View Poll Results: Does leaving the key on engine on (but without starting the engine) ruin anything?
Voters: 113. You may not vote on this poll
Does leaving the ignition on with the engine off hurt the engine or ECU?
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 370
Originally Posted by Dave H.
I have the key in the on position while I am cleaning the inside of my car, so I don't have to hear the buzzer. That takes around 45 minutes. Nothing wrong yet.
I keep the key in the accesory position when i wash my car to listen to the cd player. That takes a little more than an hour.
So no, I don't think it will hurt the ECU or anything. THe only thing I see it hurting would be draining the battery. Just make sure you start it up after a while to 'recharge' the battery.
I keep the key in the accesory position when i wash my car to listen to the cd player. That takes a little more than an hour.
So no, I don't think it will hurt the ECU or anything. THe only thing I see it hurting would be draining the battery. Just make sure you start it up after a while to 'recharge' the battery.
does anyone else see what hes doing? wtf how can you listen to your music with the windows up? thats just a waste of your battery..major waste if you ask me...just invest in a 20-30$ cd playing boom box from walmart...
Don't you know who I am?
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 945
From: East Granby, Connecticut
To repeat for the 4000th time, leaving the key in this position will only serve to kill the battery. What some people have neglected to mention is that killing the battery is not good for the ECU.
Mechanically, it shouldn't do anything, but it will erase ratios and things the computer has learned through your driving habbits and when the car is started again, it will go back to default values. I jump-started my 99 max once, and the climate control went all wacky. To fix this I left the battery unplugged overnight, and it did fix the problem. However, I noticed the car (auto) shifted differently, and my gas mileage went way down.
The computer will re-learn the settings, and things went back to normal after about 2 weeks, but just something to keep in mind. And before the flamers come after me, remember: ERASING and RESETTING the ecu are two different things.
My .02
Mechanically, it shouldn't do anything, but it will erase ratios and things the computer has learned through your driving habbits and when the car is started again, it will go back to default values. I jump-started my 99 max once, and the climate control went all wacky. To fix this I left the battery unplugged overnight, and it did fix the problem. However, I noticed the car (auto) shifted differently, and my gas mileage went way down.
The computer will re-learn the settings, and things went back to normal after about 2 weeks, but just something to keep in mind. And before the flamers come after me, remember: ERASING and RESETTING the ecu are two different things.
My .02
I've never heard of the shifting and gas mileage being effected by disconnecting the battery. I have never had any problems in the....idk know how many times I've disconnected the battery.
Still not sure why this thread isnt locked yet!!
Still not sure why this thread isnt locked yet!!
Originally Posted by Mad_A
1)Does putting your car in reverse for more than 2 seconds kill your transmission?
it definately will not hurt your ecu... the only things that might hurt your ecu are voltage spike from a bad or misconnected alternator.. or thinking your car is a boat and driving into a lake sized puddle and getting it wet.. When I was working at the shop I've seen a lot of nissans come in with crazy problems from their ecu's getting wet..
If you're so worried about leaving the key on just get a Optima Yellow top or some other deepcycle that's meant for that kind of abuse.
If you're so worried about leaving the key on just get a Optima Yellow top or some other deepcycle that's meant for that kind of abuse.
Originally Posted by cruzer82
it definately will not hurt your ecu... the only things that might hurt your ecu are voltage spike from a bad or misconnected alternator..
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 66
Like grace imports said, in the old days with points and condenser if the points happen to be closed, you could burn them up, but now days you would just use the battery up faster then in acc as it run more things using the on setting
I dont do it cause itll drain your battery faster than accessory because its activating more things than just the radio. Like the Fuel pump and airbags. I'd rather not have those things powered up while I'm hangin out with my girl in the car 
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
QueensMAX
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
7
Sep 15, 2015 04:14 AM
carid
Group Deals / Sponsors Forum
0
Sep 9, 2015 05:06 AM