{"id":91369,"date":"2023-09-12T19:41:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T02:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=91369"},"modified":"2024-01-23T23:58:40","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T07:58:40","slug":"what-is-accessory-mode","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-is-accessory-mode\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Accessory Mode?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_6ae172-dc{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_6ae172-dc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_6ae172-dc qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-3c3c07  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-ff8ab3\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_a0597a-68\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_a0597a-68\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_a0597a-68\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading_a0597a-68 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_a0597a-68\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Accessory mode operates some accessories on battery power while the engine is turned off.<\/li><li>The benefits of accessory mode include convenience, comfort, and fuel saving.<\/li><li>Meanwhile, the primary drawback of accessory mode is increased battery drain.<\/li><li>You can leave your vehicle in accessory mode for hours, but limit yourself to two hours maximum if you heavily use accessories.<\/li><li>You can extend the endurance of accessory mode by avoiding using power-intensive electronics or starting the engine every two hours to charge the battery.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Waiting in a parking lot is never the most comfortable experience. You might be baking in the heat, freezing in the cold, or using up precious gasoline to avoid either circumstance. If it&rsquo;s a long-enough wait, your phone may even be out of battery and you&rsquo;re likely bored out of your wits. Luckily for you, modern cars are equipped with an accessory mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accessory Mode Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You might be wondering, &ldquo;What is accessory mode in a car?&rdquo; Accessory mode relies on your vehicle&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/battery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery\">battery<\/a> to run certain accessories while the engine is off. This often includes the radio, windshield wipers, and other nonessential electrical components. In general, you should avoid using accessory mode for longer than two hours to avoid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/car-battery-drains-overnight-potential-causes-and-how-to-prevent-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery drain\">battery drain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The way to activate accessory mode often depends on the make and model of your vehicle. Some will require you to turn the vehicle&rsquo;s ignition switch to &ldquo;ACC,&rdquo; while others need a specific button or lever to be activated. When you activate accessory mode, the vehicle&rsquo;s electrical system will stay powered until you turn off the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/ignition-switch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"ignition switch\">ignition switch<\/a> entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"close up shot of a car key in the ignition with labels\" class=\"wp-image-91483\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/keys-in-ignition.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>In some vehicles, you have to to turn the vehicle&rsquo;s ignition switch to &ldquo;ACC&rdquo; in order to activate accessory mode.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits and Drawbacks of Accessory Mode<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Accessory mode is a very handy setting for your vehicle, but there are also a few drawbacks you should be aware of when using it. We&rsquo;ll take a look at both the advantages and disadvantages of accessory mode in this next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The benefits to accessory mode mostly stem from the amount of convenience it provides. The radio or music player can give you a good distraction as you while away the time waiting in a parking lot for whatever reason. In a pinch, you can also charge your phone. Certain vehicles will even let you use the air conditioner (A\/C) when accessory mode is on. It&rsquo;s a great alternative to idling, and can save you some gas because accessory mode relies solely on the battery. It&rsquo;s also good for when your vehicle needs to be pushed or towed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Drawbacks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most frequent questions about accessory mode has to do with its main drawback. So does accessory mode drain your battery? Because accessory mode relies solely on the battery to power your vehicle&rsquo;s electronics, it will drain the battery if you use those electronics. This can lead to you losing both the ability to use accessory mode and the ability to start your vehicle entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A vehicle&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/how-does-a-car-battery-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"battery\">battery<\/a> can run on its own for a time, but it ultimately needs the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/alternator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"alternator\">alternator<\/a> to keep running. The alternator is the part of your engine that recharges the vehicle&rsquo;s battery. If the engine isn&rsquo;t running, the alternator can&rsquo;t recharge the battery. If the battery runs out in accessory mode while the engine isn&rsquo;t running, you&rsquo;ll need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/jump-starting-basics-how-long-will-it-take-to-get-your-car-up-and-running\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"jump-start the battery\">jump-start the battery<\/a> to get the vehicle started again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/logos\/badge_wordmark\/full_color\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Long Can I Leave My Car in Accessory Mode?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind that accessory mode itself doesn&rsquo;t drain the battery outright. If you turn accessory mode on and proceed to not use any of the accessories, then no power will be used and your battery won&rsquo;t drain. Simply leaving your vehicle in accessory mode won&rsquo;t have much of an effect on your battery, and you can let it stay in accessory mode for hours without worry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you are using the accessories, it&rsquo;s best to limit your use of accessory mode to a couple of hours maximum. This maximum might be affected by your battery&rsquo;s condition and the kinds of accessories you&rsquo;re using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for Extended Accessory Mode Use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you know you&rsquo;ll need to use accessory mode for longer periods of time in extreme conditions, you&rsquo;ll want to avoid using electronics that take up a lot of power. These include seat power controls, climate controls like the A\/C or heater, and your GPS. Alternatively, you can also start your vehicle&rsquo;s engine every two hours or so to keep the battery charged. Keep it running for about thirty minutes to ensure a sufficient charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your car&rsquo;s accessory mode is a handy feature for those long waits in the parking lot. Just be sure to keep an eye on the time. If it&rsquo;s a choice between boredom and a dead battery, you know what to pick.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Waiting in a parking lot is never the most comfortable experience. You might be baking in the heat, freezing in&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-is-accessory-mode\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":91480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3767],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[2607,3269],"class_list":{"0":"post-91369","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-driving","8":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Is Accessory Mode? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Accessory mode lets you run some accessories without turning the engine on, but does this benefit come at the cost of your battery? Read more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-is-accessory-mode\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Is Accessory Mode? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Accessory mode lets you run some accessories without turning the engine on, but does this benefit come at the cost of your battery? 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