong or not, maybe differences is minimal, no statistics, but batt, 2year change. Engine just regular servicing. Alternator, 7 years? Aircon, mine around 7 year change compressor, and clutch. Also dont know is it normal or not. Dont think so much.

Think about what beer to drink tonight bro!

when I was a new driver and younger, I have many many "driving rituals" too..

 

i.e. step on clutch before cranking, wait for check engine light to go off before cranking, make sure everthing is power down before the next cranking, install turbo timer for turbo car etc.

 

now I still practice some old habits, I start the engine first before I adjust the memory seat to my setting and yell at my wife for not doing so.

You mean brake or clutch?? Dont yell at wife lah... cheers.

[RCTP]

I switch off aircon and head unit before switching off engine. Wait for check engine light and some lights to extinguish before cranking engine (not applicable now cos of push start button). And when my cars stopped having temperature gauge, I wait till the cold engine light extinguish before moving off.

 

No real reason or logic behind it, just habits carried over from previous cars. And those habits form from a mixture of strict rules to follow if wanna drive father's car to driving instructor last time informed.

 

Like I also don't turn my steering wheel when I'm completely stationary, last time drive those old vehicles no power steering. I only switch between R and D when the vehicle is completely stationary.

 

So yeah, for me even though I do most of those stuff it's just due to habit.

[Axela72]

What about auto headlight and auto wiper? Do we just left it auto or better to switch off before turn off engine? Ty

[Watwheels]

At home what do ppl do? Do they off the socket switch of the things like TV and aircon or do they use the remote control first? Same for your PC/laptop?

 

So what do you think? For cars, no need to care?

 

Think before you comment. Don't just blurt out what others might say. Ask yourself what is the purpose of a on/off switch then?

Edited May 17, 2017 by Watwheels