Is there a way that I can turn off the engine but keep the car on for the radio/cell phone use.

 

Tap the start button 2 times quickly. Might take a little practice to get the hang of it.

 

Is that from the manual or is that just a trick that works. Is it just turning it off and putting it into acc quickly ?

 

Be aware the OEM battery, at 550 Cold Cranking Amps, will support only brief use of the radio, lights, etc without the motor running. Many here have found that out the hard way, when their car would not start.

If you plan on using the radio or lights with the engine off, step up to a stronger battery. I would recommend nothing less than 640 CCA, and suggest 700 CCA. Nissan has a 700 battery for $114 ($128 minus $14 trade in on the old battery), but you can find a better price than that by looking arund.

 

There is no other way to get to ACC except to turn off the engine and tap the start button again. Two quick taps works for me.

 

I was fishing an overnighter and used my iphone all night. I did not use the speakers of the car, but the car was on ACC so to charge my iphone. I started the car only once for 20 mins around 3:00 am. Then fell asleep at some point. When I woke up around 9 the battery was still fine, the car turned with power and started right away.
I think the battery is enough for charging an iphone all night..

 

I just tap the start button twice without pressing the brake and it goes to acc

 

For me the cigarette lighter port in the arm rest is always on. So the ignition can be off and I can still charge my phone etc. I have a SV '10.

 

It's not the CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) that matters when it comes to battery drain for charging accessories. What matters is the amp-hour (AH) capacity of the battery.

"(CCA) is the maximum amperes that can be continuously removed from a battery for 30 seconds at 0°F before its voltage drops to unusable levels. A 550 CCA battery can supply 550 amperes for 30 seconds at 0°F. This rating is only useful in the selection of engine starting batteries."

For example the Interstate Mega-Tron II MT-35 Automotive Battery 550 CCA, provides 550 cold cranking amps for starting but is rated at 60 amp-hours. It will provide 1 amp for 60 hours at 12 volts. So charging overnight at a typical Iphone charging current of 1 amp (which it will only draw for about 3 hours tops) uses up only 3 amp hours. If the battery is in good shape and fully charged from the car's electrical system, charging a phone overnight will have negligible effect on the battery's ability to start the car the next day.

 

Good post. Phones use very little current. Lights and radios use much more current than phones

 

Good post Greg. How does Reserve Capacity (RC) fit into this equation? Just as important as AH rating?

 

Reserve capacity would seems to be more important for running high power devices like car stereos and amps with the engine off than for low power items like cell phones. http://www.dcbattery.com/faq.html

 

Thanks Greg. I think on one of my cars, I have a parasitic drain that I need to track down, but was wondering if I bought a new battery in the meantime, if AH or RC was more important. Going to read your link now.

 

Anyone using the Optima Battery ?

 

Yessir. Yellow top (D35).