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Leaving the air conditioning on when you turn off your vehicle is probably something you don\u2019t think about much, if at all. But according to one viral TikTok, that habit could be costing you more than comfort\u2014it could be shaving years off your starter\u2019s life.<\/p>\n
Creator Walt Hoyt (@walthoyt<\/a>) posted a TikTok from behind the wheel of his Ram<\/a> pickup truck in which he gives the old advice that it\u2019s wise to shut off the air conditioning before turning the engine off.<\/p>\n \u201cThen when you turn it back on, it\u2019s easier on your starter,\u201d he says. Hoyt\u2019s post has been viewed more than 355,000 times as of this writing.<\/p>\n People who commented on it aren\u2019t convinced.<\/p>\n \u201cTurn your radio off,\u201d joked one. \u201cIt will keep your tires from going flat.\u201d<\/p>\n Another quipped, \u201cBruh got a tip from his grandpa in 1971 and hasn\u2019t looked back.\u201d<\/p>\n The familiar refrain about turning everything off before you shut the engine down isn\u2019t just an urban legend spread by mechanics and old school drivers. In some vehicles, having fewer things running when you start your car means less load on the starter, which translates to more life in the parts.<\/p>\n ‘I Listed It For a Fair Price:’ Man Lists Jeep on Facebook. Then a Prospective Buyer Brings a Friend Named ‘Tommy Roughknuckles’<\/a> Component strain from having the AC and other things running when starting a vehicle was more immediately felt in older vehicles.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s vehicles are built far more intelligently than their predecessors, however.<\/p>\n Climate control systems now rely on electrically actuated<\/a> compressor clutches that are designed to remain off during engine start-up and only engage after the engine has achieved idle. The circuit that energizes the AC compressor clutch is not enabled<\/a> in the \u2018start\u2019 position in most modern cars, only in the \u2018on\u2019 position.<\/p>\n In a discussion on Tacoma World<\/a>, owners describe a several-seconds delay between starting their Toyota truck and the air-conditioning fan\/spinner reaching full speed, especially in triple-digit heat.<\/p>\n One owner noted, \u201cIt\u2019s about 10 seconds before the fan climbs up to max speed.\u201d<\/p>\n Similarly, a comment on a thread in Toyota Nation Forum<\/a> mentions that \u201cthere is a 30\u201340\u202fsecond delay before the climate control starts. Everything is disabled (heat, a\/c, rear window defroster, fan speed), and the only thing I see is the tiny green LED light on the Auto switch.\u201d<\/p>\n In certain scenarios, it still makes sense to turn the AC off before you shut the car down. Some examples include older vehicles, those with weak batteries or failing alternators, and in high outdoor temperatures.<\/p>\n Older vehicles, especially those with carburetors<\/a> or early electronic fuel injection, lack modern load-management systems<\/a>. If you had the AC on when shutting down, the compressor would re-engage at start, adding measurable strain.<\/p>\n Vehicles with weak batteries or failing alternators already operate with minimal electrical reserve. Any added load or the perception of added load could tip them into starter fatigue<\/a>.<\/p>\n In scorching climates, high under-hood temperatures intensify alternator and battery stress. A heavy AC draw can exacerbate<\/a> that strain, especially when idling in heat.<\/p>\n In such cases, switching off the AC before shutting down is a low-effort precaution that might prevent unnecessary wear. It\u2019s not a magic bullet to give your vehicle longevity, but it won\u2019t hurt, and could be to your and your vehicle\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n For newer vehicles with built-in safeguards like compressor clutch controls and load management systems, it probably won\u2019t make any difference if you leave the AC on or not. But in older or struggling vehicles, the habit remains a harmless and potentially helpful step.<\/p>\n Motor1<\/em> contacted Hoyt via TikTok direct message. We\u2019ll be sure to update this if he responds.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Leaving the air conditioning on when you turn off your vehicle is probably something you don\u2019t think about much, if […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1865,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1863"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1866,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1863\/revisions\/1866"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Modern HVAC and Startup Logic<\/h3>\n
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